｡˚⛓˚｡⋆. HERMÉS

I kneeled down when I saw my friend, Chanel, whom I considered a sister, lifeless in front of me. I was so mad... for the first in my life, my mind failed me. Only a demon would do this! I was fuming!

I wanted to be impulsive and kill Crow with my bare hands.

"You're a fucking monster!" Hades' voice cracked as he fell to the ground, in front of the table where Chanel's head is displayed. My heart broke when I watched them. "L-love..."

God, he was so wrecked.

"Fuck!" Hades cried as Prada hugged him. We were all in tears. Hades lost the love of his life. "This is all just a dream... Chanel's alive, right? She's alive!" It was like we lost a mother... And not only that.

We all lost faith in ourselves.

"Why was she killed?!" The very calm Ares looked so different today. His eyes turned a shade darker as he looked at us with cold eyes. In a snap, he was not the father figure we looked up to. "Who the fuck did this?!"

I knew that he took this hard. He probably did not expect death... Well, we all didn't.

"In one of your rooms, I placed a big advantage. The one who found it really put it into good use." My body got cold with what he said. "The one who found it is given the chance to eliminate someone."

"To whoever killed her..." I saw Zeus's hand form into a fist. "Be thankful we don't know who you are."

Fuck.

I was shocked when Hades came charging to Apollo, gripping his collar tightly as he slammed him against the wall. Their eyes were both bloodshot and I knew that they would fight so I had to pull Hades away.

"Fuck you!" Hades screamed at Apollo. The latter was too weak to even fight back. His eyes were bloodshot out of too much crying. "You were with her last night. Why didn't you notice that she was getting killed?!"

Apollo could not do anything but cry. After all, there was no getting out of this. All aspects are pointing to him. Did my best friend really kill Chanel?

"Did you kill her?!" Hades shouted again as he broke free from me and gave Apollo one big blow to the head.

"He's my friend, Hades." Apollo's tears were flowing "So why the fuck would I kill her?!"

"Hades, stop it!" Ares went between them and tended to Hades. Tiffany quickly went to Apollo who was too wrecked to function.

"A-ares... Chanel..." Hades cried so I made my way to hug him. We were all too broken. Ares went near us too and comforted Hades. "M-my love..."

The girls were hugging each other. Most of them were not good with their families so Chanel stood up as the mother to them. And now, they lost a mother. ㅤ

It was as if they were orphans.

"Fuck, just confess already!" Zeus shouted as almost everybody flinched. I saw how my friends avoided his eyes and continued comforting each other. We were heartless to each other at this point.

So, we're going to play this game.

"Crow, have mercy on us..." My jaw dropped when Hades... knelt. The Hades, the strongest among us, is suddenly surrendering to someone.

He was not the king of the university now. He was now a slave.

"I... killed Yves," he sniffed. "I already confessed! Now get us out of here!"

We were all just desperate to leave this place.

"You must be hungry, right?" Crow suddenly asked which made my hands ball into a fist. Why the fuck was this Crow changing the topic?

"Fuck! Just fucking stop this!" Ares bursted out, earning the gasps of the girls. He rarely cursed throughout the years I had known him. When you hear him curse, it was surely coming from something core to him.

"Let's get you breakfast first," Crow chuckled. "We have a long day ahead!"

In a matter of seconds, sleeping gas flooded the whole room. And there we were, dozing off again to deep slumber.

-  -

FLASHBACK

"Hermés..." Yves called.

Achilles, Yves, and I were in the cafe today. Ares told me that the siblings wanted to tell me something. Probably to borrow money? Achilles borrowed from me a dozen times.

And, that was definitely okay. We're friends.

"Ares told me you wanted to say something." I sipped from my coffee. "What is it?"

"Bro..." Achilles looked shy but truth be told, he got none of those. He must have been influenced by Hades and Apollo because those two were very thick-skinned. That must have been the reason why they're often together.

"Achi, quick!" Yves ordered and I saw how they bickered on how should they tell me. I took a deep breath as they bantered. Damn, they're like kids.

"I'm shy!" Achilles whisper-shouted to his sister, making me roll my eyes. Really? Now was the time he's shy?

"Achilles..." I chuckled. "How can you be shy when in fact, you borrowed my underwear tons of times?"

"Achi, you're embarrassing!" Yves smacked her older brother, making me laugh. It was true though! When we spent the night in Apollo's house, I saw him wearing my underwear!

