Chapter 2
The school suddenly turned terrifying.
The voice from the microphone still echoed in everyone’s heads. The front gate was locked, the back door was chained, and the rear wall was now surrounded by electric wire fencing. Some students who had thought it was a prank began to panic. Others started recording with their phones—only to realize there was no signal. No internet, no reception. The school was completely isolated.
Student 1:
“Dude! My phone’s got no signal!”
Student 2 (crying):
“This isn’t a prank… Oh God, this is real…”
Davin stood in the middle of the crowd, breathing heavily. He glanced around. Rey was standing not far from him, his gang starting to look uneasy.
Davin (in his head):
“What is this…? Who’s behind all of this…?”
Suddenly, a loud siren blared through the speakers. All the students instinctively covered their ears.
Mysterious voice from mic (cold and emotionless):
“Attention all students. Starting now, the selection system will proceed automatically. Grades 10 through 12 must gather in the front yard within five minutes. Failure to appear will be considered voluntary withdrawal from the game. And in this game… withdrawal = elimination.”
Student 3:
“Elimination? What does that mean? Wait—do they mean… killed?!”
Student 4:
“No way I’m playing along with this! This is insane!”
School Courtyard – 5 Minutes Later
Class 12A, including Rey, Davin, and a few others—were forced to gather at the school courtyard.
> “GAME 1: Choose or Be Sacrificed”
Suddenly, images of all students from grades 10 to 12 appeared on a massive screen in the school courtyard. Each face was shown alongside their full name.
Voice from the mic:
“In this game, each group must select one person they consider the most sinful among them. That person will be ‘sacrificed’ for this round. If no choice is made within 2 minutes… the entire group will be punished.”
Silence. The students looked at each other. No one spoke.
Rey (quietly):
“Shit… they’re asking us to pick someone to die?”
Student 5 (panicked):
“No! No way! We can’t just choose someone like that!”
Davin (calmly):
“If we don’t, everyone will pay. That’s what they mean.”
The screen began a countdown from 2:00...
1:59… 1:58… 1:57…
Panic spread. Some cried. Others screamed.
Then... from the corner of the field, Ciko appeared. His face was bruised, eyes swollen. But this time, no tears—only a piercing stare filled with resolve.
Ciko (with a heavy voice):
“Pick me.”
Everyone turned to him.
Ciko:
“You all think I’m trash. A crybaby. Weak. A loser. The loser whose phone you smashed. The one you always mocked. Fine. Let me be the first offering. But remember… this is just the beginning. And this game will show you… who the real sinners are.”
Rey (confused):
“Are you out of your mind, Cik—”
Ciko:
“I’m not afraid to die. Living in this school hurts more than death.”
Time remaining: 0:24… 0:23… 0:22…
The screen lit up again:
“Final confirmation: Has the majority selected Ciko as the first sacrifice?”
Some students slowly nodded. No one dared to object. The others just stood still. No one spoke.
System:
“Selection confirmed.”
Ciko (glaring at Rey and Davin):
“One last thing… Whoever’s behind this game, I hope you all feel the pain I’ve been burying all this time. You think I’m weak… but the real weaklings are the ones who hurt others just to feel strong.”
Suddenly, Ciko collapsed—
THUD!!!
His body hit the ground. A visible gunshot wound marked his head.
All the students screamed.
Student 6:
“CIKO!!! OH GOD!!! HE’S… HE’S DEAD!!!”
Davin (frozen):
“This… is real… This is real.”
Rey (trembling):
“Shit… This isn’t a game. This is a massacre.”
The screen lit up again:
> “One soul has been sacrificed. The first sin has been paid.
But the game has just begun.
Tomorrow, every student will begin their round.
Prepare yourselves.
You will all atone for the sins you once thought were harmless.” The school was still blanketed in tension after Ciko’s death. The blood in the hall hadn’t even dried, and everyone stared blankly, caught between reality and a nightmare.
Then...
TING!
One by one, the students’ phones lit up simultaneously—as if controlled from a single central system.
A message appeared.
One. Message. For All.
> “Welcome to the real game.
Starting tonight, everyone must write two things in the message column:
A SIN FROM YOUR PAST — something you’ve done.
