Chapter 13

As soon as Noelle finished speaking, a heavy silence settled over the group. The idea that seven or eight people were lying in ambush nearby seemed hard for some to believe. Cheat was the first to shake it off, forcing a laugh.

"Noelle, you've got quite the imagination," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Exactly," Ophelia chimed in, giving Noelle a pointed look. "The hunt just started. How could we possibly be surrounded already?"

Celeste stood silently beside Ophelia, her expression cold with disapproval as she shot Noelle a scornful glance. What's her deal? she thought. If she doesn't want to play, just say so. Why lie? I really don't get what Nicolas sees in her.

Declan didn't say a word. Instead, he quietly scanned their surroundings, his eyes sharp and wary.

Noelle puffed out her cheeks, clearly annoyed by the skepticism. "I'm not joking or lying," she insisted. "There really are eight pairs of eyes watching us right now."

"All you're doing is messing with everyone."

"That's enough, Miss Anderson," Celeste snapped, unable to hide her irritation. "What's the point of saying stuff like that? If you're not into this, just quit. Don't ruin it for Nicolas and the rest of us!"

Before she could finish, a loud bang cut her off. A marker hit Celeste's suit, leaving a bright stain behind.

"Oh my god!" Ophelia screamed, pointing at the mark on Celeste.

Now, no one dared to brush Noelle's warning aside.

"Everyone, stay sharp!" Oscar shouted, his voice tense. "There are people out there! Find cover, quick!"

The group scattered in a panic. Noelle stuck close to Nicolas, running effortlessly beside him. Despite the chaos, her expression remained calm, her clear eyes showing no hint of fear.

Tilting her head, she asked, "Nick, if we take out all the other teams, we win, right?"

"Yeah," Nicolas replied, his eyes locked on her, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. He wanted to ask how she'd known exactly how many people were out there, but before he could get the words out, Noelle flashed him a dazzling smile, her eyes gleaming.

"Great," she said cheerfully. "I'll deal with the ones around us first."

Nicolas blinked, caught off guard. "Wait, you're going to—"

Before he could finish, Noelle's figure blurred and disappeared into the shadows like a ghost. Left standing there, Nicolas was stunned into silence. Could she have been telling the truth about her past? he wondered, his mind racing.

"Damn it! Jory, why'd you start shooting out of nowhere? Look what you've done, now they've all gone into hiding!" one of the ambushers barked.

Jory tried to defend himself. "Not my fault! Didn't you hear that girl say she'd spotted us? Shouldn't we strike first before they come after us?"

Jory's logic wasn't entirely wrong, but it still annoyed the team leader that their cover had been blown. He retorted, "You—"

Before he could continue, another gunshot echoed through the dark forest.

"Oh, crap. I'm hit!" Jory's panicked voice came through the radio.

The team leader tensed. "Jory! What happened? Who got you?"

But Jory didn't answer. Instead, a sudden barrage of gunshots erupted—six shots in total, coming from different directions.

"Hit! I'm down! Crap! They've found us!" The voices of his teammates crackled through the radio. The team leader felt a chill creep up his spine.

Seven shots. Were they all down? They had dominated the last round, wiping out every other team in less than an hour. To be eliminated so quickly this time? He couldn't believe it.

While he stood frozen in disbelief, a light tap on his shoulder made him jump. "Who's there?" He spun around, raising his weapon, only to freeze again when he saw a petite figure standing behind him. It was a girl, delicate and pretty, her smile innocent yet— Her light eyes curved in amusement as she said softly, "Found you, number eight!"

With that final shot, the champion team from the previous round was completely wiped out.

Meanwhile, Oscar and the others huddled in hiding, whispering over their radios.

"What's going on?" Oscar asked. "All those gunshots…what happened out there?"

Ophelia replied, "Maybe some teams ran into each other and started fighting."

Declan frowned. "Those shots sounded way too close."

Celeste cut in. "Is everyone okay? Where's Nicolas?"

Nicolas' calm voice came through. "I'm fine."

Oscar added, "By the way, where's Noelle, Nicolas? Is she with you? We haven't heard from her."

Nicolas hesitated. "She—"

Before he could finish, a petite figure emerged from the forest, stepping into the clearing. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting a soft glow around her. Noelle's calm presence felt almost otherworldly, like a fairy walking through the night. She stopped and glanced at the shadows where the others were hiding.

"Why are you all still crouching around?" she called out casually. "Come on out! I've taken care of everyone."

Oscar's head popped up from the bushes. "What? You're telling me you took them all out?"

"Yep, all done," Noelle said, twirling her gun on her finger with a bored expression. She pouted and added, "I thought this hunt would be exciting. How come the opponents were so lousy?"

Her nonchalant attitude left Ophelia stunned. She stared at Noelle with wide eyes, a mix of admiration and disbelief. "Noelle, I had no idea you were this good. What did you do before?"

Noelle grinned, completely unbothered. "Oh, I used to be an assa—"

Before she could finish, Nicolas stepped up and clapped a hand over her mouth, pulling her close to him. "We've confirmed the last round's champion team is out," Nicolas said calmly, addressing the group. "There are still 46 players left. Let's find a spot to set up an ambush."

"Uh, okay," Ophelia said, still a little dazed. The others nodded in agreement and quickly followed Nicolas' lead.

Celeste, who had been eliminated, had no choice but to leave the game. As she walked away, she shot Noelle and Nicolas a sour look. Who knew Noelle was this good at a shooting game? Celeste thought bitterly. Is this why Nicolas is so interested in her? Besides, it hadn't escaped her notice that Nicolas had teamed up with Noelle when the group scattered.

As they moved through the forest, Nicolas leaned in close to Noelle and said in a low voice, "Stop casually talking about your past."

"Why not?" Noelle pouted, clearly annoyed. She felt like Nicolas was always bossing her around.

Nicolas took a deep breath and asked, "Haven't you ever tried keeping it to yourself?"

"What's there to hide?" Noelle asked, her wide, innocent eyes gleaming with complete confidence.

Nicolas felt a headache coming on. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stay patient. "Fine. So, what happens when you tell people?" He felt it was a miracle that Noelle had managed to stay out of trouble until now.

Noelle clenched her fists and huffed. "They don't believe me. I tell them the truth, and they act like I'm crazy. Some even wanted to send me to a mental hospital! It's so unfair!"

Nicolas let out a long, tired sigh. He couldn't help but sympathize with those people because, at that moment, he felt the same way.