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Chapter 018 OUT NOW!!!

018​

Deathspank finished his dinner and returned the plate to the tray. There were buckets of warm water to put his utensils in. An Organization member watched him from behind its mask like an alien doing a study on human beings, his machine gun a threat the whole time. Deathspank tried to stare through the mask but couldn’t make out a thing. They were anonymous, like the Organization themselves. It was a sickening connection, and Deathspank didn’t appreciate his favorite childhood game being used like this.
The music hadn’t stopped and he was fed up of listening to The KH-Vids Song on a loop. He wished Roxas had factored in the idea of people listening to it hundreds of times on repeat, like himself, Misty, and dozens of other KH-Vids members self-reportedly had. But who could ever have known the song would be so huge? It likely ranked among Simple & Clean and Sanctuary in the list of most important songs to the Kingdom Hearts fanbase. If he was going through the trouble of putting this whole game together, he could have at least taken the time to do a 2022 update, Deathspank shook his head.
He was analyzing the paintings that covered the walls when the blaring alarm went off. The KH-Vids Song ended with a scratch. Everyone turned to the giant door at the far end of the room and watched mist pour out. Roxas appeared through the fog, three more Organization members behind him.
The cute trumpet melody piped once more and Deathspank glanced fervently for the speakers that played all the noise, but when he looked in the very corners of the room, he only saw the walls and ceiling. They’ve built one hell of an underground bunker. Some kind of repurposed military base, maybe?
That could be right, he thought, going back and forth on where the island might be. It was all he’d focused on before the first challenge interrupted him. His findings told him it could be an island near Hawaii, but something was off. There was a manufactured smell to every building he’d seen. Maybe this place got wrecked by some atomic bomb testing off the coast? Somewhere in the Pacific Islands, perhaps?
It would explain the installation they were in and the militaristic finish to everything. As the fog faded, Roxas began to speak, and he knew he'd need to pay attention if he wanted to win the game.
“Congratulations, players!” he laughed. No one laughed with him. “You are the winners of the first challenge. You made it through! Can we get a round of applause?”
Roxas looked up toward the ceiling. Something’s different, Deathspank realized. It’s like he’s addressing an audience beside us this time.
“And let’s not forget to take a moment for our five fallen players; Catch the Rain, cstar, GhettoXemnas, EvilMan_89 and Arch!” Roxas looked up again and paused.
“Poor… little… things…” he continued. He walked closer to the front, looking down. “And it could be any of you, you know that? The game is cruel. It’s tragic. Your fans, watching at home, well… they know that.”
Deathspank heard gasps around the room. What did Roxas mean by that?
“Fans at home?” asked NRA. “Like... out there?”
Roxas ignored him. “And they have decided to raise the stakes of the game! All of you watching around the world, who donated and subbed and turned off AdBlock - this is the result of you!”
The pipe came out of the ceiling and the 1Up sound from Super Mario played. Deathspank’s eyes filled with horror and glee as he watched wads of cash fill the piggy bank.
“An additional ten million dollars!” Roxas exclaimed. “All thanks to our viewers - so put on a show, kiddos.”
“Wait!” cried Risk. It was silent while all heads turned. “Do you mean people are watching us? Right now?”
Roxas’s hand was in the air and he waited a moment before he replied. “Yes, Risk. They are indeed. And they have been since the game began.”
There were more gasps and whispers followed.
“Can you hear me!?” Risk called. “Dad!? Find me! Save me!”
Oh, no, Deathspank realized. A panic was about to set in.
“Help us!”
“Someone!”
“If you can see us, call the police! Please!”
“HELP!”
“AHHHH!!!”
Soon, the cries turned into a bleating scream. Those in a panic spun frantically, trying to look at the invisible cameras for sympathy. “Someone rescue us! We’re scared!”
Hissora fell to her knees, crying, and Explode raised his fist like a pastor on a sinking ship and begged the viewers at home for forgiveness. The screams got louder and suddenly, the lights cut off. There were a few more terrified shouts before everything went quiet.
“Oh, my poor players,” Roxas said in the darkness. “Those viewers you’re praying too, begging for help… they just donated ten million dollars to the winners of this game. Do any of you realize how rude it is now to ask to leave the game, when the whole world is watching, waiting, and wondering which one of you is going to emerge our victor? Ugh. I can’t imagine how they feel. Donating money to you pigs, only to see you turn right round and grovel for help.” Roxas chuckled. “No one is going to help you. Didn’t you realize that when they donated the money in the first place?” He paused. “They want to watch you die. Get it?”
In the dark, Deathspank heard sobs.
There's no one coming to save us, he realized. Not that he'd been caught up on that idea, anyway.
"As if anyone could find us," Roxas said. "The show must go on, so bring on the lights."
It's here, Deathspank nodded. The next phase of the game.
"There's something I forgot to mention. These are the same bags you began the game with, and they have everything in them you had on you when you completed the first challenge.
Deathspank sighed. His random weapon had been a set of darts.
"The game will begin again, and you'll have the same bread, water, and map you had before. We've added some more bread and water for you, too."
How kind, Deathspank snickered.
"And there's one more thing, players." The air was tense as they waited for Roxas to finish.
It can't be this easy, can it? A soft reset for the game with the same weapons as before?
"The game..." Roxas grinned, looking about dramatically, "has a new twist. So check those bags, or else you might miss it."
They hardly had time to process what he was saying before he called up the first player once again.
"Player number one - Lauriam!"