A SIN FROM YOUR FUTURE — an evil thought you’ve had but never carried out.”
> “One person will be chosen to die tomorrow based on the highest number of votes. But remember, if you don’t vote before midnight (00:00),
you’ll be instantly eliminated.”
> “This isn’t about survival.
It’s about who you really are.”
— The Master
Panic spread among the students. Some froze. Others bowed their heads and shakily typed something into their phones. But there were still a few trying to play it clean.
Rey, who secretly still held feelings for Kirana, slowly walked down the hallway. He spotted her sitting alone, staring at her phone screen with teary eyes.
Just one step toward her…
Davin appeared from the opposite direction, walking quickly, confidently. But before he could speak—
> Clarissa suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Don’t get involved in their business. You’re a nobody. Just a leech in their relationship.”
> Davin shoved her hand off, harsh.
“What the hell are you touching me for?! I’ll go wherever I want. None of your damn business.”
> Clarissa’s eyes narrowed, her voice low and manipulative.
“I’m just warning you, Vin...”
> “I DON’T NEED YOU! GOT IT?!”
Kirana slowly lifted her head toward the noise—but only glanced for a moment before looking down again. No one dared to speak further.
Silence.
Elsewhere – The Dim Cafeteria
Alinski’s gang lounged in the dim cafeteria, casually munching leftover bread and chips from an unmanned counter.
> “Hey, Ren,” one of them called as Eren walked in.
“Who you votin’ for later?”
> Eren paused.
“What’s it got to do with you?”
> “Damn, attitude much?”
“We asked nicely, man.”
> Eren stepped closer, his face cold.
“You don’t need to know everything.
You think your gang scares me?
You’ve got followers—but they’re all idiots. Just like you.”
> “Yo, what the hell—” one guy growled.
> Eren walked off.
“Whatever. I’m out. Lost my appetite ’cause of you morons.”
The air heated up but didn’t explode. The tension in this game was too real for petty brawls tonight.
Adis & Diana – The Hidden Sin
Elsewhere in the school, Adis sat alone in a corner of an empty classroom. He stared at his phone for a long time—he hadn’t typed anything yet.
Not far from him sat Diana, the quiet girl from a poor background. She typed slowly. Her face emotionless, but her eyes filled with pain.
They were once close.
Like siblings.
Until one event ruined everything.
Betrayal.
Slander.
And by tomorrow morning, everyone would know.
That sin would be revealed—by the mysterious mastermind.
Approaching Midnight – Countdown Begins
The large digital clock in the hall lit up:
23:55
Only 5 minutes left to vote.
The students returned to their rooms, the air thick with fear.
No voices.
No laughter.
No one dared to look anyone else in the eye.
They all touched their phone screens.
Typed a name.
The name of someone who would die tomorrow.
Some wept as they typed.
Some smiled bitterly.
Some didn’t type at all.
00:00
TING!
A loud siren echoed.
Lights flickered.
And then—
DUAR!
One student—Tasya—suddenly collapsed. Blood spilled from her head. Her phone screen displayed red:
> “FAILED TO VOTE — DIE IMMEDIATELY.”
Screams erupted from every corner.
And then, all their phones displayed the same message:
> “Voting complete.
The name with the most votes will be announced tomorrow morning.
Get ready for the next game.
Your sins will speak for themselves.”
Rey stared at his phone.
One final message appeared:
> “You have entered your past sin, Rey.
But you weren’t honest about your future sin.
We know what you once thought of doing...
And Kirana knows too.” That morning, dawn had yet to fully rise, but the schoolyard was already filled with whispers, screams, and blank stares.
There, Ardian’s lifeless body lay stiff beneath the flagpole. His neck was soaked in blood, and beside his body was a phone with one sentence displayed on the screen:
> “Ardian: Sin of the past – school drug dealer. Most voted last night. Judgment complete.”
Some students screamed, others froze in disbelief. Viko, Rici, and Fandi—Ardian’s three closest friends—said nothing. They knew who Ardian really was, but never imagined his secret would be exposed to everyone... and end like this.
> “This is insane... it’s real,” Viko murmured.
