Mark's POV

I woke up on a beach completely drenched in ocean water. I groaned, sat up, and looked around.

In front of me, there was the ocean, which stretched as far as I could see. The beach stretched out about a hundred meters in both directions before I saw more ocean. I turned around to find that behind me was a dense forest, my sword, and a backpack.

I stood up and walked to the edge of the forest where all the stuff was. I put the sword through one of my belt loops and opened up the bag. Inside was a blue hoodie that was covered in blood stains.

I stared at it for a second. I recognized it, though I wasn't sure from where. I set it on the sand next to me and looked into the bag again. The only other thing in the bag was a piece of paper. 

I pulled it out and read it to myself. 

Mark,

I must say, I'm a bit surprised you managed to make it this far.

Ethan and Robert made it through without a problem, as they've already seen everything they had to witness. However, you see, your other friends aren't doing too well.

You've been shrugging things off and not looking too deeply into the situations given to you. Felix and you came up with theories, but ended up deciding that you'd wait until you got your memories back to make any assumptions.

For this reason, your "Level Three," as I've heard it been called, will be different from what Ethan and Robert warned you about.

Some people (or a person) you will come across on this level will be real, instead of something I made up to trick and deceive you.

Good luck, 

Katherine, with a little help from RBM

I threw the note back into the backpack and stuffed the hoodie in after it. This had to just be another trick. A lie. Cry, Tyler, and Felix were fine. They had to be.

The signature was really the only thing that threw me off. Who was RBM? And why was that person helping Katherine?

Suddenly, a scream pierced through the quiet atmosphere. It sounded like the same person who had called my name after I fell unconscious.

I froze. If what Katherine said in the note was true, at least one person here was real. The person screaming—being punished, I assumed—was probably the one who rescued me from the ocean. Why would they rescue me if they wanted me to die? To be stuck here forever without my memories?

The person was in trouble, and the least I could do was find out if they were real.

I closed the backpack and slung it over both shoulders before I began sprinting through the forest. I followed the pitiful screams coming from the person I assumed had saved me.

The screams abruptly stopped. I skidded to a halt and tried to keep my breathing quiet.

I heard snickering coming from, what sounded like, a teenage girl, "He's coming. He must've found Katherine's note."

A boy stated, "He's coming to save his damsel in distress."

"I'll go find him. You stay here and guard the hostage," the girl replied.

I heard something rip before an Irish accent screamed, "Why am I a hostage?! And what the hell are two fifteen-year-olds doing in the middle of a forest?! What's going on?!"

"Don't worry about it. All you need to know is that this might hurt," the boy snickered before the guy's screams filled my ears.

I heard footsteps coming toward me. "Mark?" the girl called. "We don't wanna hurt ya. We're here to help!"

I quickly scanned the area around me. I smiled before running to a tree and climbing up it. I made my way about half way up before stopping and sitting on a branch. 

"Mark? I know you're around here somewhere. Don't be afraid!"

She walked underneath me and I got a good look at her. She was wearing black skinny jeans and a green hoodie. Something was on the front of the hoodie, but I couldn't see what it was. Her brown hair, which was mostly green due to the excessive highlights all throughout it, was braided over her shoulder, and one eye was covered up with a patch of some sort. The eye that I could see was bright blue.

I held completely still as she glanced through the trees. She grumbled something under her breath and continued walking away, shouting about how she didn't want to hurt me. 

I waited on my spot in the tree until I couldn't hear her voice. Once she was far enough away, I leaped down and stood on the forest floor for a moment. I listened to the person screaming for a second before I cautiously began walking in the direction of it. 

After a few minutes of walking, the forest began to open up. I heard the screaming from my right, so I stood against a tree and peeked around the side.

There was a boy with blue eyes and brown hair pacing back and forth with a knife in his hand. He was wearing a light brown, button-up shirt with brown suspenders and brown shorts. He looked the same age as the girl, which if I had to guess was around fifteen or sixteen.

"You don't honestly expect him to come looking for me, do ya?" the guy with the Irish accent asked. I still couldn't see him from where I was standing.