25 players remaining

I nearly tweaked a finger typing up the last chapter in my frenzy to release new content. As a result of a long meeting with my lawyer and agent, I will be writing the next 7 chapters via voice-to-text. I apologize in advance for any typos or grammatical errors.

Chapter 017 has entered the building

017​

Outside the dormitory room was the metal hallway that led up and out to the desolate island. Cin knew that Roxas and the Organization had entered the room from the same direction that he and all the other players had left it. So where, then, did you come from? Cin wondered. He sensed he was about to find out as the Organization member blindfolded him outside of the dormitory. He’d asked to use the toilet and they’d obliged, but only if he was okay with being blindfolded and led there. Cin obliged too, and now he stood with a black bandana wrapped around his face, his hands behind his back. Even though he couldn’t see the machine gun, he felt its tip pointed at his back and knew that any false move could mean one less player left in the game. “Go,” the voice said, metallic and unnervingly deep. Cin stepped forward cautiously, pointing his toes out to feel for obstacles. “Your way is free. Go ahead.” After walking for a moment, the guard asked him to stop. Cin heard the sound of something sliding open, then rhythmic beeping. A password, perhaps. Whatever slid open then slid closed, and there was another louder beep followed by the sound of a door opening over hissing gas. The guard put his hands on Cin’s shoulders and turned him to the left. “Carry on.”
I’m going left, then, he surmised, and wondered if that meant the long hallway to the island actually had a fork in its path. Maybe they’re all here, running the game within these walls underground. There wasn’t anything on the map that seemed like it would be their headquarters otherwise.
Cin felt the guard pull back on his shoulder, so he stopped walking. The man fumbled around with the back of his blindfold and soon, it came off. Cin blinked twice in shock, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim room. He saw two Organization members on computers nearby, typing furiously in what looked like a terminal window. A couple of greasy pizza boxes and flat 2-liters of soda covered a recreational table, and a Nintendo Switch was charging on the closest desk.
“Stop looking,” the guard said. “I’ll only give you 5 minutes.” Cin looked up and saw the door in front of him had a restroom sign. He nodded at the guard and went inside.
The bathroom’s interior was sterile and creepy, with one stall and one sink. There was no color and Cin began to see the shapes and tones he could fill the walls with if he had his paintbrush. This is your chance to find it, he reminded himself. They have to be keeping our personal belongings somewhere.
There was a small window in the bathroom and Cin climbed up to see what was outside. He saw the ocean waves and realized the bathroom was built on the side of a cliff looking out over the sea. I should come back to this cliff once the game starts and look for this window. I can pinpoint their exact location. Maybe there was another way in - a way to launch a surprise attack. But I’d need a rope to rappel down the cliff… and a lot of luck, too.
Cin looked about for other options. On the ceiling was a grate. He stood on the toilet and fumbled with the screws, his fingers trembling. One fell to the ground and tinkled around, and Cin held his breath, hoping the guard outside didn’t hear.
This would be a ****** way to die.
The grate came undone and Cin climbed inside. The air duct he was in now was massive and he could easily stand. He tiptoed forward and saw a vent that led into an unknown room downstairs.
Several Organization members were placing weapons into bags and putting them onto carts. The game... and those must be our bags. But he didn’t know if this meant they’d have new bags and new weapons, or whether they’d get their old bags back. There was more to discover, so he pressed on and soon reached another vent. Cin looked down to see almost a dozen masked men working at computers. Wait - who’s that? A man in red, wearing bandages like DiZ, stood and watched the Organization members at their workstations. Cin squinted at the computer screens and swore he saw the streaming software OBS. But he heard knocking from back in the toilet and the guard called. “You better finish up in there!”
Cin hurried back to the toilet and jumped back into the stall. He picked up the missing screw off the floor and began screwing the grate back in.
“I’m opening the door-”
“One second!”
“One? Well, now I’m coming in-”
“I’m still wiping!”
Cin heard the door open and the Organization member tore open the stall and pointed his gun at the toilet. There, Cin sat with his pants around his ankles. “I said I was still wiping.”
“I’m sorry,” the guard said, turning away. “I’ll be right here.”
Cin finished and came out of the stall. He glanced back at the air duct’s grate, which wasn’t screwed in all the way. He’d left a couple screws loose in case he needed to return here later in the game.
“Put this on,” the guard said, handing him the blindfold. Cin put it on himself this time, and he tried to leave an innocuous slit to look through on the way back to the dormitory. As he followed the guard, he saw the metal floor of the hallway through the hole, but nothing of interest caught his eye. Instead of left, they turned right, and this confirmed to Cin the location of the hidden hallway where the Organization worked. But as they entered the hallway, a sudden commotion threw them off guard.
“Prepare for the next game!” shouted an Organization member’s voice. “You - what are you doing here?”
“This one needed the toilet,” the guard said. It sounded to Cin like the guard was speaking to some kind of superior. He turned his head so the slit pointed in the pairs’ direction and he saw the Organization member in red’s cloak fluttering over the metal floor.
“Well, hurry up,” the man in red said. “Roxas is ready.”
“Yes, sire. I will return immediately.”
The guard waited as the man in red walked off.
“Now get going.” The gun was thrust into Cin’s back and he nearly winced from the pain. “We will return, you will eat your dinner, and you will play the game.”