“We could be next...” Rici said, trembling.
“Ardian... he was just smoking with me on the balcony last night...” Fandi muttered, his voice barely audible.
Across the field, the girls huddled together in fear. Cries broke out. Panic and shouting merged into a terrifying chorus.
One death a day. No one knew who would be next.
THE SECOND CONFESSION
While chaos still filled the air, notification sounds erupted simultaneously from every student’s phone.
> “The second confession has been revealed.”
“Adis: Sin of the past – destroying her best friend’s life out of uncontrollable envy. Diana: victim.”
All eyes turned to Adis and Diana. The atmosphere went hollow. Diana stood stiffly. Adis looked at her phone, then around, swallowing hard.
> “I... used to be best friends with Diana,” Adis croaked. “She was... smarter. Teachers liked her more. Even the guy I liked preferred her.”
“I just... wanted her to feel what it’s like to be me. So I... spread rumors about her... made everyone avoid her.”
Diana let out a long sigh, her eyes watery but she didn’t cry.
> “I knew it was you, Dis. But I never said anything. I just wanted us to still look normal.”
Some students whispered in shock. The laid-back, easygoing Adis had apparently been hiding a dark side all along.
KIRANA AND DAVIN
While others were still processing everything, Davin chased after Kirana, who was sitting alone on the school corridor steps.
> Davin: “Kirana, wait. I just want to talk… just five minutes, okay?”
Kirana (without turning): “Sorry, I’m busy. Find someone else.”
Davin: “That’s it? Why do you always act like I don’t exist, Kir? I mean... I love you.”
Kirana kept walking, offering no reply. Her silence hit harder than any word.
Davin stood frozen. Emotions boiling. As he turned around, Rey and his gang approached from behind, patting him on the back while laughing.
> Rey: “Hehe, try again next time, bro. Hahaha.”
Davin (kicking a flower pot, shattering it): “DAMN IT!”
THE BIZER GROUP: DIVIDED
In a corner of the hall, the Bizer gang sat in a tense circle, suspicion growing among them.
Rendy, their leader, stared at his phone. Ronald, the betrayer, secretly watched his every move.
> Rendy: “We need to stick together. No leaking our strategy. We vote outsiders, not one of us.”
Ronald (flatly): “But if we keep protecting each other, what if we end up being the ones eliminated?”
Tama: “Are you accusing one of us, Ron?”
Ronald: “I’m just being logical. What if someone here wrote the scariest sin? We never know.”
Rendy: “What are you saying? We’re a team!”
Ronald: “Then why did you arrange the votes yesterday without telling us?”
Silence fell.
> Rendy (staring daggers): “You want me dead, huh?”
Ronald (smirking slightly): “If you die, maybe we can try a new system.”
Everyone looked at each other. Tension thickened. No one spoke again.
NIGHT RETURNS
23:58 — COUNTDOWN TO VOTING
The night sky was overcast. Thunder rumbled. Only two minutes left before the voting deadline. In every room of the school, students stared at their phones, fingers trembling.
On the phone screen:
> “Time remaining: 2 minutes. Submit your sin of the past and sin of the future. Choose 1 name to vote for elimination.”
“If you don’t vote, someone will be eliminated at random.”
Eren sat at a canteen table, still bitter about earlier conflicts with Alinski’s gang.
> Eren (muttering to himself): “Sin of the past… shit. I have to be honest, huh?”
He typed something on the screen, then took a deep breath.
THE ALINSKI GANG
Alinski’s gang gathered, chuckling lightly, though their faces were far from relaxed.
> Alinski: “You guys voted yet?”
Baim: “Yep. I picked that nerd who stole my cheat sheet yesterday.”
Argo: “I went with the girl who always tattles to teachers. So annoying.”
They laughed, but one of them didn’t join in. Yudha secretly peeked at their screens, then opened his own vote... and selected one of his own gang members.
> “Sorry, bro... you’re dead weight.”
00:00 — THE CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE
The digital chimes from every phone rang in unison.
> “Time’s up. All data collected. Next judgment will be announced at 07:00 AM.”
The school lights flickered. Night wind blew in through the open windows. Everything went eerily quiet.