"What is it already?" I gave them a small laugh.

"We got swamped with debt." Achilles sighed. "I failed to pay for our apartment's rent so we don't have anywhere to live now."

Yves and Achilles were abandoned by their parents so they had to do everything on their own. We were witnesses to how they persisted in sustaining themselves. Luckily, they were scholars in our university but the allowance was not able to cover their residences.

"Can we live with you for a while?" He asked. "Just for two weeks so we could look for another home."

Of course, I could. But I was afraid that they would experience the toxicity in my house. They'll probably make them work as maids, especially since my father was abusive too. I could not risk their safety. They mattered to me the most.

"I would really like to take you in but..." I answered. My eyes were twitching left and right out of hesitation. I did not know how to decide.

"We can do anything, Hermés!" Yves flashed me a smile. "I'm willing to be a maid!"

"No, no..." I shook my head. I would never refuse to provide them with help. "It's just that my father is abusive. I'm afraid he'll abuse you too."

"We can handle anything, bro!" Achilles exclaimed. "It's just for a short while."

I sighed and stared at them for a moment. The demon and angel were fighting in my mind. I took one last sip from my coffee before making my decision.

"I'll take you in," I smiled at them. "But please... let me know if my father is hurting you."

That was the start of our downfall.

END

- -

"Don't eat it!" I heard Dior's voice as my eyes fluttered open. When I woke up, we were in front of a feast of food. So many and so delicious. God, I was so hungry.

But why weren't they eating?

"I'm hungry already!" Gucci exclaimed and glared at Dior.

"What's happening?" I asked Apollo who was sitting beside me. He looked like he was torn between eating or not eating. I broke a small laugh when I heard his stomach grumbling. He really was that hungry.

"Crue wants us to eat," he answered. "Good A.M., bro."

Crue?

"That's Crow, idiot." I rolled my eyes at him, which caused Apollo to laugh. "Did you eat?"

"Dior and Tiffany are stopping us." He shook his head and watched how Dior and Gucci bickered about food. They were adamant we do not eat the food in front of us.

The heck... I was hungry too.

"Damn..." I saw Apollo staring at me. "Why do you look beaten up?"

"Penalty," I simply answered. It did not hurt that much anymore, though. I was always willing to take everything, just so Dior would not get hurt.

My eyes darted to Hades who was silent in the corner. He was only watching our friends but his eyes screamed sadness. I was not used to seeing him like this. He was always one to initiate the noise in our group.

I felt sad for him.

"I think we can eat this, love," I heard Ares assure Tiffany who has her arms crossed in her chest. He was desperate to eat too.

"Damn, she's sulking." Zeus laughed at the sight.

"We'll die of hunger, Tiff!" Apollo said as Tiffany sighed and nodded. They could not do anything because we were all really hungry. I'd give anything just to eat.

"Nice!" Apollo cheerfully exclaimed. "Let us eat!"

"How will I feed you..." Hades wondered, making Ares think about it too. The two girls had their tongues removed so this will be hard for them.

"Tilt your head so you can chew your food then open your throat wide," I advised and grabbed a piece of the chicken. I was in awe of the taste of this chicken... It was delicious.

"Dior, eat," I told her and she just rolled her eyes before taking her bowl of pasta. "If you want, I can feed you."

"What am I? A baby?" She snobbily said, making me laugh. "I'll eat!"

"Anyone feeling something different yet?" Zeus asked us and we nodded.

"Me, bro, I'm feeling something for you," Apollo said and looked lovingly to Zeus who smacked his head in return.

"Fool!" Hades laughed and kicked my best friend.

They're really like kids.

"My baby girl is jealous!" Dior exclaimed and slung her arm around Gucci, who in turn playfully pulled the latter's hair.

"Dior, just eat your food!" Gucci pouted as we all laughed at their bickering. Zeus had to avoid our gazes at that. Of course... I knew way before what Gucci felt for Zeus.

"Prada, the airplane is landing!" We all turned to Hades as he helped Prada eat her food. That fucker even had the guts to clap for Prada. "Very good!"

"Good job, Prada!" That asshole Apollo applauded Prada and even gave her a 'thumbs up'.

"Damn, PDA," my eyes darted to Dior who was looking at Ares and Tiffany feeding each other. I smiled bitterly... Why could she not see me? "Hope all."

"Come here, Dior, I'll feed you," Gucci laughed and attempted to feed her. I could not help but smile. God, Dior looked so adorable every time she's being babied.

