Players with only one lifeline followed us to the game arena. The arena was a huge building with a lift and a glowing sign:
“3rd Floor – Strikeworld.”
But what shocked us the most was the second sign:
“Only 10 players allowed per game.”
We froze. This changed everything.
Siddhu, Harshath, Jenny, Aswath, Badrul, Inspector Shariff, Kathir, the couple, and I decided to enter first. We asked the others to join different game arenas to extend their lifelines. They agreed, leaving everything to us.
It was now up to the ten of us to win Strikeworld.
We stepped into the lift and reached the 3rd floor. There were three doors waiting for us.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgB1YhBrqy
Each door had a requirement:
Door 1: 3 players
Door 2: 4 players
Door 3: 3 players
The game forced us to split up — not what we planned, but unavoidable.
Door 1: Siddhu, Inspector Shariff, Badrul
Door 2: Jenny, Kathir, Aswath, and I
Door 3: Harshath and the couple
We kept our walkie-talkies ready, promising to stay connected no matter what.
Inside the Arena
The moment we entered our section, we saw it —141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpQVww4dce
a massive hall with three floors filled with dozens of doors.
And standing in the center of the ground floor was the killer, holding an axe.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡza1qY5EFia
Through the radios, Siddhu and Harshath confirmed the same — their killers held a spear and a long knife.
A screen beside the killer lit up. A robotic voice began reading the rules:
• Game time: 30 minutes.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7FwTh8U37
• Four types of rooms: Locked, Empty, Light, and Lucky.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX96kpxMOTX
• Players cannot enter locked rooms.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmlNmTNQ7n
• Empty rooms: Safe for only 3 minutes. Staying longer triggers an alarm.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F1MPPobAF
• Light rooms: Contain a key to the Lucky Room.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMhZxQwXWv
• Lucky Room: Holds the compass.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWIZN40kZw
• Even if the compass is found early, players must survive until the timer ends.
The arena had three floors, each with ten rooms on three sides — left, right, and opposite.
The killers had one job:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPUX5PI8d6
Hunt us.
And we had one goal:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8PTFwoRAz
Find the light room → get the key → unlock the lucky room → survive 30 minutes.
Splitting the Lanes
Our plan went into motion:
Jenny → Left lane
Me → Right lane
Kathir → Opposite lane
Aswath → Full-time distraction
For the groups of three players, two searched the lanes while one played distraction the whole time.
Each of us carried chalk pieces to mark rooms:
X = Empty room
Leave door open = Empty room discovered
Light room = Grab key, announce room code
We reminded everyone:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5Id8XGM53
“Don’t fight the killers. Our mission is the compass and survival.”
The buzzer sounded — the game began.
The Hunt Starts
The axe killer sprinted straight to Jenny’s lane.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTvh41SiWW
Aswath charged behind him.
Kathir and I ran to the right lane. But before I even reached my row, the killer was already on the second floor of the left lane.
He was much faster than we expected.
Aswath threw a sticky grenade tied with a bolas trap — one of Kathir’s inventions.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwCrg0Zqnl
It wrapped around the killer and slowed him.
We used the time to search:
Locked door.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwRxRjRQzl
Empty door.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXlZaufUGy
Empty door.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvFMLoYfFV
Locked door.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlU535BPotH
No light room.
We reached the second floor.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM3EmcvPM5
Still nothing.
Aswath rushed down to check the first-floor rooms again.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSvGZybV7E
Still no luck.
Jenny joined me to search faster.
The killer broke free and sprinted toward us.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNVjx9dQ3L
Aswath threw a smoke grenade and bought us a few seconds.
Then—
Kathir’s voice on the walkie:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpIA32EaoL
“Found a light room! I got the key! There’s a clue inside… 22!”
That meant the compass was in Room 22.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2frZn2ybAn
But each lane had a Room 22 — three possibilities.
The killer detected Kathir and charged toward him.
“RUN!” we yelled.
Kathir dashed into an empty room.
I ordered Jenny and Aswath:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuoaT2oLxn
“Go to the nearest Room 22. Check every lane.”
The killer closed in on me.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rGXpJUE4n
I threw a petrol bomb grenade — flames exploded around him.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItXWvKahOK
He didn’t fall.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMHKnjnXWJ
Instead, he hurled his axe at me.
I barely dodged and grabbed the axe before running toward the starting area.
He chased me like a monster.
Kathir reached his Room 22 — empty.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsPwqXqXeh
He sprinted to Jenny’s lane.
The killer leaped from the first floor, rolled, and extinguished the flames.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2LTnLKYg8
He wanted his axe — and I was holding it.
Jenny and Kathir reached the second Room 22 — also wrong.
That meant the last Room 22, in Aswath’s zone, was the one.
The killer chased me relentlessly. My legs burned. My throat dried.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAWao4qWr7
He was seconds behind me.
I made a desperate move —141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdY8OfoGpJl
I threw his axe to the ground floor.
The killer stopped instantly and rushed to retrieve it.
I hid in an empty room.
Meanwhile, Jenny, Kathir, and Aswath unlocked the Lucky Room.
They found the compass.
But the timer still had 10 minutes left.
The killer roared with fury.
Final 10 Minutes
He rushed toward my lane to finish me first.
Others escaped to the right lane — it had more empty rooms.
Aswath and Kathir positioned themselves on each side of the third floor, preparing a trap.
When the killer stepped onto the third floor,141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4fVptj0Jl
I swung down using a grappling rope.
The killer reached the edge — perfectly in the kill zone.
“Aswath, now!”
He threw a bolas wrapped in petrol.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSf6XtLW4qK
Kathir launched the petrol bomb.
The killer caught fire, wrapped tightly, and fell from the third floor to the ground.
We ran.
The killer stood again.
Still alive.
Still hunting.
4 minutes left.
We regrouped on the third floor.
Holding hands, breathing heavily, we prepared for the final stand.
The killer broke free and sprinted toward us.
We scattered into empty rooms — but there were only three.
Aswath used the rope and attempted to swing down —141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BewfAldaK
But the killer threw his axe.
The blade stabbed Aswath’s shoulder.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ444ECIwkJn
He slipped and fell from the second floor.
The killer charged toward him.
I sprinted.
I reached Aswath just before the killer.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBC98t9QR2t
Smoke grenades filled the lane — mine, Jenny’s, Kathir’s.
I pulled Aswath to a corner and faced the killer.
Jenny and Kathir shot their taser guns.
The killer slowed.
I raised the axe and slammed it into his head.
He knelt.
He didn’t die.
He pulled the axe out — ready to attack again.
And then—
The timer hit 00:00.
The killer’s head exploded.
Strikeworld ended.
Victory
We rushed to Aswath. He was bleeding heavily, but conscious.
We carried him and the compass toward the blinking exit door.
We had won.
For the first time…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntJr7zSCIE
We survived a game meant to kill us.
Inside my heart, I prayed that every other team in the arena had made it out alive too
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.