The students returned to their sleeping areas—sleeping in fear.
Tomorrow, one more name would never wake up.
And this time...
Their sin would be even more shocking than before. That night, the main hall was packed. The dim lights that usually lit the room now flickered unsteadily, blinking like a dying breath. All the students gathered once more in front of the hall, eyes tense and hands trembling as they held their voting devices. The digital system chimed through the air:
> “VOTING TIME HAS ENDED. PROCESSING DATA.”
A few seconds of silence. Then—
> “Two top names detected. Dual execution initiated... ERROR.” “Execution failed. System revision in progress.”
All eyes widened.
“WHAT?” screamed Fahira, gripping Gracia’s arm tightly.
On the giant screen in the hall, two names appeared:
> 1. Farhan Septiadi
2. Rendy Kusuma
But only one body was found lying in the corridor on the second floor. Farhan. His neck was barely recognizable. Stab and tear wounds covered his body. Written on the wall in blood:
> “FAILURE DOESN’T MEAN FAILURE. ONE STILL REMAINS.”
Rendy had vanished. No trace. No scream. No witnesses.
Some students began to panic, pointing fingers.
“The system’s broken! This is insane! Who messed with it?!” shouted Viko, kicking over a chair.
“Or… maybe this is beyond the system,” Alingga whispered to Fabian.
While everyone was still confused, a new notification suddenly appeared on the main screen:
> “CONFESSION: ADIS AND DIANA ONCE POISONED A STUDENT’S DRINKING WATER.”
The room fell into sudden silence. All eyes turned to Adis and Diana, who stared at each other, trembling and confused.
“I… I never wrote that...” Adis whispered.
“Me neither,” Diana’s voice was hoarse.
Fahira stared at them sharply. “Then who gave this info? This isn’t just regular voting. Someone has access to the system.”
Students who were usually quiet, like Ronald, began to seize the moment.
“I think that missing guy Rendy is actually a hacker. Maybe he’s the one who sabotaged the system and gave out that fake confession!”
“Or maybe… there’s another mastermind,” Gracia replied suspiciously.
12:03 AM
Downstairs in the hall, two major gangs were eyeing each other with rising tension. The leader of the Bizer gang, Fadel, looked at the voting list and noticed that one of his members, Joni, was in the top five.
“You’re the one who told them to vote Joni, weren’t you?!” Fadel shouted at Alinski’s gang.
“Maybe because Joni’s a jerk!” Andre from Alinski snapped back.
A shove. Then a kick. Then the sound of a table cracking.
The first physical fight broke out in the hall.
Fabian pulled Kirana away from the chaos, while Fahira tried to save a student being trampled.
> “CHAOS HAS BEGUN.”
The next day, the food supplies in the canteen were running low.
Very little food left. Water too was starting to run out.
Kirana sat hugging her knees in the corner of the stairs, while Davin approached her again.
“Kirana… please… say something. Just look at me once,” he whispered.
Kirana looked at him blankly. “You think, in a situation like this, your feelings matter? People are dying, Dav. Not just your love life.”
Davin fell silent, head down. His tears fell quietly.
Ronald was walking alone to the fourth floor. Suddenly, a notification popped up on his phone.
> Sender: UNREGISTERED
“You’re smarter than they think. Time to play above them. Starting tomorrow, only 5 people are allowed to survive. Choose who deserves to live.”
Ronald smirked. “What does that mean? Ah well, screw it.”
Elsewhere, Alingga received a similar message.
So did Fahira. And Kirana.
Then, notifications appeared on every student’s phone. A new rule emerged:
> “SYSTEM REVISION IN PROGRESS: ALL STUDENTS MUST VOTE FOR 5 PEOPLE WHO DESERVE TO LIVE. THE REST WILL BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR ELIMINATION.”
TIME LEFT: 48 HOURS.
At the end
Fabian stared at the sky from the library window.
“The game has changed... and we can’t win if we keep using the old ways.”
Behind him, the sound of creaking wood echoed. Someone stood in the doorway. Not a teacher. Not a student.
“This game… hasn’t really started yet. You’re still in the selection phase.”
---
TO BE CONTINUED.