"I experienced that too," Apollo said. "To eat."

Why the fuck were they my friends?

After a few minutes, our tummies were full as we recharged ourselves from the exhausting day yesterday. What do we have to do today?

"Hello, little ones! I hope you ate well," Crow said. "Before we start our next challenge, we need you to vote for the most suspected member of the day."

This again?

"What a way to ruin the morning," Zeus whispered.

To be honest, I had no leads on my mind. Everything was so vague so it was hard to point fingers. I just had to investigate more before I could come up with a conclusion.

"Vote for me instead," Ares said. "I can handle it."

"Why not vote for Apollo? Since he's the one who kill—" Hades was cut off.

"Motherfucker, can't you stop?!" Apollo stood up and looked like he was about to punch Hades. I saw the girls massaging their foreheads, anticipating a fight between them. They did not look like they had any plans on stopping them.

"I'll take the penalty," I said to make them stop. My biceps could take it.

"Let me," Gucci said. "I got used to it yesterday."

"Uhh... good luck?" Dior said, obviously not wanting the penalty. But, I mean, who would?

"Just vote for me." Zeus stood up. "I can take it. I believe I'm the strongest here."

"Are you sure?" I asked and he nodded. It was better this way because no one would be angry or hurt.

"Who wants to vote for Zeus?" Ares said and we all raised our hands. Zeus gave us all a reassuring smile, not wanting us to worry about him.

I'll make it up to you, Zeus. I just could not confess my sins for now.

｡˚⛓˚｡⋆. NARRATION

Dior was the first one to wake up. She noticed her wearing a full white bodysuit. She felt uncomfortable for some reason as she scanned the location they were in.

The floor was covered with checkered black and white tiles while the whole place seemed to be in the middle of a castle garden. She looked at her friends and saw that Hermés, Zeus, and Hades were wearing the same colors as hers. Ares, Apollo, Prada, and Tiffany were wearing black while Gucci was wearing a mix of both.

What tricks does this bastard have again? Dior thought.

Dior was devastated at the loss of her friend. Chanel was the reason why Dior and Tiffany met the group and that resulted in Dior loving her friends so much.

But she knows that it was her fault too.

What she did not know was that she was not the only one who made reckless decisions.

She can't help but stare at Hermés who was almost beaten to death because he was willing to take her punishment for her. She was mad... at Crow, at Hermés, to her friends, but most especially to herself.

Her eyes landed on Zeus who had the heavy cuffs attached to his wrists. She could not help but feel sad at the state of her friend. She was never one to give up easily... But she could not find a ray of light now.

"You're awake already?" She asked Tiffany who looked like her consciousness was still asleep.

Dior pouted and then hugged her best friend. When Dior feels like she is at her worst, Tiffany is the remedy for her. Dior grew up with her parents in prison so Tiffany became her parent.

"Tiff..." she whispered. "I miss you."

Tiffany smiled at that. They were the most unlikely of best friends because Tiffany was introverted while the latter loved to socialize. Tiffany widened her social network through her.

She had more confidence than before.

Tiffany could not help but think that Dior was hiding something from her too. They knew almost everything about each other... Almost. Tiffany also knew that they were both on different sides regarding the issue.

They needed someone to tell the whole truth now more than ever.

"Let Prada and I join!" Gucci exclaimed as she and Prada ran towards the girls.

They all missed their girls' night where Chanel would always cook them their favorite food. Now, they do not know how to function without her.

"Bro, let's hug too," Hades, who just woke up, invited Apollo for a hug. He probably got envious of the girls.

"Hug yourself," Apollo rolled his eyes then hugged the girls. "Hug me too!"

"Damn, you smell bad," Dior hissed when Apollo hugged them. The girls laughed and pulled away from each other's embrace.

"You smell great, Araceli," Apollo sarcastically said with a smile. Araceli was Dior's second name. "You smell like my poop."

"I hope you pooped already, Apollo," Zeus turned around. He just woke up. He smiled when he realized that he could tolerate the weight of the handcuffs.

"He pooped already," Hades said and slung an arm around Apollo. "The problem is... He ate earlier so he has something to release again."

"That's gross," Hermés commented as he woke up from slumber.

"Hermés, you look beat," Ares muttered, who was observing them since earlier. "Are you okay?"

"Very," Hermés gave him a small smile.

"You're awake, Ares!" Dior greeted him.

"I was observing our outfits," Ares answered as he continued scanning their clothes. He knew already what their challenge would be.

