Julian Thorne kept thirty "canaries," and I was one of them. He imprisoned us on a deserted island, his laughter bordering on the psychotic: "Only one of you is my true love. The rest of you must die if you want to live." Suddenly, a black subtitle floated across my vision: [The short-haired girl in the red dress is his true love.] Instantly, the other girls lunged at her. It seemed everyone had awakened the ability to see these subtitles. I didn't move. Because... A red subtitle flashed quickly past: [Julian absolutely hates short hair.] Because I was the only one who could see the true subtitles. 1 I woke up to the agonizing jolt of an electric shock. I was lying on the floor of a pristine, white church. Around me, other girls were beginning to stir. I did a quick headcount. Including myself, there were exactly thirty people, and without exception, we were all women. Like me, they were all girls Julian had lured to this island. The church echoed with their screams and sobs, the cacophony sounding particularly terrifying in the dead of night. Suddenly, a string of black subtitles floated before my eyes: [So pitiful. These girls have just been reduced to toys for the psycho male lead.] [If only someone could see the subtitles, I want to help them so badly.] For some reason, the crying gradually subsided. As my senses fully returned, I lowered my head and tried desperately to remember everything that had happened over the past few days. 2 I was an employee at Julian Thorne's company, and also his secret, unofficial lover. I got involved with him right after graduating from college. The reason was simple: I needed money, and Julian happened to be the wealthiest man in City S—young, loaded, and devastatingly charming. He had a face that women found nearly impossible to resist, so even though I knew perfectly well he had many girlfriends, I really didn't care. What good is love, anyway? Only money and a pretty face won't lie to you. I enjoyed everything Julian provided, and within a mere six months, I was promoted to the core, most highly classified project team at Thorne Group. A week ago, the project hit a milestone, and Julian invited me to play on his private island. I was thrilled. Everyone knew the wealthiest man in City S owned an unbelievably luxurious island, rumored to be filled with exotic animals and paved with solid gold. Of course, those were just rumors. The imagination of poor people is pretty limited. Aside from gold, silver, and jade, I couldn't really fathom what else could be described as "unbelievably luxurious." I had curiously asked Julian about it, but he just gave me a mysterious smile and said: "You'll see when you get there." Filled with overwhelming excitement, I boarded Julian's private jet three days ago and landed on this island. The moment I stepped off the plane, I was dumbfounded. Because I wasn't the only woman Julian had brought. Over a dozen stunning women, all with completely different styles, were lined up for the security check. It was quite a spectacle. I recognized the woman standing near the front of the line; she was a beautiful maid who worked at Julian's mansion. No wonder... Whenever I stayed the night at Julian's place, she always looked at me with open hostility. It turned out she was also one of his kept canaries. "We can't even bring our phones? Are we here for a vacation or going to prison?!" A sharp voice rang out from the front of the line. It belonged to a tall woman wearing black pantyhose and hot pants, her arms crossed defensively, looking thoroughly unapproachable. The security staff, however, didn't flinch. Maintaining a blank expression, one of them gestured back toward the plane and said: "Ma'am, the island has its rules. If you find them unacceptable, you are welcome to go home." Hearing this, the woman's arrogant demeanor instantly deflated. Under the scorching sun, her face flushed bright red. Finally, with no other option, she sullenly surrendered her phone and dragged her luggage inside. Seeing this, the other women kept their mouths shut, obediently submitting to the inspection and handing over all communication devices. I stood at the back of the line, my right eyelid twitching violently. A deep sense of unease settled in my stomach. When it was my turn, the staff member repeated the exact same spiel: "Ma'am, if you find this truly unacceptable, you are welcome to take the plane back." I looked back at the tarmac. After a moment of hesitation, I gritted my teeth and stepped onto the island. But later... I never would have imagined that that was my one and only chance to survive. 