25 players remaining

• TT was such a short world. I liked Vexen’s death scene though.
• How short that world was made me wish they were all like that. Especially since you can endlessly make new rooms between 2 rooms anyway
• The fact that Sonic Blade is basically the best sleight for most of the story and owns everything is kinda sad. Like the deck building system could lead to so many intricate strategies but they’re all nullified by it
• At least these last 3 floors are really getting interesting, the story is this game once the gameplay loop wears off a bit
• Last floor = epic
• I’m really looking forward to Riku. Never played RR on console
• Ok finally at Riku. This is so much more streamlined than Sora. Combat is very similar to KH1
• I just beat Riku, that was super quick
• Here comes the Enemy Card grind. Pray to RNGesus

After a two day break that had fans frothing and screaming on Twitter, KH-Vids Royale III is BACK! Chapter 016 out now

016​

It was dark and cold, quite different from the last things Cia sensed before she’d passed out. As the dormitory came into focus around her, she remembered how she’d gotten here. She’d reached the end of the first challenge before gas had knocked her out cold. Just like in the limo, she recalled. Damn; they must have a lot of that ****.
There was sobbing from her right, and Cia turned to look. Aelin lay on her side in her bed, head buried in her arms. Her jumpsuit was stained a deep, dark red. She probably won’t be the only one decorated with someone’s insides when the lights turn on. Cia touched her jacket and brown hair reflexively, making sure no unwanted bodily fluids had covered her as well. Thankfully, she'd been safe from the carnage on her way to completing the challenge.
She glanced about and realized most players still slept. A few had stirred - she saw Cin sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at the floor, and across the room, Hissora was outlining something on her bed sheets. The sound of crackling jumpsuit plastic got louder as more people came to. There was less confusion and panic than before - most people were probably going through the same stages Cia had earlier, remembering why they were here in the first place.
Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she noticed that unlike before, where people stood scared and lost, the other players and members of KH-Vids were starting to form teams. Just one bed over, Lauriam and Amaury had joined Aelin and were consoling her. Cia saw Mish and Misty whispering together by some bunks in the back corner. Clearly, people had been forging alliances on the battlefield while she’d tripped over herself with no one around to help her back up.
But she wasn’t too worried - at least not yet. When she’d found an uzi inside her duffel bag, she knew that even if she was alone, she had as good a chance to survive as any group that came upon her. I wonder whose weapon is better than mine? Cia thought, looking around. Unless there were any rocket launchers or grenade launchers out there in the crowd, then surely…
Wait. Her hands rushed to her pockets, then to the sides of her chest. Where is it?
Her gun was gone. Whatever had happened at the top of the volcano, she’d been stripped of her weapon before being taken here. She quickly glanced at the walls and through the dim light saw the creepy paintings of her and the others murdering each other. That meant this was probably the same place they’d started originally - she couldn’t imagine there’d be two different rooms Roxas was keeping them. So was the game restarting? Was her weapon gone for good? The questions whirled through her mind as the opening riff of The KH-Vids Song began to play.
“He’ll be here soon,” she heard Risk say. He and Trigger were hanging by a bunk together a few beds back. I need a team, Cia thought. She looked around the room again. I need them.
Cia walked up to Mish and Misty and stood silently at first. The two stopped talking and glanced her way.
“Yes?” asked Misty.
“Are you two… a team?”
Mish and Misty stared at her for a moment before Mish replied: “I suppose we are.”
“I thought you two might have some other plan - and, well, I was hoping to survive and see Roxas myself. I figured you’d be trying to do the same thing.”
“If you want to join us, that’s fine,” Mish told her. “And yes, we’re looking for him. We’re looking for more team members, too. But only ones we trust.”
“Like me?”
They all turned when they heard the comforting voice. It was Inasuma.
“Inasuma,” Cia smiled. “I feel safe now.”
“I was looking for you while we were out there, Mish,” he said. “Was hoping to find you. Now here we are. Kind of fortunate, isn’t it?”
“Fortunate and strange.” Cia turned again. This time Kitty and Calxiyn waited behind the circle.
“There you are,” smiled Mish. “I hope you can forgive me for not waiting for you.”
“I knew it wasn’t an option,” Kitty said. “So I went to the volcano to look for you. Thought you might be up there.”
“M-6?” asked Mish. Kitty laughed.
“What a team,” Cia smiled. “I’m sure a lot of people will want to join us.”
“Not him, apparently,” Misty frowned. Cia looked at where she was glancing. On the other side of the dormitory Cin still sat alone, staring at the floor.
“We need him,” Mish said. “I'll ask him to join us. Will anyone join me?”
“I will,” Cia nodded.
She followed Mish through the dark to where Cin sat.
“Hey, Cin,” Mish said. “I’m guessing you know why we’re here.”
“Why are any of us here?” he said grimly. “Except to die.”
“Jesus, man!” Cia shouted. “Sorry, but our team’s all smiles.”
“I don’t want to join your team,” he countered. “You think this is all fun and games? Ridiculous.”
“No, but… we’ll be stronger, won’t we? And we can find Roxas, together,” Mish reasoned.
Cin laughed. “Until he makes us all kill each other. Don’t you realize how hard that’ll be - either of you? You know how this’ll end; in blood.”
“You’re really not joining?” Cia moaned. “Wow. That’s ****ed.”
“I can’t,” Cin said. “But know this: I won’t kill anyone on your team. Just do me one favor and leave me alone.”
Cia snorted, over it. “Fine,” she said. “Be like that. But I’ll remember this conversation when they announce your death over those loudspeakers. And I’ll remember how you gave us up and chose this dumb path, instead.”
“Don’t waste your time on me,” Cin sighed. “I have my own plans for Roxas, anyway.”
The KH-Vids Song reached its final chorus and the lights came on. People covered their eyes this time, and soon the metal door at the far end of the room began to open and fog spilled everywhere. It’s so ominous, especially with all the mist, Cia thought, but what came through the door was the opposite of anything spooky. Three Organization members wheeled in trays full of meals. The room fell silent as everyone smelled the warm food that waited for them. Cia sniffed and swore she smelled gravy, but couldn’t believe the food they’d be given would possibly be so rich.
“Good evening,” said the lead Organization member, machine gun in hand. “You will be called forward to collect your dinner. Consider it a present from the Composer for making it through challenge number one. The game will begin shortly after dinner.” The mysterious, masked man gave the players a moment to register what he’d said. “Player number one, Lauriam.”
Lauriam went forward to get her dinner, and people returned to talking and forming teams. Cin stood up and left Cia and Mish with some parting words.
“Look,” he began. “Thanks for the offer, but like I said - I’ve got my own plans. We’d only be slowing each other down. Let's call a truce and move on from here.”
“But Cin,” Mish said quickly. “If you change your mind then find me somehow. You know we need you. And you need us, too.”
Cin stopped to process her words, but whatever he thought, he only told them: “I need the toilet.” He turned and walked toward the Organization members serving food. Cia watched him ask a question, and soon, the member led him into the hallway behind the room.
“He’s not joining us, is he?”
“Dammit,” Mish sighed. “He’s not. At least not yet.”
“Player two, Mish.” Mish turned toward the dinners.
“Get your food,” Cia said. “I’ll meet you back at the team.”
Mish left, and Cia turned to leave, too - but something caught her eye. The floor was covered in scratches she hadn't seen in the dark. There was something etched into the floor's cement next to Cin’s bed where he sat. Cia glanced about, but no one was looking. She got down on one knee and took a mental snapshot of what she saw carved into the ground:

'IV-VI'

Your own plans, Cin? Let's figure out what those might be.

25 players remaining

• TT was such a short world. I liked Vexen’s death scene though.
• How short that world was made me wish they were all like that actually. Especially since you can endlessly make new rooms between 2 rooms anyway
• The fact that Sonic Blade is basically the best sleight for most of the story and owns everything is kinda sad. Like the deck building system could lead to so many intricate strategies but they’re all nullified by it
• At least these last 3 floors are really getting interesting, the story is this game once the gameplay loop wears off a bit
• Last floor = epic
• I’m really looking forward to Riku. Never played RR on console
• Ok finally at Riku. This is so much more streamlined than Sora. Combat is very similar to KH1
• Random thought but I wish there was something harder than Marluxia to go back and fight after you grind Sora up

• Honestly not much to report. This game is really repetitive, but I like leveling up and continuing to customize my deck.
• It’s a shame the Disney worlds are so pointless. It’s literally KH1 but with the plot slightly altered to involve memories. Especially because the original story in this game is actually amazing, but the formula of only having those scenes between floors is annoying.
• Thankfully each world takes like 45 minutes to complete or less
• Reached Hollow Bastion. Things are finally heating up storywise, but yeah this is a real slog.

I LOL'd

Bam, Chapter 015 is here

015​

Roxas watched his Organization goons load the bodies of his friends from KH-Vids onto trucks. One by one, the pink tent flap opened and each player was brought out on a stretcher. A drone filmed the scene and broadcasted it back to the control room. Others worked at computers, preparing the footage into highlight reels and getting the best moments into clips. Some of his workers focused on individual 'players of interest' while others tried to get broad sweeping shots of the fights as they went down. The entire operation was providing live footage to multiple Twitch channels that were streaming the events on the island.
“Your tea, sire,” said one of his minions, tray in his hand. Roxas gleamed at the LED screens and grabbed the china cup. He went to take a sip, but spat it out the minute he tasted it.
“The ****!?” Everyone turned, but quickly looked away in fear. “I said two sugars, not one! Two!” The Organization minion backed away in fear and then ran for the exit. “And bring me a ****ing Hobnob next time. I’m not in the mood for shortbread.”
Idiots, Roxas thought, sitting back down. He hated stupid people, and he considered someone who couldn’t make his tea properly to be of the utmost stupidity.
“Roxas, my Lord; a report!”
The electric doors to the room opened and someone in a red cloak walked in. Instead of the black mask worn by all the other Organization members, their face was covered in red bandages, similar to DiZ from the Kingdom Hearts series that brought Roxas and the doomed players so close.
“Tell me,” Roxas began. “Were the numbers good?”
“We started with ten viewers - then we went up to hundreds, thousands, now hundreds of thousands!”
“And how has Twitch reacted as a company?”
“They kept banning our accounts, but our bot farm was making them faster than Twitch could delete. But we don’t need them anymore. The shareholders saw the profit and they said don't turn that off, Twitch. Keep it on. Everyone is streaming it, and the world is starting to watch.”
“Everyone?”
“All the big streamers are watching it and giving their commentary, some are doing massive co-streams. They love the blood, the gore - the spectacle! I’m sure some still don’t know that it’s all real.”
“I’m just glad the world is entertained,” Roxas smiled.
“Our viewer count is only going up. When Aelin and Arch said goodbye - oh, the number of subs and donations we received!”
“****ing idiots. Imagine giving me more money… perhaps we can add some of it to the winners’ pot.”
“A brilliant idea, Roxas. We’ll start a donation goal on stream. You can tell the players how everyone in the world is rooting for them when they wake up!”
“Do you hear that, all!?” Roxas shouted. He rose from his seat. “I want you to capture the spiciest drama this game has to offer. We want people to have favorites. We want people to cry when the players die and scream when they fight. We need more viewers! And that means more chisme. So let's get on with it."
His cameramen who controlled the drones waved to signal they’d heard him. Let’s amp up this energy, Roxas thought. Let’s get the world going!
“I shall begin the donation goal and report back when we’ve reached one million total viewers!” The red figure bowed and left. Roxas laughed. To think the whole world would be so interested in watching a few internet friends tear each other to pieces. He’d done the stream so people from KH-Vids could watch at home - but to think so many strangers would join the fun, too!
Roxas left the control room and walked into an underground hallway. At the end was a private elevator for the Composer only. He scanned his card and went upstairs.

