Chapter 8: Back in the Game

It was a chaotic night. Derek and I, arms around pretty girls, both fell into a dark swimming pool. With the sound of violent splashing, dazzling white lights lit up all around. The night was as bright as day.

A high-pitched alarm cut through the air, mixing with shouts and laughter. Chlorine stung my nose. My vision blurred, shapes shifting from pool floats to unfamiliar faces.

Aubrey sat by the pool, staring straight at me. A staff member beside her whispered, "Ms. Aubrey, the experiment was a success. Shall we close the teleportation channel?"

She looked every inch the boss—designer sunglasses, legs crossed, her lab coat open over a sundress. The staff hovered, deferential and wary.

Aubrey slowly leaned back into her lounge chair, her long legs elegantly crossed. "No need to close it." Her gaze fell on the woman between Derek and me, and she said coldly, "Destroy the equipment completely. Then...leave the time for me and Natalie."

She didn’t blink, didn’t flinch. Her voice was the final word—no appeal, no mercy.

Before I could react, several men in black grabbed me and dragged me out of the pool. The moment Derek appeared, Natalie’s bodyguards had him kneeling on the ground.

Security moved with military precision—black suits, sunglasses at night, earpieces crackling. I barely had time to grab a towel before they yanked me away, half-drowned and shivering.

"You know, I always knew you weren’t dead."

Natalie’s tone was very calm, but her eyes were crazed and frightening. She stroked Derek’s neck, smiling. "You really fooled me..."

She crouched beside him, fingers dancing lightly over his skin, as if testing whether he was flesh and blood or just another ghost.

At this moment, Derek seemed extremely calm, even a bit dazed. "Where am I? And...who are you?" He looked like a helpless idiot. "Let me go... I don’t know you, I want to go home..."

His voice wobbled, eyes wide and unfocused. The act was perfect—Derek always had a flair for drama, even when the stakes were life and death.

Natalie’s smile froze for a moment. Tears almost spilled from her eyes. "Don’t pretend, Derek. Don’t treat me like this."

Her bravado faltered, the pain raw and ugly. She clung to him, nails digging in, unwilling to let go even as the truth slipped through her fingers.

But the only response was a pair of blank, indifferent eyes.

Derek held the pose, refusing to meet her gaze. The silence grew heavy, stretching like a rubber band about to snap.

I watched from the side, amazed. Damn, pretending to have amnesia! Brilliant—why didn’t I think of that?

I bit my lip, half-admiring, half-wishing I’d had the guts to try it myself. Sometimes, the only way out is through.

I swallowed and slowly turned to Aubrey. Aubrey smiled. "What, Jesse, you don’t remember me either?"

Her voice was soft, almost teasing, but her eyes were sharp as ever. I straightened up, suddenly aware that the game wasn’t over—not for any of us. Somewhere, the system’s countdown started again. And this time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play.