3 Desire is the greatest anesthetic. After two days of indulging in a lifestyle of sheer decadence, the girls completely dropped their guard. At last night's pool party, everyone drank heavily. When I woke up, I was already in this church. Only... I frowned. Where did that electric shock come from? Suddenly, the eerie crackle of static echoed through the room, followed by Julian's voice, bordering on psychotic glee: "Only one of you is my true love. Kill the rest, and you can live." The moment Julian finished speaking, a black subtitle floated across my vision: [How do I tell the girls that the short-haired one in the red dress is his true love?] The girls looked at each other, sizing one another up. The next second, every single gaze locked onto the woman in red cowering in the corner. She was deathly pale, hugging herself tightly and trembling as tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. Unfortunately, there would be no pity here. Almost simultaneously, the crowd lunged at her. It seemed everyone present had awakened the ability to see the subtitles. I didn't move. Because a distinctly different, red subtitle flashed rapidly by: [Julian absolutely hates short hair.] And it seemed I was the only one who could see this red subtitle. Should I believe it? While I hesitated, the black subtitles started scrolling again: [The girl with the pigtails is clearly Julian's true love!] The two girls in the room sporting pigtails instantly froze. They stared at each other awkwardly, and the others stopped in their tracks as well. A red subtitle immediately followed: [Julian despises women who act overly cute.] I discreetly observed the room, noting that absolutely no one reacted to this red text. At this point, I was certain: I was the only one who could see the red subtitles! My heart pounded in my chest, a thin layer of cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. Could this be... the right answer? "Julian, what you're doing is illegal. Let everyone go, please?" A woman in an elegant, flowing dress stepped forward. I recognized her. It was Mia, a highly popular, rising star in the entertainment industry. She was Julian's childhood friend, their lives intertwined for many years. Tears welling in her eyes, Mia gripped her dress and pleaded: "Julian, I know I'm the one you love. I'm willing to quit acting and marry you! Please, don't drag innocent people into this! Okay?" Wait, did that mean... Mia was Julian's true love? I exhaled slightly, feeling a wave of relief. Maybe this was all just a sick prank by Julian. We canaries were probably just props in their twisted little roleplay. But the next second, the massive church doors collapsed with a deafening crash. Sunlight poured in, illuminating Mia's face. Weeping tears of joy, she lifted her skirt and ran toward the light: "Julian, I knew you'd listen to me! I'll help you ask the others for forgiveness, I..." Before she could finish, a red laser dot settled dead center on her forehead. "No..." I barely had time to utter a single syllable before a deafening BANG echoed through the church. The bullet tore through her left eye. In an instant, blood and gore exploded outward. Mia froze for a microsecond. Half of her skull was gone. Her body instantly lost all tension and crumpled limply to the floor. Warm liquid splattered across my face. The searing heat of the flying shrapnel made me shudder violently, rooted to the spot. A cold, mechanical voice echoed across the island: [Mia eliminated. The game continues.] After a long, suffocating silence, one of the pigtail girls was the first to snap back to reality. She smirked mockingly: "Tch, 'true love'? Where did she get that confidence?" Hearing that, I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice bath. I looked around the room, numb. The other girls' eyes were filled with either terror or pure contempt. That's when I realized there were far more people like the pigtail girl than I thought! They simultaneously rejected the identity of the "true love" while ruthlessly guarding the title against anyone else. Even Mia, who had stepped forward offering to save everyone, couldn't earn an ounce of their sympathy. "I despise repeating the rules. It makes me feel like... you're all incredibly stupid. Look closely, this is what happens to stupid people." "So..." Julian's tone shifted, becoming aggressively enthusiastic: "My darlings! Show me what you've got! Show me your passion! On my island, abandon everything and slaughter to your heart's content! There's no time limit, it's 1 against 29! Oh, wait... it's 1 against 28 now! Let's see which side gets wiped out first! Simple, right? Alright, darlings, the first supply drop has been deployed to the church plaza. A friendly tip: there's only one gun! First come, first served!" Before his voice even faded, the crowd scrambled over Mia's corpse, frantically rushing outside. Halfway to the door, a red subtitle drifted gently by: [At nine o'clock, the green backpack contains the gun.] I instantly changed direction, but just as I reached for it, a brunette with tight curls beat me to it. She pulled the gun out, laughing maniacally, and swept a murderous glare over everyone in front of her. Shit! I'm the closest to