---​

In his room which overlooked the dormitory, Roxas waited until the Organization returned from the battlefield. He watched Mish get laid gently into bed, and smiled as Cin was thrown onto his top bunk. He wondered if he should go down there now and visit them all while they still slept. He could tell them about all his favorite memories from back in the day, and show them all the embarrassing private messages they’d sent each other on the forum. A wave of emotion overcame him and soon he was looking at everyone down there and reminiscing about all the great times they’d had so many years ago.
Relax, he told himself. They’re just people. A part of the game.
He glanced at Misty.
They’re nothing to you.
Was he entirely convinced? He didn’t know. So instead, he grabbed a record from his desk and walked over to the player so he could listen to The KH-Vids Song. As the needle touched plastic and began to play the opening riff, he sat down and stared at the ceiling. He needed to distract himself.
What should I do when this whole thing’s over?
But that was boring to think about. Nothing could beat what he was doing now.
Any good games coming out?
But what would be the fun in playing new JRPGs when he’d killed off everyone he knew who liked to talk about them...?
“****,” Roxas said, exasperated. “I hate these intermissions. I just want to play the game!”
He kicked the record player and the needle scratched. The faint white noise remained.
There’s still one thing you haven’t thought of yet, right?
But he didn’t want to come up with it yet. Not until the game had fully played out.
Oh, go on. You know you have ideas about the final challenge.
Roxas sat down at his desk and got out a sheet of paper. “Good ideas,” he said aloud, hoping he could summon them with a spell. “Come to me now. Start brainstorming..... now!”
He grabbed a pen and wrote on the top of the page:

The Final Challenge. Idea one, a fight on the beach with-

“Roxas!” It was one of the Organization members in red, standing in the door. “All players have returned to the dormitory. You may begin round 2 at any time.”
Perfect. I was getting so tired of sitting around and pretending to be busy. I just want to see my friends. “Hmm,” Roxas grinned. “Run a 10 minute ad break.”
“Yes, sire. And then?”
“And when we come back,” answered Roxas, “we’re going live.”

