1. Player 182
Chapter 1
Player 182
Levi
Present Day
“ A s you all know, this game began on the premise of victims and perpetrators. An hour ago, we secured the perpetrators. If there was more than one victim on their team, they were able to choose who they wished to manipulate. Victims, you are once more at the mercy of those who did you harm. Of those who caused you more pain than you thought imaginable. You are under their control. You are their puppets,” The Host annoyingly sang.
Levi attempted to thrash about, but he couldn’t feel anything . And why was he down here? Shouldn’t he be the perpetrator?
“They will be controlling every action and move you make. They will force you to play this game the way that they want to play it,” The Host continued. “One team perished from the last event. This brought the total down to sixty-five contestants and twenty-three teams. There is one team that won immunity to this game. 195 was the first to secure his victory in the special sleepover, and in doing so, his team will be sitting this game out. 194, 195, 196, and 197 will not be joining you all in here today. That brings our total to twenty-two teams.” The Host’s voice broke for a moment. “This game will go in rounds. The Sponsors were the ones to decide which teams would go against each other. The rest of you will dangle on the sideline until it is your turn.”
Levi’s mind spun as he continued listening to The Host.
“There is only one rule to this game. The first to cut all of the other’s strings ends the game.” The Host’s voice echoed around the chamber they hung in.
Only half of them hanging would make it through this game. Half of the teams would perish.
Levi whipped his eyes around as much as he could. He found his darlin’ Raven. His vicious little warrior. There she hung in some latex one piece. Legs, chest, and body on full display for everyone to see, the number twenty stitched across her front.
Anger pulsated through his veins. She didn’t deserve to be in this mess. She was another innocent this country had taken and thrown into a meat grinder, except she had come out stronger. It was one of the things that drew him to her.
Levi tuned out The Host, the alarm ringing, the other players tumbling to their deaths below. Instead his mind whipped through every scenario of how he was down here. How he was the victim. What had Enzo or Maverick ever done to him? He didn’t bother to watch the other rounds as they played out, instead he kept his eyes locked on Raven.
What difference would it make if he watched the other players die? He wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. His life was in the hands of someone else. One of the brothers would be controlling his every move.
He wasn’t sure if he’d rather it be Enzo or Maverick, but it was clear a conversation would be had after this game. Levi had lived with a heavy weight of lead in his gut for too long, but it seemed maybe it should have been a bit lighter.
How was he not the perpetrator?
He was so wrapped up in processing how the fuck he was down here that it took him longer than he cared to admit to realize it was his round.
His body jerked forward, his focus still on Raven.
She moved too. They were the last players.
They would be going against each other.
No. No.
NO!
Levi struggled futilely to move. To function. To stop this. To control his own fate.
He knew one thing with certainty—he was a liar. He promised the brothers he wouldn’t put anyone over them again, but that was a lie. Levi’s heart made him weak.
Levi only had a second to catch Raven’s eyes before they were both being yanked upwards.
The horror in hers was a reflection of his own. He couldn’t kill her. He couldn’t hurt her.
Except they would make him. He knew that the brothers wouldn’t hesitate. Knew that they were both ruthless. Knew that they weren’t good men. Just like he wasn’t .
After a few moments, he could just make out Raven’s body pausing above him before watching a few of his strings start to fall below.
He imagined a phantom pain from the jerkiness of his left arm as it landed against his side.
He tried to move his fingers, but before he could focus any more on it, his other arm was being yanked roughly upwards.
He did anything he could to steer his movements, but he was completely powerless.
His heart beat aggressively against his chest as the knife sliced through her skin. Her thick blood dripped onto his hand before creeping down his arm. He couldn't feel it, but the sight alone caused revulsion to slosh inside his gut. He didn’t have time to further process his turmoil before she was tugged upwards again. Her foot dripped crimson as she went.
Fuck. No. He wouldn’t kill her. He wouldn’t survive it.
He willed his body to move. Levi imagined shaking the bars of a cage, he pushed the thoughts to his arms. He focused on them specifically.
This time he was almost certain the prickles he felt on his limbs as he was transported to the very top were real.
Was the sedative wearing off?
He didn’t have time to think about it too much, he was now right across from Raven.
Raven was propelled forward, and she even managed to cut a few of his strings.
Levi, for a split second, felt his heart swell, thinking she might actually succeed, but then he saw her dilemma.
She was too short, there wasn’t enough space for her to move.
For her to win this.
It wouldn’t be enough .
He knew it with certainty, and he could tell she did too. Her face was paralyzed, but her eyes would haunt him until his last breath. He tried to relay to her his feelings with his own eyes. How much he had fallen for her in such a short time. How much she meant to him. How he would not survive killing her.
Levi couldn’t watch what he was being forced to do. He was a coward and shut his eyes firmly as he felt himself being swung, his arm pushing forward in an arching motion.
Wait.
He felt it. Fully.
This wasn’t a placebo or a phantom sensation. It was real.
His eyes shot open.
Her strings were cut, she was almost out of reach.
“Give him slack, now!” Maverick’s voice above was followed by Levi falling quickly.
Levi couldn’t drop the knife, but his arms were finally cooperating.
He held his breath as he free fell towards the darkness below. He focused on his goal. She was falling with him.
He stretched forward, grabbing hold of Raven and pulling her into his arms.
“Stop!” Maverick boomed over the otherwise silent room.
Levi's entire body shook as adrenaline simmered to the surface and elation swept through him.
Raven was secure in his arms. His eyes found hers.
They were going to be okay.
For now.