her! I immediately executed a combat roll, tumbling behind her. Snagging a khaki supply bag on my way up, I bolted away from the crowd, diving into the dense woods nearby and sprinting into the depths. Faster! I kept urging myself! Run faster! Behind me, the agonizing sounds of crying, gunshots, and terrified screams pierced the air, endless and horrifying. I gasped for breath, branches tearing at my arms and face, leaving a web of bloody scratches, but I couldn't afford to care about the pain! I didn't dare stop for a single second! It wasn't until the sounds faded into the distance that I finally collapsed against a tree, utterly exhausted. Terror robbed me of my voice. My stomach churned violently, and I couldn't stop dry heaving, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. I wiped the sweat from my face. The sweat-drenched redness on my palm served as a constant, horrifying reminder—just minutes ago, I had witnessed a girl's head explode. Bzz. Bzz. A tingling sensation crawled up my arm. The sudden vibration from inside my jacket almost made me scream. It was the supply bag. I cautiously scanned my surroundings... This was terrible. The woods looked dense from the outside, but once inside, the trees were spaced too far apart, leaving the area dangerously exposed. Especially in broad daylight; there was nowhere to hide. Calm down. Renee, calm down. No one is coming here right now. I desperately tried to compose myself. Praying silently, I opened the supply bag with trembling hands. Unfortunately, God wasn't listening. My weapon was a dull knife, barely the size of my palm. The tip wasn't sharp, and the blade was already chipped. Forget killing someone; I probably couldn't even cut grass with it. But thankfully! God hadn't entirely abandoned me! Because the bag also contained a smartphone, a canteen of purified water, two packets of compressed biscuits, and... a coil of rope! For someone hiding in the woods, rope was undeniably the most useful tool. Without hesitation, I secured the supply bag, chose a thick, sturdy tree, and threw the rope over a high branch. Using the momentum, I hoisted myself up into the canopy. Everything has pros and cons. I was hidden up here, but if I were discovered, I'd have no escape route. If they had ranged weapons—even just a handful of sharp rocks—I'd be a sitting duck. Because I had absolutely no way to fight back. A dull knife wouldn't even let me commit suicide quickly and painlessly. The thought made me laugh bitterly. Bzz. Bzz. Two more vibrations. I pulled out the phone Julian provided. It only had two functions: a map and a chat app. Opening the app, the pinned conversation was a massive group chat titled: "Julian and His Canaries." Hah. He really does see us as nothing more than toys. I practically ground my teeth to dust, suppressing my rage as I tapped on it. The announcement board showed four more people were dead. Followed by—The game continues! Anxiety and terror surged back into my heart. I licked my dry, cracked lips and gripped the phone tightly. In less than twenty minutes, five people had died! This wasn't a reality show, and it wasn't a prank. It was a genuine, brutal Battle Royale! Looking at the grayed-out avatars in the group list, my feelings were incredibly complex. Should I cry for them? It didn't feel like we were close enough for that. We had merely crossed paths, all knowingly enjoying the benefits provided by the same man. Should I feel relieved? Relieved that I wasn't the one who died. I clicked on their profiles, enlarging their photos one by one. I realized that the two pigtail girls were among the casualties of that initial bloodbath! It was probably the work of the curly-haired girl, considering she had the only gun. The fact that she didn't shoot me—the closest person—immediately meant she probably used those bullets to test the validity of the black subtitles. And that gun, exactly as the red subtitle predicted, was in the green backpack at nine o'clock. All of this proved that only the red subtitles were accurate. And I was the only person who could see them. Having a "cheat code" right from the start should have made me optimistic, but feeling the sting of the countless scratches on my body and staring at my pathetic supply bag, I really couldn't muster any optimism. I pulled out the canteen and stared at it for a long time. 300ml. That wasn't even enough to cover an adult's daily hydration needs. Even if my only goal was to avoid dying of thirst, this wouldn't last me more than a few days. After agonizing over it, I just pressed the spout against my cracked, peeling lips to moisten them, then reluctantly screwed the cap back on. Bzz. Bzz. A new announcement! This time, it wasn't a death notice! It was a public clue about Julian's "true love"! [She's like a fluffy little animal.] Animal? I remembered... Julian once described me as a cat—a black cat in the dead of