25 players remaining

What!? Is it here already!? Chapter 014 OUT NOW

014​

“We already took too long when we stopped for water and bread!” shouted Risk. “Keep moving, come on!”
Aelin ran behind Amaury and Risk as they moved south from the city ruins toward the volcano on the eastern coast. Roxas had just announced the death of EvilMan_89, and with the challenge well underway, the island’s tone had changed, too. Aelin tried to hold back tears as Amaury and Risk guided her toward the challenge’s end. If I can only find you before this is over, Arch. You must be out there somewhere.
Or maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he’d finished the challenge without her. Perhaps she hadn’t crossed his mind at all.
Bang! Pop!
There were gunshots to the south. Risk looked at his map. “It came from that direction,” he pointed. “K-4, if you check your map.”
“Fools. Avoid the depths of the forest,” Amaury told them. “We don’t want to get lost in there while we’re on the clock.”
Aelin imagined the chaos of a gunfight in the trees, beneath the darkness of the leaves and with the tall shadows of trees on every side. More guns were fired. “This could end a bloodbath,” Amaury said. “Everyone’s rushing for the peak of the volcano. They’ll be at each other left and right. Let’s not let that be us.”
Pap! Pop!
“We’re nearly there,” Risk mentioned. “Maybe we should hang back and let the carnage unfold.”
“My ass,” Amaury said. “Do you want to be the rotten egg, Risk? I won’t let that happen to Aelin.”
Aelin wasn’t sure why Amaury had come looking for her until he mentioned Arch. He filled her in and let her know that Lauriam was looking for him and hoped to meet up with them. She didn’t want to hyperfocus on any hypotheticals so she shelved the conversation. But now, as gunfire erupted around her, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was really true.
“Stay behind me,” Risk said. “We’re nearly there!”
The trees grew sparse and soon, Aelin, Amaury and Risk walked upon the dirty, ash-covered slope. She looked to the right and saw C running some distance away, holding his right arm.
“Come on,” Amaury beckoned. “Everyone else is getting there, and we’re still at the bottom!”
Aelin began to look around and noticed more players charging up the volcano’s slope, duffel bags on their backs. Cia was running up the northern side, an Uzi in her right hand. On the other side of C was Hissora, and though Aelin couldn’t see a weapon, there was something strapped around her waist.
“Come on!” Amaury repeated. “Don’t concern yourself with anyone else. Do you want to die?” He grabbed Aelin’s arm and tugged her up the hill. They moved as fast as they could as they dodged broken logs and half-buried boulders.
“Wait!” Aelin screamed. Amaury and Risk froze and turned. “I see him.”
At the bottom of the volcano, she saw Arch break through the trees. The sun hit his tanned arms and handsome face, and the metal head of his sledgehammer gleamed in its reflections. Aelin gasped and a small squeal escaped her lips.
“Well,” Amaury began. “I was hoping to reunite you two in the first place - and I suppose I have.”
“He sees us,” Risk interjected. “So can we get moving? He can catch up.”
“Right,” nodded Amaury. “Let’s go.”
“Forget about me. I’ll follow up,” Aelin said. She was already making her way down the slope.
“Don’t!” Amaury called, but she ignored him. She felt Amaury begin to follow her, so she turned and put up her hand.
“Stop. I won’t be long behind you.”
Amaury stuttered but nodded, and Risk began to move. “We’ll try to wait for you,” he said, and they left. Aelin jogged down and watched as Arch ran to meet her. He arrived and set down his massive hammer while he gasped for air. Aelin put her hand on his shoulder.
“I’ve never seen you this burnt out,” she smiled.
“I’ve never run so fast to catch up with someone,” he laughed. Aelin giggled.
“You look like Thor right now.”
Arch flexed. “How about now?”
“You’re such a hero.”
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s end this challenge. Then we can talk.” They ran toward the top of the mountain together.
Finally, thought Aelin. I knew we’d find each other.
When they reached the peak they saw members of the Organization milling about. Pink tents had been set up, and Aelin saw the flap of one open when a hooded, masked person walked out. She swore she saw beds - and even more curious were the people in them.
Were those other players? No…
“Halt,” said the head member of the Organization, holding a machine gun. He spoke from beneath his mask with the Keyblade UI men icon stamped on its face. “You have reached the end of the first challenge. However, only one of you may pass.”
“One?” asked Arch. “But we’re both here.”
“Someone must be the rotten egg,” the Organization member said. “And with the arrival of player twenty-seven, tamale, 15 seconds ago, you are the last two players remaining in the game.”
“B-but,” Aelin stuttered. “No. This can’t be right!”
“There will be losing players in each challenge. Those were Roxas’s exact words hours ago.”
“Surely someone else hasn’t made it yet. We can’t be the last two!”
“Roxas began this challenge early to weed out the weakest player first.”
Aelin felt like she was going to crumble. It’s me, she thought. I was the last one to make it here.
“Go,” said Arch. Aelin looked up at him. He couldn’t look her in the eye. “Cross the line, Aelin. Move on to the next challenge.”
“I can’t, Arch. Not without you. This game - this madness! It would be so much easier if you were there.”
“You really think if only one of us can cross that line, that I’d let it be me?”
He never would, she realized. That’s who he was.
“It’s a shame we won’t get to talk,” Arch sighed. “There’s so much I wanted to tell you.”
“Tell me?” asked Aelin. “What do you mean?”
“It’s better if I don’t, now,” he winced, looking down. Aelin rushed to grab him.
“I don’t want to go on without you,” she said. “Let’s die together.”
Arch waited. She held him, and she felt his arms close around her.
“No,” he whispered. As his hands came undone from her back, she tried to hold onto him - so tightly that he couldn’t push her away. But he was too strong, and she felt herself fall back as he gently knocked her to the ground. Her body passed the line.
“The challenge is complete,” informed the Organization.
“Keep playing,” Arch said to Aelin. The microchip in his neck began to beep. “And keep living.”
“No!” Aelin screamed. Tears ran down her face. “I can’t live without you!”
“Then live for me,” Arch asked her. “And end this game.”
“No, Arch! No!”
The tempo of the beeping increased.
“Save everyone from KH-Vids.”
Aelin closed her eyes. She knew what was about to happen and she couldn’t watch it. A hand touched her forehead and she felt something strap to her mouth. It was a gas canister - she knew then what the pink tents were for. This challenge was only the beginning; there was still so much more to come. One by one, they’d kill each other off, until Roxas began the next in his series of silly challenges. And at the end of every challenge, those lucky enough to survive would wake up to do it all again.
I'll have to do this once more, but without you. Without the dream of seeing you arrive at the bottom of that slope to find me.
She was lucky enough to pass out before Arch’s head blew up.