So that's why they exempted one. He thought.

"Hey, why is Gucci wearing different clothes?" Hades asked.

"Our advantage in our room was that one of us is exempted from today's challenge," Ares answered, making Gucci smile at him.

"Let me guess. I'm grouped with Tiffany," Apollo said as he looked at the people wearing the same colors as his.

"Bro, you're so smart." Zeus chuckled, sarcasm evident in his tone.

"Don't forget us," Hades added fuel to the fire.

"Hermés!" Apollo acted like he was crying but the latter just ignored him. "They're picking on me!"

"Greetings, little ones!" Crow greeted, making the majority roll their eyes. "We're going to play a game today. I'm sure you're familiar with the game Chess?"

Prada scoffed. Crow really was a demon.

How did he find out Achilles' and Yves' favorite game?

"Three per group will play as the king, the queen, and the knight. My staff will be in charge of taking the roles of the other pieces," he explained. "The remaining member will be the one actually playing the game. That one will guide you in the direction he wishes to take. Ms. Gucci July will be exempted from today's challenge."

"The mechanics are simple. The pawn can only move two steps forward on its first move and only once on the next. The rook can only go forward, backward, or sideward. The bishops can move diagonally. The queen has the same power as the rook and the bishops. While the king... must be protected," Crow told them the mechanics. "White plays first."

"The white pieces are Dior, Hermés, Hades, and Zeus. The black pieces are Tiffany, Apollo, Ares, and Prada," he added. "We will have three sets of games. The first team to reach two wins will win. The losing team will have to face elimination."

Everyone held their breaths at that. Another death again.

Tiffany's team was at a disadvantage since two members could not talk and it would not be easy to plan a strategy. Ares kept his calm outside but deep down, he was so worried about what would happen.

"Who wants to play as the strategist for White Team?" Crow asked as the teams rushed together to meet.

It was obvious that Hermés was going to play as the strategist but the other team was shocked when they found out that Zeus would be representing the team.

"Apollo..." Ares called as Apollo looked at him.

"Do you want to be a strategist?" Apollo was quick to shake his head to refuse. First of all, he was intelligent but he believed that he wasn't that smart. And lastly, he could not fight with the other team. It was too much for him.

"You're smarter than me, Ares," he answered, making Tiffany sigh out of frustration. Unlike himself, Tiffany actually believed in him. He was the best at thinking outside of the box.

"I'll play for the Black Team." Ares raised his hand before Crow announced the commencement of the game.

"This is exciting." Crow chuckled. "Well, let the games begin!"

The White Team came first. Zeus looked anxiously at Ares. Zeus fought with so many people... but he didn't want to fight his friend.

It would cost them a life.

"1B move to 3C," The Horse of the White Pieces dashed to his assigned position. Dior was playing the queen, Hermés was the king, and Hades was the bishop.

"7H move a step forward," Ares ordered as the pawn occupied the space in front of it.

The White Team's plan was simple. They just had to make the game a draw so no one would win nor lose. They just hoped that the Black Team thought of the same thing.

"G2 move two steps forward," Zeus commanded. Prada was observing carefully the moves of the other team.

"H8 move to H6," Ares said as the rook moved two steps forward, shocking the other team. Dior immediately knew that they were fighting hard.

"C3 move to H4," Zeus ordered as its horse moved to the designated place. Ares was also keeping in check with the other team's play.

"They will now move their queen," Hades said as he observed the other team's gameplay.

"D7 move to D5." Hades' predictions were correct as Prada, the queen of the Black pieces, was already free to move.

"F3 move to H3," Zeus said, and now that they confirmed... This was no longer a fight for both wins. It was a battle to the death.

After a couple of moves, the black team was slowly losing. Their queen and rook were caught while the other team only had their horses and pawns removed.

"Move the queen to F4," Zeus said as Dior followed, coming face to face with Apollo, the king of the Black Pieces. "Check."

"Apollo, move backward." Ares was obviously panicking right now but he was trying so hard to keep his composure.

"Rook move to D4," As soon as Zeus said that, Ares realized that they lost as there were no other possible places for their king to go. "Checkmate."

"Congratulations, White Team!" Crow greeted. "That was a fun game. But do not relax just yet. We still have two sets... the Black team can catch up."

The black team shook hands with the white team but they were all wearing apologetic faces. Whoever lost this game... had to face death.

"Black and white pieces! Let the crows kiss your death."