night. Dangerous, mysterious, and an expert at landing a fatal blow. My eyes darkened at the thought. I immediately opened the phone's notepad and started organizing all the information I had so far. [Julian hates short hair.] [Julian dislikes women who act overly cute.] [Julian once described her as a fluffy animal.] Uh... how should I put this? These were all incredibly broad, practically useless concepts. [True Love?] I slowly typed a question mark in the notepad. Would the "true love" even know she was the "true love"? Thinking back to three days ago, on the night I arrived, Julian had whispered in my ear: "Baby, you're the only one I love." I just brushed it off as him flirting. But now... could that have been a clue he gave me? I was overwhelmed with anxiety, the excessive stress making me nauseous. Honestly, Julian and I were absolutely not some deeply passionate, star-crossed lovers. At best, it was a transactional relationship. He wanted me for my youth and beauty; I wanted him for his money and status. Calling me his "true love" was a ridiculous stretch. But then again, if she really was his true love, why would he make her a target in a death game? Rather than calling her his "true love," it was more like she was the unlucky bastard who drew the Joker card. In that case, it wasn't entirely impossible that I was the... ugh... true love. Okay, those two words actually made me sick to my stomach. I decided to refer to the target as "Joker" from now on. Trying to decipher Julian's thoughts using normal human logic was completely delusional! And searching for the Joker among the remaining twenty-four people was like finding a needle in a haystack. Not just for me, but for everyone else, because none of us knew each other. I could count the people I vaguely recognized, like Mia, on one hand. So, the real question was... did we actually need to know who the Joker was? My answer was—no. Julian's objective was to make us slaughter each other. He wanted us to show our "passion" and deliver a perfect performance for his entertainment. The absolute best-case scenario of finding the Joker was that slightly fewer people would die. It would also allow the survivors to form an alliance instead of fighting alone. But the cruel reality was, we weren't just fighting the rules of the game. We were fighting... this incredibly harsh environment! We were stranded in the wilderness with severe supply shortages. Even meeting our most basic physiological needs was nearly impossible! Furthermore, a brutal firefight had already broken out. The fragile balance of trust had been completely shattered. The arrow had left the bow; achieving a mutually beneficial outcome was practically impossible now. Rather than risking everything to find the Joker, it was much safer to simply kill everyone. That was the most secure strategy, and the one both the Joker and the regular players would ultimately choose. What better way to ensure your own survival than shooting anyone you see on sight? Unfortunately, I raised my dull, rusted knife and sighed softly. That "safest route" was completely unavailable to me. Right then, a third announcement popped up in the group chat: [A clue about her identity is hidden at these coordinates.] I clicked on the GPS pin for the clue. My heart instantly seized, terror shooting through me like an electric current. Massive drops of sweat fell onto the screen, blurring the text that clearly read: [Distance from your current location: 800 meters.] 4 It seemed the clue regarding the Joker was hidden right here in these woods. This meant that everyone else was currently en route to my location. Right now, I had two choices. First, I could stay hidden in the tree and pray no one spotted me. Second, I could relocate, abandoning this area as fast as humanly possible. Both options were incredibly dangerous. The red subtitles floated by right on cue: [The True Love has amber eyes.] Reading that, I gritted my teeth and made a third choice. I was going to get that clue! Because... I locked my phone, the dark screen reflecting a pair of amber, almond-shaped eyes. Who the Joker was didn't matter to me, but if it was me... that changed everything. If this new, localized clue wasn't just another vague concept, but precisely targeted like the red subtitle... once the others checked the group roster, wouldn't I instantly become public enemy number one? The announcement was posted two minutes ago. I should still be the closest person to the drop zone. With that thought, I strapped the supply bag to my chest, used the rope to rapidly rappel down from the tree, and sprinted toward the coordinates. When I was a hundred meters away, I spotted the blue box hanging from a tree branch. I was right! I was the first one here! Overjoyed, I picked up the pace! Eighty meters! Fifty meters! Thirty meters! When I was mere feet away, my body went rigid and I slammed on the brakes. A gentle breeze