25 players remaining

The utterly epic Chapter 013 is HERE

013​

C sprinted over splintered logs and burnt pines as he started up the volcano. The minute the first challenge was announced, he’d made his move toward the spot on the map tiled M-6. Get to the volcano, and you win the challenge. You probably have plenty of time, but keep moving. And keep those eyes open.
He saw no one else on his way up, but he had to be wary. His random weapon had been a pair of boxing gloves, and he’d thrown them away to lighten his load the minute he’d opened his bag and seen them.
A slew of logs and boulders were ahead, but he remembered the rivers he’d jumped and the trees he’d climbed as a lad. He’d never lost that deft touch and danced over the debris. Surely, by now, some had made it to the top of the volcano and completed the challenge. Yet when he’d checked his map, C had noticed so many other potential places the players could have gone to when they’d left Roxas’s underground dormitory.
Imagine if you’d gone to the dunes to start. That’s one way to end up as the rotten egg. Or just being the last one to come out of that damn room. I wonder who it was?
As player twenty-five, C knew that if everyone had gone straight for the volcano, he’d be close to one of the last to finish the challenge. But damn, I’m going fast now. And no one knew this challenge was coming. I’m good. All good.
His years as a runner in school were finally paying off.
“Run!”
He kept his feet moving, gliding over the volcano’s tricky terrain.
“Run, boy, or you won't be worth the salt on your sausages!”
Hop, skip, jump. He hurdled over two more logs.
“You could have won, son. You should have.”
Get that man’s voice out of your head, he told himself, shaking off the words of his late father. He would have never been happy, no matter how much you accomplished. Not even a district championship had been enough for his father after he’d failed to win the regional race that followed. But now it’s all paying off, C. The sportsy guys always joked, saying running wasn’t a sport. But brawn isn’t everything, especially on this island. I’ll be proof of that.
His father’s voice grew distant, and C's legs began to churn through the dirt as the volcano’s slope grew steeper. He'd trained on stairs many times - his legs were used to the incline, and he fought against gravity as he climbed higher. Keep up the pace, he told himself. Don't forget; you’re weaponless. **** you, Roxas.
When he first pulled the boxing gloves from his bag and let out some expletives, he’d almost believed that everyone else on the island had a **** weapon as well. And if he hadn’t seen Catch the Rain’s face pop like a grape back in the dormitory, he probably would have thought it was all part of some big joke. He still wondered if Roxas was going to helicopter in and appear out of nowhere to announce what a big, dumb laugh this had all been. Yet every player who died, from Catch to GhettoXemnas, made that less likely to happen.
Stop thinking about the game and focus on the challenge.
Yes - if he could keep winning challenges, then perhaps he could figure something else out. Surely I’m not the only one looking for a way out, am I? And the island seemed to hold mysteries of its own. When he’d left the dormitory and seen the small road with the abandoned shops, it looked fake, like some scenery lost to time. So where are we? And why did Roxas choose this place for his game?
C was so lost in thought, he didn’t notice movement ahead.
Keep running. Keep moving. The answers will come.
Behind a tree, a strong arm lifted a saw.
Don’t stop running, or-
“AGGGGGGGHHH!”
C heard the scream before he saw the movement. From behind a tree on his left, a saw swung from out of view and caught him on his left bicep. The teeth tore into his skin and he felt a chunk of flesh tear out of his arm. “****!” he screamed, stumbling. Pain shot up into his jaw and he felt it in the back of his teeth. Blood squirted onto the blackened volcano slope and he turned to look at who had attacked him. His foe was already moving in for another slash.
“AGH!”
He turned to see EvilMan_89 jump from behind a tree, his saw raised above his head. C rolled to his right and the saw came crashing down where he just was. Evil breathed maniacally and turned, his beady eyes scanning for C like a hungry iguana. Sweat dotted his bald head, and he wore his torn jumpsuit as a tracksuit. On his forehead was the patch he’d been assigned - twenty-eight.
How’d he catch me? C wondered. I thought I was so fast!
“Can we talk this out?” C tried. Evil chuckled.
“Not unless you talk louder than money!” Evil laughed. “That cash is mine!” He stood and swiped at C with his saw. C leaned back to dodge the blade and began to crawl away. He nearly tripped as he got to his knees and launched himself over a decayed stump. His back against it, he heard Evil’s breaths get louder. “I know you’re back there, C. You’re dead meat, kid.”
C rolled out from behind the stump and looked up. Evil jumped back, shocked.
“I don’t want to shoot you,” C told Evil. “So don’t make me.”
Evil hesitated. “Where's your gun, then? I don’t see it.”
“It’s in my pocket.”
“And what is it?”
“Uh- urm,” C pondered. “A… a pistol!”
Evil glanced down at him. “Shut up, you lying little ****.” He raised his saw and C screamed, rolling back behind the stump. The saw smacked against its brittle wood and splinters flew everywhere. When C lifted his head, Evil was right above him.
“I’m not going to say much,” said Evil. “Because a speech too long would let my prey get away!”
C watched as the saw came down toward his unprotected face.
Run, his father would have said if he were here. Run, you little sod. Stop sitting there like the ***** you are and RUN!
But there was no time or place to run. C reached into his pocket and pulled out his map, raising it to block Evil’s saw. It was all he could think of.
Clang!
The phone screen shattered and plexiglass flew everywhere. Sparks singed C’s light cheeks and he saw the saw’s blade vibrating wildly. “****!” screamed Evil, dropping it and grabbing his wrist. “What the **** was that?”
C looked at his left hand. His pinky finger had been severed by the saw. Run, he heard his father say again. Run, C.
Instead, he used his good hand to grab the saw. Blood drenched his upper arm where his bicep had been cut open and covered the ground where it leaked from his finger. Evil had turned the other way, holding his forearm.
I’m not running anymore, father. He raised the saw and walked behind Evil. Not everything’s a race, and right now, the finish line can wait. He brought down the saw, but turned away before it reached Evil’s exposed neck.
Flugh!
The noise was disgusting. Evil fell to the ground, his breaths gargled as his throat filled with blood. But C hadn’t dealt the finishing blow, and he brought the saw down again, this time severing Evil’s spine and slicing deeper into the meat of his neck. Evil reached out his hands to grab onto something - anything, but his grasp found nothing as C brought down the saw one last time to decapitate him. His body writhed on the floor for a moment until the life finally left it.
Now you can run, C told himself, looking to the top of the volcano. He threw the saw in his bag and began to make his way toward the mountain’s peak when he realized he didn’t have his map.
****, he realized when he saw it broken and smashed some meters away. I'm screwed. Evil had completely destroyed it when his saw smashed it - but C was alive, and that’s all that mattered. That’s when an idea entered his head, and he went to search Evil’s body.
Inside his back pocket, C pulled out the man’s phone. Perfect, he smiled. A replacement map. Just what I need.
He decided to turn it on to gather his bearings, even though the top of the volcano was in sight. Loading, said the screen as some gears turned. Finally, the map loaded.
My god.
C nearly dropped the phone when he saw Evil’s map. What did he do? C wondered. Did he… did he hack this thing?
It was the only plausible reason C could think of why Roxas’s avatar was visible on the screen.

