Darkness.
Then—nothing.
Not even the kind of nothing that comes from closing your eyes in a dark room. This was deeper, like he'd been unplugged from reality itself. There was no air. No ground. No sound. No body.
And then—a snap.
Like something soft tearing.
Li Yushen opened his eyes.
He was sitting at a circular table made of black obsidian. Smooth as glass, cold beneath his fingertips. Around him were five strangers, seated like guests at a banquet held by death itself.
Above them stretched a skyless void. The space had no light source, yet everything was perfectly illuminated—every shadow precise, every face too sharp. Uncanny.
Yushen didn't speak. He didn't panic. His mind was already moving.
Last thing I remember… I was walking out of the psychology building. Crossing the street. Lights. Horns. Then… blackout.
Was this a coma dream? A hallucination? But then why could he feel the texture of the table so clearly? Why could he hear his own heartbeat? Smell faint smoke in the air?
No, this was real. Or at least real enough to kill him.
A soundless chime rang through the space, as if it resonated directly inside their skulls. Then came the voice.
"Welcome to the Table."
The voice was genderless, synthetic but ancient, like it belonged to something that had seen the rise and fall of civilizations but had never spoken until now.
"You have been selected for participation. Your presence has been confirmed across multiversal threads. Initial game commencing."
One of the other players—an older man with a graying beard—suddenly stood up. His chair clattered back into the void and disappeared without a sound.
"What the f*** is going on!?" he shouted, spinning around. "Is this a prank? Is this some kinda escape room?!"
No one answered.
Next to him, a woman—early twenties, sharp makeup, a confident jawline—was scanning the surroundings, lips tight, knuckles white on the table's edge.
A heavyset man in a suit—clearly not used to stress—was already beginning to sweat through his shirt. A girl, no older than nineteen, looked like she was about to cry. Her hands trembled, one clutching the hem of her hoodie like it might protect her from whatever this place was.
Yushen watched them all in silence. Letting them panic. Panic reveals patterns.
"Each of you will receive a card. A role. A task. Complete it, or be erased."
Erased?
The woman turned sharply. "Erased? What the hell does that mean? Who are you? Why are we here?"
There was no response.
"The first game will now begin."
Six glowing cards appeared in midair, one before each person, floating just above the obsidian surface.
"Game: The First Draw."
"Rules: One of you is the Ace. Your goal is to survive 30 minutes without being discovered."
"One of you is the King. Your goal is to correctly identify the Ace before time runs out."
"The other four are Jokers. You may choose to help or hinder either side."
"If the King guesses wrong, the King dies. If the Ace is revealed, the Ace dies. If no one acts, the game resets."
"Begin."
No time to breathe. No time to ask questions.
The cards flipped over in front of each player, but face down.
Yushen stared at his card, hands unmoving. The air was thick with uncertainty, like everyone was holding their breath at once.
The girl to his left whispered, "Is this… real?"
Beard-man let out a harsh laugh. "You think we're playing make-believe, kid? We've been kidnapped! Someone drugged us—this is a psychological torture experiment. I've seen videos about this sh*t."
"None of this makes sense," said the woman. "Look at the light. There's no shadows. No source. You're breathing but there's no warmth. No walls. No exits."
The suit man stood up. "There has to be a way out. I have rights. I'm a citizen. I—"
"You're stalling," Yushen said softly, finally speaking.
All heads turned.
He slowly lifted his card and looked at it.
♠ A – Ace of Spades.
He said nothing. Didn't blink. His face gave away no reaction as he gently placed the card back down.
He turned his gaze to the others.
"I suggest we start thinking instead of flailing," he said calmly. "Because no one's coming to help us."
The panic began to give way to suspicion.
"Who the hell made you leader?" beard-man snapped.
"No one," Yushen said. "But I'm the only one trying to understand the game. Which means I'm the only one not panicking."
The assertive woman narrowed her eyes. "Why aren't you panicking?"
"Because that's exactly how people die in these games."
She paused. "…You've seen something like this before?"
"Not exactly. But the structure is clear. This is a logic puzzle. A variant of a Mafia game. Hidden roles. Win conditions. Psychological manipulation."
The girl hugged herself. "I don't want to play a game…"
Yushen's voice softened, only slightly. "You already are."
13 seconds since the game started.
He scanned the room:
Beard-man: Loud, defensive. Probably a Joker. A bluffer.
Suit-guy: Panicked. Quick to deflect. Could be King, could be useless.
Crying girl: Possible Ace? But too emotional. Maybe bait.
Sharp woman: Cool under pressure. Either the King… or a very careful Ace.
Silent man: Shaved head, arms folded. Watching. Dangerous.
Too many unknowns. But no one had challenged him—yet.
Then, Suit-guy spoke. "Maybe he's the Ace. He's way too calm. No one else is talking like this."
Eyes turned to Yushen.
Yushen tilted his head. "Or maybe I'm the only one who wants us all to live."
The woman stepped in. "Let's not start accusing randomly. We need more information."
"No," Yushen said. "That's the trick. There's no more information coming. The rules are the only facts. Everything else is bluff, observation, and deduction."
The game had begun.
And the real play wasn't about cards.
It was about control.