blew, and the leaves a short distance away rustled ominously. Shit... I slowly lowered my head, a profound sense of dread washing over me! I never expected Julian to be this psychotic! I focused all my attention on listening, not daring to move a single muscle, only raising my eyes to look for an opening. Suddenly! An arrow whistled through the air like lightning! With a sickening thwack, it drove straight through my shoulder! Blood erupted from the wound, the coppery scent of iron instantly filling the air. "Haha! Chloe, your aim is slipping!" "What's the fun in a one-shot kill? The real entertainment is playing with your food!" "Can't believe someone actually beat us here! And we were just complaining about not having a target to practice on!" I turned my head. Four women were laughing and joking together, looking like they were genuinely enjoying this Battle Royale. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, sighing: "Idiots!" Hearing that, they froze for a second. The woman called Chloe, humiliated and enraged, instantly drew another arrow, aiming to teach me a lesson! But before she could loose it, the ground began to shake! The arrow slipped from Chloe's grasp! A pack of wolves came surging forward! Over a dozen wolves swarmed them, knocking them to the ground! Amidst the violent tearing and snarling, one of them ripped off Chloe's left arm. "AHHHHHH!" Her agonizing scream tore through the sky. Ignoring the gaping wound in my shoulder, I gritted my teeth and sprinted toward my objective—the clue box. By the time I grabbed the box, two wolves had already broken away and were chasing me! They were incredibly fast. With a few terrifying snarls, their powerful, razor-sharp claws ripped away half my skirt. Agony crashed over me like a tidal wave, invading every nerve in my body. But I didn't dare stop! Running entirely on adrenaline, I pushed myself faster and faster! But how... how could a human outrun a wild beast? In mere seconds, they were right on my heels! I glanced back and saw the larger of the two leaping toward me, its jaws opened wide! Now! Judging the distance, I locked my eyes on the nearest sturdy tree and threw my rope with everything I had! Using the momentum, I launched myself into the air! Ignoring the excruciating pain of the impact, I wrapped my arms around another thick branch and scrambled upward, using both hands and feet! Below me, the two wolves kept slamming into the trunk, desperately trying to knock me down! Once I reached a high enough point, I quickly pulled up the rope and lashed myself securely to the tree! At that exact moment, the four women's location erupted in the horrifying sound of wolves howling! The two wolves below me immediately abandoned my tree and sprinted back toward the commotion! Only then did I finally let out a long, ragged breath! I survived! My clothes were completely soaked in sweat, clinging to my body as if I'd been thrown into a lake. I looked absolutely pathetic. Ultimately... I only escaped the jaws of those wolves thanks to those four women! If they hadn't drawn the pack's aggro, there was no way I would have made it out alive. I had no idea if I'd be this lucky next time! Bzz. Bzz. The death announcements arrived exactly on time. But unlike what I expected, only the archer, Chloe, had died from that group. This meant... the other three possessed some serious firepower. Not that it mattered to me anymore. I shook my head, dismissing thoughts of their survival, and opened the clue box I had literally bled for. Inside was a single card that read: [She has a head of flowing black hair.] Combining this with the previous clues: long black hair, amber eyes, and fluffy like a small animal... a mature woman. Speechless, I realized I met every single criteria perfectly! I checked the group roster. There were five other people who fit this description. If you didn't factor in hair length, over half the remaining girls had black hair. So this clue... wasn't entirely impossible to share. But... I needed to wait for the perfect moment. Hiss. As I raised my arm, the movement pulled at the wound in my shoulder, making me wince in pain. Once the adrenaline wore off, the agonizing pain became impossible to ignore. Stranded in the wilderness, I had no choice but to pull the arrow out with my bare hands. As I gripped the shaft of the arrow, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. With this level of exposure, hoping to avoid infection was a complete fantasy. Pray. Pray to my God. You'll protect me... right? I'll survive this... right? Until I—find you. My consciousness began to slip away, my eyelids growing impossibly heavy. The next second, I pitched forward uncontrollably. Right before I completely blacked out, I thought I... saw... my God waving to me. Wait for me, please. I will survive this! After all... I chose to come here, didn't I?
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