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━━𝒯he tension in the air was suffocating. It clung to Mira's skin like a heavy fog, seeping into her bones, making her muscles tighten with unease. The flickering fluorescent lights above cast eerie shadows across the dimly lit room, distorting faces, twisting them into something monstrous. The once-unified players had turned against each other, accusing, blaming, pointing fingers. The trust that had barely existed was now completely shattered, replaced with pure, unfiltered paranoia.

Mira stood frozen in place, her mind drowning in the chaos, her heart slamming against her ribcage as she tried to process everything. Accusations were flying like knives, sharp and cutting. The desperation in everyone's voices was palpable.

Her thoughts were ripped away when a voice-loud, arrogant, and all too familiar -broke through the madness.

"Yo! Yo! 'O' Gang! Hey! Listen up!"

Namgyu's voice rang through the air, cocky and self-assured, instantly grating on her nerves. Mira turned her head to see him standing in the center of the group, his face twisted in feigned outrage. His voice was loud enough to demand attention, and unfortunately, he got it.

"In the bathroom, all of a sudden the 'X' bastards started attacking us outta nowhere! We were just standing there, minding our own business, and those assholes jumped us! They killed my friend! A bunch of people on our side are dead!"

His words dripped with false righteousness, his expression a carefully crafted mask of anger and victimhood.

Mira felt a slow, simmering heat begin to rise in her chest. Her once-pale face flushed with fury as she clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white.

She wanted to punch Namgyu so hard he'd swallow his own damn lies.

"That's bullshit," a voice from the crowd interjected, breaking through the tension. It was unfamiliar to Mira, but the anger in it was raw, real. "You guys are the ones who started it!"

The arguments erupted again, voices clashing like a brutal storm. Accusations flew like arrows, and everyone was so focused on tearing each other apart that Mira barely noticed herself moving.

She was scanning the room, searching for one person.

Myunggi.

Her heart pounded as she frantically looked for him, her breath growing uneven. Was he okay? Had he made it out of that bloodbath alive? Every second that passed without seeing him only made the anxiety in her chest tighten like a noose.

A slow clap snapped her out of her frantic search.

Namgyu was walking toward her, his usual smirk plastered on his face. His confidence made her sick to her stomach.

"Your little boyfriend killed Thanos," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Guess he's not so perfect after all, huh? Maybe you should try something new. I'm always available."

His smirk widened as he winked at her, his arrogance nearly choking the air around them.

Mira saw red.

Before she could even think, her body moved on instinct. She kicked the back of his legs with full force, knocking him off balance. He barely had time to yelp before she was on him, straddling his chest as she drove her fist into his smug face.

The impact was brutal. A sickening crunch echoed as his head snapped to the side, and a tooth flew from his mouth, hitting the cold floor.

Namgyu groaned, his body writhing under her, but Mira wasn't done.

"You motherfucker!" she hissed, her voice laced with venom. "Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that?!"

She grabbed a fistful of his black hair, yanking his head up, forcing him to meet her gaze. His once-cocky expression was now contorted in pain. His dark eyes widened slightly, a flicker of fear appearing beneath the bravado.

Mira smirked.

"Look who's scared," she whispered mockingly. "You should've been the one to die, asshole."

And then she drove her knee into his stomach, making him choke on his own breath before delivering a final, devastating kick to his groin. Namgyu collapsed to the floor with a strangled cry, his body curling in on itself.

Mira didn't even spare him another glance as she ripped off her vote patch and shoved it into his mouth.

"Shut up," she said coldly, dusting off her hands. "You make me want to go deaf."

She turned away from him, tying her sweater around her waist just as the PA system crackled to life.

"Attention, all players.

Lights-out will be in approximately 30 minutes. With the remaining half-hour, please disperse and prepare to return to your beds for the night."

Mira barely had time to process the announcement before she finally spotted him.

Myunggi.

Her breath hitched at the sight of him.

His face was streaked with dried blood, his dark eyes wide and shaking. He looked like a lost sheep thrown into a den of wolves, barely holding himself together.

She ran to him.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. She could feel his body trembling against hers, feel the hesitant way his hands hovered above her back as if he wanted to hold her but was too afraid to.

"You asshole," she whispered, voice breaking. "I thought you died."

He let out a shaky breath, but he didn't move. Didn't hold her back.

Mira slowly pulled away, searching his face. His eyes wouldn't meet hers. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He was broken.

Without a word, she grabbed his hands and gently led him toward her bed.

"Sit," she commanded softly. He obeyed.

She ripped off a portion of her already-torn T-shirt and grabbed the water bottle she had hidden under her pillow. Myunggi watched her, a flicker of something unreadable in his dark eyes.

As she poured water onto the fabric and pressed it against his face, wiping away the blood, he flinched slightly.

"Shhh," she murmured, her voice softer now. "Don't move, dumbass. It'll sting more if you do."

Her calmness sent shivers down his spine.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I... I killed Thanos. But when he talked about you like that, I just-" His voice cracked, the weight of what he'd done pressing down on him like an anchor.

Mira didn't hesitate. She hugged him again. This time, it was gentle.

Reassuring. Her fingers carded through his messy, dark hair, trying to ground him, to ease the guilt that was tearing him apart.

"It's okay," she whispered. "Don't feel guilty."

A tear slipped down her cheek. Myunggi felt it land on his skin, warm and real.

After a moment, she pulled back, giving him a small, wobbly smile before returning to cleaning his wounds.

When she was finished, she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

Myunggi's breath hitched.

Mira took a deep breath, staring at him. Then, without warning, the words spilled from her lips.

"Actually, you shouldn't even be apologizing at all. I was the one who fucked up," she admitted, her voice quiet but firm. "I pushed you away because I was selfish. I should've thought about what was best for you, too. Now look around. My selfishness got Junseo killed. I was terrible to you, even when you cared about me more than anyone else."

Myunggi swallowed hard, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

"What are you trying to say, Mira?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

She exhaled shakily before giving him a small, bittersweet smile.

"That I fell in love with you, Lee Myunggi." She chuckled softly. "A little bit. Or a lot."

And then, without hesitation, she kissed him.

It was slow, deep, filled with every unsaid word, every unspoken emotion.

But their moment of peace was short-lived when they started crawling under the beds with Namra and Yuro for safety.

Because soon, the screams began.

Lights out had started.

And none of them knew that by the time dawn arrived, one of them would be gone.