26 players remaining

No more teasing, no more games - Chapter 012 of KHVR 3 is here

012​

Arch had no trouble lifting the sledgehammer he’d received as a weapon, his muscles flexed and taut as he used it to smash a tree stump. Woodchips splintered everywhere and he grabbed a few long pieces, storing them in his duffel bag. Who knows how cold it’ll get out here. Fire will be good. He’d already gathered two stones as flint, but this wasn’t his first outdoor rodeo. Though it will attract attention. Best to find a hidden place.
But he couldn’t make a place like that out on his map. He knew not to head north - not after the earlier gunshots and the lost players that followed. He could keep gathering supplies for now, but he’d been doing that since the game started. You’ll go mad, just wandering around. You need a plan. Something to focus on.
If only he could find Aelin. Ever since the game had begun, he’d stared at her from across the room while Roxas called their names, and he’d been looking for her since he’d come out of the tunnel and made his way into the trees. If I’m going to die, then there’s one last thing I need to do, he knew, deep down. And if this is my last chance, then-
There was a stirring in the brush some distance away, and Arch, who could hunt a deer in the dead of night, stepped in the opposite direction. A shadow moved in the distance and he gripped his hammer, knowing full well that if someone with a gun had tracked him, he was all but done for. Someone is following me. He quickened his step.
Turn, Arch. Get out of here while you still can.
He turned to sprint and nearly tripped when those annoying trumpets blasted across the island. Roxas blathered on about the new challenge, but Arch kept moving. Even over the sound of the loudspeakers, he heard the brush rustle behind him. She needs you, Arch. You can’t die now. Not ‘til you find her.
“Arch! Wait!”
That was my name, he realized. Is that someone… Someone who knows me?
His eyes darted around as he looked for something to crouch behind. There were plenty of trees, so he stood up against a trunk and held his sledgehammer up against his pecs so no part of him poked out on either side. At first, it was silent, the announcement of the first challenge completed. But Arch heard footsteps begin to move again when twigs began to snap. There was more rustling and branches breaking and he heard his name again.
“Arch! Are you there?”
He waited, hands sweaty.
“Arch!? Come back!”
Wait, that voice. Is that…?
“Lauriam?” he called. The footsteps stopped.
“Yes, Arch - it’s me!”
Arch turned and saw Lauriam waiting, her map in hand. She tried to catch her breath, too excited to see Arch to breathe properly.
“I-I’m sorry,” she finally said. “When I saw you, I got so excited. I’ve been looking for you.”
“Is there some way you found me?”
“Yes,” Lauriam smiled. “The busted stumps. The foraged mushrooms. And the berries, too.”
Arch touched his bag, where all those things rattled about. “I didn’t realize I was being that obvious.”
“You weren’t, but I was looking for you, Arch. And I’m so glad I’ve found you.”
“You are? Why?”
“I met with Amaury,” Lauriam explained. “And he told me he was looking for Aelin!”
“Aelin!? That’s who I’m looking for!”
“I figured. Look here,” Lauriam beckoned. She grabbed Arch’s bicep and pulled him in to show him her map. There, he saw Amaury’s avatar a few blocks away on the grid. “I met with Amaury. He’s looking for Aelin now. And, if he’s found her, then-”
“Then she’s with him now,” Arch finished. To think I could find you so soon, Aelin. No, it’s too good to be true. I don’t know if you’re really with Amaury…
“But what about the challenge?” he asked. “We need to make it to the top of the volcano.”
“I can go,” Lauriam said. “But you need to find her. Take this.” She extended her phone toward Arch. “And give me your own. It’s a fair trade, no? And then you’ll know where to look."
“Are… you sure?” asked Arch. “You’d do that for me?”
“Not just you, Arch. For both of you.”
They exchanged phones.
This is my chance. I find Amaury, and maybe I’ll find you. Or so I'll have to believe.
“And what about you, Lauriam? What will you do?”
“I’ll finish the challenge, whatever the hell that means,” she replied. “Maybe we can trade in our weapons, or get more food and water."
“I'm not sure,” Arch said. “I don’t think winning challenges means any kind of reward. But if you don’t win, then…”
“Let’s not find out,” Lauriam interrupted. “This challenge is easy, right?”
“Right,” Arch nodded. “But first, I need to find her.”
“Then go,” Lauriam waved, and she made her way toward an opening in the trees. “I’ll wait for you after I complete the challenge, Arch. You, Amaury and Aelin.”
“And I’ll see you then,” Arch smiled. Lauriam disappeared. He looked down at his phone. There, the avatar for Amaury wandered about north of where he was now. He slung the sledgehammer over his back and turned to his left.
I’m going to finally tell you, Aelin. I’m coming.

27 players remaining