Chapter 3

When I opened my eyes again, the phantom agony of my previous death ripped through my body.

Pale as a ghost, I clutched my stomach, gasping for air as reality slowly snapped back into focus.

The savory smell of crushed dumplings hit my nostrils. Julian’s arms were already locked tight around me.

My pupils shrank to pinpricks.

I had reset after I smashed the first plate!

The checkpoint had moved forward!

A wave of icy panic crashed over me. A gut-wrenching instinct warned me: this was my final chance. If I died this time, there would be no more resets. Death would be permanent.

Seeing me hunched over, clutching my abdomen with a deathly pale face, Eleanor frowned with faux concern, though an impatient irritation flickered in her eyes.

"Is your stomach acting up again, Vivian? Look at you, poor thing, you're white as a sheet.”

“Just pick a dumpling quickly. Once you swallow it, Julian will take you to the ER. If something happens because of a delay, it’ll break my heart."

Julian chimed in, gently rubbing my belly, his grip offering zero slack.

"Mom’s right, Vivian. We can't put this off. Abdominal pain is serious. If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do? Be a good girl. Just pick one, and I’ll carry you straight to the car."

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my panicked brain to think.

Before they could push any harder, I clamped down violently on the inside of my cheek. Blood filled my mouth. I coughed, spitting out a mouthful of crimson saliva, and leaned weakly against Julian.

"Eleanor... Julian... I’m going to throw up. My stomach hurts so bad... Please, let me use the bathroom to rinse my mouth and sit down for a minute. The second I feel a little better, I’ll come out and pick."

Startled by the blood pooling on the floor, Eleanor and Julian exchanged a wary glance. They finally relented.

Julian escorted me to the bathroom. The second the door swung shut, I locked the deadbolt at lightning speed and sprinted to the window.

My heart sank.

Eighteenth floor. Heavy wrought-iron security bars were welded solid over the frame.

Even if I could somehow pry the bars open, jumping from the eighteenth floor meant instant death.

As cold sweat drenched my back, a frantic pounding shook the bathroom door.

"Vivian, are you done yet? Come out and choose! The food is getting cold!"

"Vivian, baby, are you okay in there? Open the door, I’ll come in and keep you company."

The banging grew heavier and faster, hammering against my eardrums like a death toll. Despair threatened to drown me.

Then, my eyes caught a small cardboard box tucked away in the dusty corner under the sink.

My vision cleared. I lunged forward and tore the package open.

It was an ultra-potent pest-control sedative spray a friend had brought me from overseas.

I had tested it once by accident and realized a single whiff could knock an adult unconscious for hours. Deeming it too dangerous, I had tossed it in the corner to gather dust.

I never imagined it would become my only weapon for survival.

Gripping the canister tightly, I crept toward the door and spoke in a frail, shaky voice.

"Eleanor, Julian, I'm so sorry. The pain made me pass out for a second. I feel much better now. I'm unlocking the door."

As the deadbolt clicked, the violent banging stopped. Their fake, honey-coated words of comfort resumed outside.

I answered meekly while pulling the door open.

The instant the gap widened, I didn't hesitate. I aimed straight for their faces and held down the nozzle.

A thick cloud of mist blasted into their noses and mouths.

Both of them crumpled instantly to the floor. Without wasting a second to check on them, I bolted past their bodies, tore through the front door, and fled that living hell.

Behind me, completely out of my sight, Eleanor and Julian slowly opened their eyes.

A pair of grotesque, knowing smiles spread across their faces.