Her eyes snapped open, like a deer caught in headlights. She looked around, then at what was in front of her, coming to the conclusion that if this was the trial, she had no hope.

“Are you okay? Can you finish?” the woman who had woken her asked, her tone full of concern.

“I... I, uh... cough cough... I’m fine,” Ava replied, not moving her gaze from the desk.

The woman, with a pass hanging from her neck, continued, “There’s still about thirty minutes…”

Ava interrupted her. “I will try my best. Can I have some water?”

Seeing the invigilator make a call, her brain struggled to recall useful information that she hadn’t used in years.

Holding her head in her hand while trying to cover her expression, she thought, I AM IN A CLASSROOM. A CLASSROOM. Doing what, you may ask? Ah, nothing much, just passing the college entrance exam. And on top of that, it’s physics.

Ava, a second-year marketing and management university student who hadn’t attended any classes since the beginning of the year, had nothing to write down. If the score to clear the level was based on the exam results, she might as well start praying for her soul right now. Or maybe I should give it a try... I graduated with a physics diploma from high school.

Clutching the pen with a glimpse of hope that she could answer a few questions, she skimmed through the pages. She read some questions: Write the equation for the nuclear reaction corresponding to the... Calculate the energy dissipated by... Find the distance traveled...

This was an exact re-enactment of the nightmares she had every once in a while—unable to write a single answer while the clock kept ticking.

Putting the pen down, she prayed, I hope the punishment is not something out of a horror movie. The system, probably having had enough of her dramatic line of thought, finally spoke:

“This exam’s results have nothing to do with your game score.”

As if affirming this claim, a familiar man in his thirties hurried through the door, holding a water bottle. He handed it to the invigilator, glanced at her briefly, then hurried out. It was one of the players she had met earlier in the lobby, meaning not all the players had to pass the exam; meaning she had scared herself for nothing.

She let out a sigh of relief as she sipped the water. Speaking of water, what a dumb mistake... she hadn’t taken it into consideration while packing. What if she were really stranded in a desert?

Pretending to write, she silently chatted with the system. Useless system. Next time, important things need to be said as soon as possible. Now, explain how I play this great game of yours.

The system responded: “You have 24 hours to uncover a story. The panel now has more buttons. The first-level lock can be clicked to access the story fragments you’ve collected and check your real-time score. You can use the notebook button to write down useful information, as well as a message interface where all the players of the current level can chat or private message each other. Finally, there’s the camera, you can take pictures that may help you through your discovery. Both the photo album and the notebook will be restored to their original status once you clear the level, and the same applies to messages, since the players are usually different from one level to another.”

Ava stared at the newly updated panel, her mind buzzing with the implications of what the system had just said. 24 hours to uncover a story.. was that all? No clear instructions on how, no hints about the dangers or challenges ahead. Just a cryptic timeline and vague options.

The first-level lock flashed, as though urging her to click it. Score: 0%. The story title, RED SPIDER LILY, was displayed alongside a picture of a girl wearing a school uniform, smiling and giving a peace sign to the camera, with the name Lily Ven under it.

The girl looked about seventeen years old, the same age as the students surrounding her, which meant she could be taking the exam too. Right? She and at least one other player were here, and the story was about Lily, who was a student. Ava looked around, hoping to have the ultimate luck of being in the same exam room as Lily.

The invigilator announced, “Five minutes left! Make sure you write down your names.” As another player entered and spoke to the invigilator, they said, "Here to confirm the absence of three students: Liam [last name], Alex [last name], and," casually glancing at Ava, "Lily Ven."

Ava realized that she hadn’t paid much attention to the empty seats: two a little farther from her and one right behind her. She slowly turned around and saw that the name tag glued to the desk read as follows: Lily Ven, ID number, student ID number, date of birth.

The bell rang, and an announcement, probably from the principal, was heard: The examination period has finished. The results will be available a week later on the school platform.

Packing her stuff, Ava found a cell phone. She turned it on as she was walking out of the school. The moment she saw the wallpaper, she choked on the chocolate she had retrieved from her belongings.