"Actually, I know he will."

"How?! According to you guys, he thinks I'm some sort of trap! Why would he walk into a trap?!" He sounded about ready to start crying. 

He must've been good friends with me if he was about to start crying.

"Mark is confused, which is perfect for us. At the moment, if everything has gone correctly, he isn't certain if you're a trap or the real thing. He'll be here, and if he doesn't come willingly, Sam'll bring him in."

The other guy stopped talking. He stayed quiet while the boy began walking out of my line of vision.

I took a deep breath as I noticed that my hand had subconsciously wrapped itself around the sword's grip. Was I actually considering charging in there?  

I thought about it for a second. The boy holding the guy hostage looked like a fifteen-year-old. I could probably take him.

He's only fifteen, though. I shouldn't start a fight with someone that much younger than me.

The guy started screaming again. I had to do something. 

Right at that moment, the girl from before, or Sam, as she had been called, came running back toward the opening. I pulled my head back behind the tree so that she couldn't see me.

She raced into the opening and announced, "The bag and sword are gone." She laughed. "He took them and left! He really doesn't care about you! He honestly thinks that this was a trap!"

I clenched my hand around the sword's grip as I heard the boy join in with the laughing. The guy stayed silent.

"Wait," the boy started, still chuckling, "you can't be serious. I've known Mark for a very long time, and there's no way he'd leave without checking this out."

"Maybe he swung by to check things out, but didn't see his friends here. Or he just thought his memories were more important," Sam suggested.

"Good on him!" the guy cheered. Sam and the other boy went quiet to listen to what he had to say. "At least he's getting his memories back!" 

"He left you to die. You don't seem very shaken up," the boy commented.

"Screw the two of you! He's doing what's best for himself! And I know damn well he won't just–"

He stopped himself. I sighed. I had a feeling he was about to say he knew I wouldn't just leave.

Sam giggled, "You have a good point. He wouldn't do that. He'll be back for you and we need to be ready."

"What do you wanna do?" the boy asked.

"Tim, stand guard where our little base opens up to the rest of the forest. I'll guard our friend, here."

Shit.

I took a deep breath. I could do this. I'd be fine.

Tim walked out of the opening and made his way toward where I was. He stopped next to my tree. 

I silently scooted around to get behind him. He quietly started whistling to himself, but was abruptly cut off by me kicking that back of his knee.

He let out a quick yell as he fell to the ground. He sighed, "Come on, Sam. That isn't–"

He turned around and froze when he saw me. I smirked down at him. "I heard someone I know's being held here."

He sprung off the ground and jumped into a fighting stance. I stared at him confused while he exclaimed, "To get to him, you're gonna have to get through me!"

I pointed behind me. "Your base is right there. I don't have to do anything but run."

Tim seemed taken aback. "Oh yeah? Well, you...you can't...you have to fight me!"

"Sorry, I'm a bit busy." I pushed him to the ground and quickly sprinted to the opening.

I somersaulted into the opening and sprung to my feet. "Alright Sam, you bitch, you're gonna give me my friend back and I'm gonna leave without having to actually use this sword."

"Mark?!" Sam exclaimed from behind me. "How did you get passed Tim?!"

I turned to face her with my sword raised. "With little to no difficulty."

She groaned, "Well, that doesn't matter! You won't get–"

I looked behind Sam to see my best friend and crush tied up to a tree. He had cuts on his arms and chest. He was staring directly into my eyes as I whispered, "Jack?"

A/N 

WOW OK SO I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO LISTENING TO DEAR EVAN HANSEN AND BE MORE CHILL

UMMMM CONNOR AND EVAN????? IS THEIR SHIP NAME TREE BROS BECAUSE I AM 100000% BEHIND THIS SHIP AND NEED FANFICS. ALSO BOYF RIENDS

LITERALLY, CAN PEOPLE JUST HIT ME UP WITH FANFICS FOR THESE TWO BECAUSE HOLY HECK

ALSO, ARE CROSSOVER FICS A THING FOR THEM?? SHIT GUYS I'M IN DEEP

Anyways, BUH-BYE BROTATOS!