It’s been about seventeen minutes since Gemml and Rig vanished. Isaac is beginning to wake up.

“Wha… what is this?” He blinks, disoriented. “I was drowning just a few moments ago. My body feels numb and sore.”

“Wait—the water… it's gone?” He scans the area, eyes wide with confusion.

Around him, a few people are still unconscious. Some are crying, clearly overwhelmed. Others have formed small groups, whispering and recovering together. A few sit alone, withdrawn and silent.

“Hehe… I’m such a loser,” he mutters with a bitter chuckle. “Mom… Dad… I’m sure glad you didn’t see that—you’d be totally disappointed.”

He tries to push himself up but collapses back down.

“Ow—oww. What the hell? It hurts just to move,” he groans, bracing himself against the wall.

Risa, who had been sitting alone, notices that Isaac is finally awake. A huge smile spreads across her face, as if she's been waiting anxiously for this moment.

She makes her way over and sits beside him. Her soaked clothes cling to her body, accentuating every curve—it makes it hard for Isaac to even glance her way.

She stays quiet, fidgeting subtly, trying to catch his attention—but his gaze stays fixed straight ahead.

“What the hell?” Isaac holds his chin up, eyes tightly shut, sweat slowly dribbling down his face. “There’s a very sexy lady beside me acting all cutesy.”

“Come on, Isaac, don’t look. You’re stronger than this,” he tells himself as he attempts to sneak a glance.

After that little peek, his eyes widen, and his expression softens.

Risa finally breaks the silence. “I guess you don’t remember me after all.”

“Risa?” Isaac mutters. “It’s you, right?”

Her heart skips a beat, and a smile forms on her face.

Struggling to keep his eyes on her, he mutters, “Your… your clothes.”

Amused by his reaction, she leans forward, closer to him, causing him to look away in the opposite direction.

“Aren’t you a bit too old to be acting all flustered… Isaac?” she teases.

“You’re still the same as ever,” he replies with a nervous laugh.

Taken aback by the remark, Risa pulls back slightly, the smile fading from her face.

Issac looked around the area. The distraught expressions of the other contestants bothered him. He was out cold so he couldn’t have possibly imagined what they'd gone through. 

“There are definitely fewer people around,” he murmurs, making catching her attention.

“Did they drown, like I almost did? Or maybe… something else entirely,” he thinks, studying their faces.

“Still, a few look alright,” he adds, glancing at Risa, who blushes slightly.

“Risa!” Isaac calls her name.

Startled, she looks at him, flustered.

“The expressions on everyone’s faces… it’s unsettling. The trials are over, yet many seem trapped in some kind of daze. What could’ve happened while I was too busy being a loser sinking to my death?”

Risa’s eyes widen, and she cuts in quickly, “Hey! Don’t say that.”

Angry at himself—Isaac is almost on the verge of tears.

“Alright, calm down,” Risa says gently. “I understand. You are Isaac, after all.”

Risa begins recounting what’s happened since the drop to their current state.

“It all happened faster than the eye could follow, killing everyone in its path. One moment we were panicking—and the next, swimming in blood. It was horrifying—truly. Even now, just thinking about it makes me tremble. When it finally appeared… it wasn’t an animal. It was a nightmare given form.”

She continued, “Its body was long and serpentine, slick and black like oil. Jagged fins protruded from its sides like shattered blades. Its eyes were glowing slits—cold and empty, as if it didn’t need to see to kill. Its mouth unhinged like a demon’s, filled with rows of uneven teeth sharp enough to shred bone instantly. It killed anyone who tried to leave the water—without fail.”

“According to those two with animal masks, about two thousand of us survived—and if I recall correctly, there were over three thousand of us at the start.” She closed.

 Isaac’s voice was rough, shaking with bitterness. “People who were skilled. People who were brave. They’re gone.”

He shook his head, eyes dark. “I didn’t experience any of that. I woke up… completely fine. Worrying about stupid problems. While these people are traumatized.”

He looked around, voice low and heavy. “Everyone here… just look at them. While here I am completely fine.”

He swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. Not even a sliver of the pain they went through. Yet here I am—standing on the same field. To the next trial. I don’t deserve this. Why am I here? By dumb luck?

His voice cracked, almost pleading. “If I had the chance right now, I’d throw myself at that beast.”

Risa's eyes narrowed, clearly upset. She shook her head, a small, almost sad smile appearing. "You say all these things—but you're the only one I know who would ever think like this."

She reached out, gently cupping his face between her hands, her thumbs brushing his cheeks softly.Her gaze was steady and soft. “You've always been like this, for as long as I've known you."

"That's why..." She paused, voice quiet but sure.

"That's why I believe you deserve to move on to the next trial… more than anyone."

She held his gaze, still cradling his face, her eyes brimming with tears but her smile steady, as if willing him to feel at ease. “That's right—three whole years ago… when you saved me.”