Hearing someone running toward her, suddenly she felt a hand patting her back. After her breathing smoothed, she awkwardly greeted the student beside her, "Hi."

He responded, "How was the exam? And where is Lily? Weren't you two in the same exam room?"

The boy she had never met, who acted as if he knew her, wasn’t supposed to be a stranger at all. And Lily… Lily wasn’t a stranger either. Not according to the phone’s wallpaper. It was a selfie taken by her, showing her and Lily laughing at the boy, who was writing something nervously.

Which meant the girl whose life she was stepping into; the role she was expected to play; was probably Lily’s best friend. And the boy looking at her now, eyes full of longing , was likely the boyfriend wanting to see Lily after an exausting day.

Seriously, being the youngest player, conveniently disguised as a student; she had the best luck. Clues kept showing up with no effort needed. At this rate, if she failed to pass, there would be no one to blame but herself.

The college entrance exam wasn’t something trivial; absence meant something big had happened. With a face full of confusion and worry, she answered, “I don’t know. She didn’t come today. I was about to call her.”

The student’s face turned pale, taking a few seconds to respond. “She could be sick. Call her now, my battery died.”

After five unanswered calls, and with his face becoming paler and paler, Ava suggested, "I’ll call her mother."

While searching for Lily’s number, she found a contact named Mrs. Ven.

The phone’s persistent ringtone echoed in her ears, and Ava knew she couldn’t wait any longer. The game wasn’t going to pause for her to think and plan carefully. The story needed to be revealed.

"We’ll go to her house," she said, hoping the student would lead the way.

He didn’t hesitate. Without a word, he started running, and Ava had no choice but to follow, matching his pace.

Surprisingly, he was the one who had to stop to catch his breath. Ava, impressed by her new stamina, was suddenly informed by the system: Your body is set to the best conditions in the game, in addition to reduced pain sensitivity.

Wow. What a carefully designed game. She shivered, thinking about the pain and the possibility of death more than once.
In reality, I have only one life. In here, I have three. That doesn’t mean I should treat danger casually. Death definitely comes with pain.

Ava shook her head, trying to push the unsettling thoughts aside. She couldn't afford to get distracted, not now. The student beside her had already resumed running, though at a slower pace this time, and Ava kept up, her mind racing. The game had gotten on her nerves for not giving her any choice in the beginning, but it was also offering something she hadn’t had in a long time: a sense of purpose.

They turned a corner, and she noticed a group of people, their faces grim, gathered in small clusters, talking in hushed tones, surrounding what appeared to be an ordinary flower bed.

She almost missed it, the shift in the air. That feeling that something was wrong. Her instincts flared.

'Ding. You have reached a location where an important part of the story happened. Please investigate further.'

Ava clicked on the first-level lock, her heart skipping a beat as the new information appeared. The address, confirmed through her phone, was just one street away. The relationship description between Lily and the boy, Ethan, was listed. Turns out, Ethan wasn’t her boyfriend but merely her crush.

The score, somehow, increased to 15%.

The details were slowly coming together, but they were still so unclear. Lily had a crush on Ethan. Why was that so significant?

"Come on, use your knowledge from all the shows and novels. Connect the points together," she muttered to herself, pulling herself away from the screen and turning toward the group.

The air was thick with unease. Ava had no choice but to step closer. Once she saw clearly what those silhouettes were hiding, a chill ran down her spine.

The police tape fluttered slightly in the breeze, accompanied by the scent that made her heart skip a beat. It was an ever-present reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded here.

The red flowers weren’t the star of the show; the red ink on the ground was. It spread across the grass, seeming to write the most significant part of the story in the simplest words.

Remembering the title of the story, she mumbled, "Red Spider Lily..."

Her head started spinning from the overwhelming visual stimulation. She slowed her breathing, trying to ignore the smell that seemed to cling to everything, suffocating her.

Turns out, I’m investigating a murder case.

A new notification popped up on her screen: Player 5 sent you a private message.