Shuntaro Chishiya

Chishiya slowly entered the game arena—a massive, multi-tiered industrial foundry with an open, grid-like steel floor suspended over cold, inactive iron molds. His visa would run out tonight if he didn't play. The usual ping sound rang through the space as he crossed the line into the arena. He spotted some other players watching him.

The speakers crackle in the cold, dark industrial foundry. A monotonous, digitized female voice suddenly echoes throughout the room.

“Registration has closed. Total of twelve players.”

Chishiya was already studying the other players. An older woman standing next to two younger girls. A young man standing nervously near them. A middle aged guy and woman standing a bit away. A few young adults standing together. And a girl about his age, staring at him. Well.. they were all staring at him, until the digital female voice spoke again.

“Please fasten the magnetic harness provided before game start. One per person.”

Chishiya and the other eleven players moved towards a table in the middle of the big room. On the table lay twelve, as said, magnetic harnesses. The group grabbed one each and began putting them on.

“Difficulty: Eight of Spades. Game: Gravity Forge. Time Limit: Thirty-five minutes.”

Great, Chishiya thought, adjusting the harness. a Spades game. How inconvenient.

“Rules:”

the voice continued. A screen in the wall nearest the group of participants lit up.

“Removing the harness during the game will result in an immediate GAME OVER.”

The screen showed a white silhouette of a person removing the harness and getting shot down by a red laser.

“Every 3 minutes, the arena’s gravity vectors shift for 30 seconds. The floor will launch upward with violent force while the ceiling's electromagnets activate. Anything not anchored will be flung toward the ceiling or the walls.”

Chishiya huffed quietly. One of the two girls who were standing next to the old woman gasped out a “..what?!”. Chishiya assumed it was the girl’s first game. He didn't comment though. His eyes fell back to the screen again.

“Iron spheres are scattered throughout the arena. During the pulse shifts, these will be hurled through the air. Avoid getting hit.”

The illustration on the screen showed the silhouette getting hit and smashed to death.

“Every 7 minutes, the outermost sections of the arena will gradually become smaller.
Survive the full 35 minutes without getting GAME OVER to achieve a GAME CLEAR.”

“Seems easy enough.” The girl his age who had been staring muttered to herself.
The others in the group started talking nervously for about sixty seconds.

“The game starts now.”

The girl his age immediately made her way around the arena, most likely trying to find a safe space behind one of the pillars. The group followed her. Not close behind, just enough to make sure they knew if she found anything. Chishiya only sighed and looked around for a second before making his way after them.