Chapter 4: Trust, Lies, and New Rules
The timer reset. Numbers blinked coldly on the wall.
My pencil hovered. Who the hell was Rebecca Price?
No one here was named Rebecca Price. So what was option A about?
No one reacted. Was this a trick?
The boy in seat 4 called out, voice thin and scared.
Heads shook. No one answered.
No Rebecca Price here.
A few muttered, "Never heard of her." Relief, but also fear.
He was desperate. Voice cracking.
You could see it in his eyes.
But what if it wasn’t that simple?
Was this a majority-rules thing?
If enough people picked the same answer, that became reality.
The pattern was there, just out of reach.
If I could crack the code, maybe I could save us.
I tried to sound confident. Like a leader.
The question hung in the air.
I did the math out loud. Tried to give them something concrete.
Some kids counted on their fingers.
I flipped my packet over, showing the blank spaces.
Nods. Mumbles.
The more of us, the better our chances.
I watched their faces.
Faces shifted. Fear to determination.
Voices, hesitant but real.
For the first time, we sounded like a team.
His eyes shone with relief.
For a moment, I felt like a hero.
A quick, reassuring grin.
My hand barely trembled.
If I was wrong, I might die.
The odds were in my favor.
It was a risk. But I had to know.
I held my breath.
Every second stretched out.
Something was different.
Letters crawled across the page.
I tried to keep my voice steady.
Chairs creaked. People slumped back.
I let myself relax. Just a little.
He was still alive.
I caught his eye and nodded.
The rules were clearer now.
I replayed the moment.
But the proctor died instantly.
No warning. Just instant death.
It was the only thing that fit.
Probably just picked the first option.
The consequences were immediate. And deadly.
We killed him. Without even knowing.
What a bunch of idiots.
Fear made people stupid.
Knowledge was power.
People were looking to me.
If I played my cards right, I could steer the group.
I tried to sound confident. Like a coach rallying a team.
I was already planning my next move.
She was quick. Almost sly.
With everything happening, it was easy to overlook a quiet kid.
I was sure I had the upper hand.
The handwriting was the same. But the message...
She’d seen through me. She wanted in.