Game of Higher Hands - I Think I’ll Be the Problem

16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9AwosRGXc

The six of them stand in front of me.

No weapons raised.

No fighting stance.

Just waiting.

That somehow makes it worse.

The leader speaks first.

“We only want to talk.”

I smile.

“You said that last time.”

“We mean it.”

“People usually do right before things go wrong.”

A girl in the team sighs.

“You don't trust anyone, do you?”

I think about it.

“Not really.”

The leader takes another step forward.

I don't move.

But I notice it.

I notice everything.

“My name is Ethan,” he says.

He points to the others one by one.

“This is Lily. Ben. Ryan. Mia. Ava.”

I nod politely.

“Very nice to meet all of you at midnight after almost stealing my loot.”

Ben looks offended.

“We weren't stealing it!”

I raise an eyebrow.

“You ran at it.”

“That was… different.”

“No, I'm pretty sure it wasn't.”

A few of them look annoyed.

Interesting.

I think I like annoying people.

Ethan takes a deep breath.

“Can we start over?”

“Probably not.”

“We need the shard.”

“There it is.”

He doesn't deny it.

I appreciate honest people.

They're easier to understand.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because we need all of them.”

“How many?”

“Sixteen.”

I blink.

“Sixteen?”

“Yes.”

I whistle softly.

“That sounds like a lot of work.”

Ethan continues.

“We need all sixteen shards to restore the world.”

I put my hands in my pockets.

“That's a very specific number.”

“It is.”

I think for a moment.

Then I ask:

“How many do you have?”

Silence.

I smile.

“Oh, come on.”

Ethan finally answers.

“One.”

I blink again.

“You only have one?”

“Yes.”

I stare at him.

Then at the five others.

Then back at him.

“You've been collecting these things for months and only have one?”

Nobody looks happy.

“How long has it been?”

“About two months.”

“Two months?”

“Yes.”

I almost laugh.

“You're terrible at this.”

Ben looks like he wants to hit me.

Ethan ignores my comment.

“We were chosen at the beginning.”

“The beginning?”

“When the world changed.”

I think about that.

The strange cities.

The monsters.

The dead zones.

Everything started two and a half months ago.

Not years.

Not decades.

Just two and a half months.

The world broke only two and a half months ago.

It feels much longer.

“We were chosen to collect the shards,” Ethan says quietly.

“We didn't ask for it.”

I look at him.

I believe that part.

He looks tired.

Not physically.

The other kind of tired.

“So…”

I say slowly.

“You need sixteen shards.”

“Yes.”

“You only have one.”

“Yes.”

“And mine would make two.”

“Yes.”

I suddenly realize something.

I smile.

A very small smile.

Even if they take my shard…

they still can't save the world.

Not even close.

They're fourteen shards away.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Lily notices my expression.

“What are you thinking?”

I look at her.

“Nothing important.”

A lie.

I am thinking about a lot of things.

I pull the map from my pocket.

Everyone's eyes immediately move toward it.

Oh.

That reaction tells me everything.

They really need it.

I look at the paper.

Then at them.

Then back at the paper.

“You know,” I say slowly, “I could just run away.”

Ben crosses his arms.

“You wouldn't get far.”

I smile.

“You don't know that.”

Silence.

Actually…

I don't know that either.

Then Ethan surprises me.

“If you want to keep it, keep it.”

I blink.

“What?”

“We can't force you.”

Now I blink twice.

That wasn't the answer I expected.

“But…” Ethan continues, “the world is getting worse.”

He points toward the dark city.

“There are more monsters every week.”

I become quiet.

Because that part is true.

“The dead cities are appearing more often,” he says.

“The creatures are coming closer to normal areas.”

“We've already seen monsters inside towns.”

I remember the thing inside the dead city.

The copy creature.

The boss.

“The next few months will be worse,” Ethan says.

“Much worse.”

The street becomes quiet.

Nobody talks.

I look down at the map again.

Save the world.

Restore everything.

Bring back the old days.

The old days.

School.

Tests.

Normal streets.

Boring news.

The same thing every day.

I suddenly remember something.

A strange thought.

Before the world changed…

I was bored.

Every day.

The same life.

The same people.

The same routine.

Then the world broke.

And everything became dangerous.

Strange.

Interesting.

I almost died.

Twice.

And somehow…

I have never felt more alive.

I slowly put the map back into my pocket.

Ethan watches me.

“What are you going to do?”

I smile.

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

I yawn.

A real one this time.

I am exhausted.

Everything hurts.

I need food.

I need sleep.

I need several new ribs.

“Right now,” I say, “I'm going home.”

Ben looks confused.

“That's it?”

“Yes.”

“You're not joining us?”

“No.”

“Why?”

I think for a second.

Then answer honestly.

“I don't know you.”

Fair answer.

I take one step backward.

Then another.

Nobody stops me.

I look at all six of them.

“You people should probably continue your saving-the-world thing.”

Ethan frowns.

“And you?”

I smile.

“I'll think about it tomorrow.”

Then I turn around and walk away.

Nobody follows.

At least not tonight.

I get home almost an hour later.

I throw myself onto the bed.

I don't even change clothes.

Five seconds later—

I am asleep.

Morning.

No.

Afternoon.

I slept way too long.

I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling.

Everything is quiet.

For once.

Then I remember.

Dead city.

Shard.

Map.

Chosen people.

Saving the world.

I sit up.

Slowly.

I think.

And think.

And think some more.

Then I laugh.

A small laugh.

Because I finally understand something.

I don't want the old world back.

I really don't.

The old world was safe.

And boring.

Painfully boring.

This new world is dangerous.

Crazy.

Unfair.

But every day is different.

Every day matters.

If the world returns to normal…

all of this disappears.

The strange cities.

The mysteries.

The impossible things.

My abilities.

Everything.

I stand up.

Walk to the window.

Look outside.

Cars.

People.

A normal afternoon.

I smile.

Small at first.

Then wider.

“No,” I say quietly.

“I don't think I want to fix this.”

The room is silent.

Sixteen shards.

The chosen team.

Saving the world.

And me?

I laugh again.

Because the answer suddenly feels obvious.

If they want to restore the world…

then I will stand in their way.

Not because I hate them.

Not because I want everyone to suffer.

I simply…

don't want this story to end.

I take the map from my pocket.

One symbol glows softly.

Somewhere out there.

Another shard is waiting.

I grin.

“Well then.”

I put on my shoes.

Pick up my bag.

Open the door.

“I guess I have a journey to continue.”

And for the first time—

I know exactly which side I want to be on.

Not the heroes.

Not the government.

Not the chosen ones.

The opposite side.

Then I step outside.

And start walking toward the next glowing mark.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoyoDiYumz

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