Chapter 1
An old tungsten bulb hung from the center of the ceiling, suspended by a bundle of black wires.
It flickered weakly, casting a dim yellow glow across the room.
Silence spread through the air like ink dropped into clear water, slowly staining every corner.
At the center of the room stood a large circular wooden table. Its surface was covered with scratches and marks left behind by years of decay. In the middle of the table sat a small antique clock, decorated with intricate patterns.
Its hands moved steadily.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
Around the table sat ten people.
Men and women of different ages and appearances.
Their clothes were worn and dirty, their faces covered with dust as if they had been dragged through a forgotten place. Some were lying face down on the table. Others were slumped back in their chairs.
All of them were unconscious.
Standing silently beside them was a man wearing a black suit and a disturbing goat-head mask.
Through the empty eyes of the mask, his gaze moved across the ten strangers.
He seemed amused.
Almost excited.
The old clock on the table suddenly rang.
The hour and minute hands moved together.
Pointing at twelve.
Far away, somewhere beyond the walls of the room, a deep bell echoed through the darkness.
At the same moment, the ten people around the table slowly began to wake.
Confusion was the first thing they felt.
They looked around the unfamiliar room.
Then they looked at each other.
No one spoke.
No one knew why they were there.
No one remembered how they arrived.
“Good morning.”
The goat-masked man was the first to break the silence.
His voice was low and rough, distorted by the mask.
“I’m pleased to meet all of you. You have been asleep in front of me for twelve hours.”
The strange figure standing under the flickering light immediately made everyone tense.
A middle-aged man wearing a suit forced himself to stay calm.
“Who are you?”
His voice trembled slightly.
“Where are we?”
“What do you want from us?”
The goat mask tilted slightly.
“Don’t be so anxious.”
The man paused.
“Welcome to the End Zone.”
His voice became colder.
“From this moment on, you will participate in a game.”
A wave of disbelief spread around the table.
“A game?”
A woman with short hair spoke calmly from the group.
“What kind of game?”
The goat-masked man slowly raised his head.
“The game is called…”
“Truth and Lies.”
The room became quiet.
“There are ten people in this room.”
“Among you, nine are ordinary players.”
“And one…”
“Is a liar.”
The masked man continued.
“The ordinary players may only speak the truth.”
“The liar may only speak falsehoods.”
“You will take turns speaking individually.”
“Each person may say only one sentence during their turn.”
“After everyone has spoken, each person will have one opportunity to question another.”
“If you successfully identify the liar…”
“The liar will be eliminated.”
His voice paused.
“But if your accusation is wrong…”
“The person who initiated the accusation will be eliminated instead.”
The room fell silent.
The goat mask stared at them.
“The game will continue until only one person remains alive.”
“The final survivor will receive something called…”
“The Way.”
“It can grant any wish.”
For several seconds, nobody reacted.
Then the room exploded.
“What does eliminated mean?”
A frightened voice shouted.
“Are you threatening us?”
The goat-masked man did not answer.
Instead, he slowly walked toward a young man sitting nearby.
The young man looked relaxed.
Almost amused.
Everyone’s eyes followed the movement.
The goat-masked man stopped behind him.
Then he placed one hand on the back of the young man’s head.
And pushed.
A violent impact shattered the silence.
The young man’s head slammed into the wooden table.
The sound was heavy.
Final.
The room froze.
Blood spread across the surface of the table.
The smell of fear instantly replaced the air.
A scream tore through the room.
Some people backed away instinctively.
Others stared in horror, unable to move.
Only now did they understand.
This was not a prank.
This was not a threat.
The game was real.
The goat-masked man slowly straightened.
A few drops of blood stained the surface of his mask.
His voice remained calm.
“I was only demonstrating what ‘elimination’ means.”
He looked around the table.
“Now…”
“The game officially begins.”
“Remember every rule.”
“Your lives depend on them.”
A young man wearing a black T-shirt suddenly spoke.
“Why did you say there are nine participants…”
He looked around the room.
“But there are clearly ten people here.”
The goat mask remained silent.
It did not answer.
A heavily tattooed man cursed and slammed his hands against the table.
“I don’t care how many people are here!”
He tried to stand.
But his legs failed.
His body collapsed back into the chair.
Only then did everyone notice.
Their limbs felt weak.
Their strength was gone.
Nobody could stand.
The tattooed man pointed angrily at the masked figure.
“Do you know who you’re messing with?”
“You have no idea what kind of consequences you’re facing!”
The threat sounded empty.
Because everyone in the room had the same realization.
They were trapped.
At the edge of the circular table, a man remained silent.
Ethan Walker watched everything unfold without saying a word.
He gently touched his chin.
His eyes stayed fixed on the antique clock.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
His mind was already moving faster than anyone else’s.
The goat-masked man had said:
Nine participants.
But there were ten people in the room.
There was only one possible explanation.
One of them…
Was not a player.
Ethan slowly looked around the table.
Then he asked himself:
Who is the tenth person?
