☠   Chapter 7. Nikita

February 15

The school administration decided not to disclose the information about Maria's disappearance in order to protect her mental health from the questions of her friends. Therefore, when she finally returned to school, on this topic she answered that she was seriously ill.

And only Nikita didn't believe it. He was friends with everyone, but Maria was the most important to him. Knowing her well, he realized that she was keeping some secret, and was going to solve it. He was a self-confident and courageous man, could casually start a conversation on any topic and get acquainted with a girl without fearing anything. But today his inherent qualities were undermined. Because a new game was planned with him.

Coming to the lesson, on his desk he saw glasses that definitely didn't belong to him. He played sports every day and kept himself in good shape, therefore maintained excellent eyesight. But something about those glasses was different than usual. They were not completely transparent, but with a purple tint. Nikita put them on and examined the room. Everything seemed normal until he looked at Maria.

The glasses allowed him to see something in her that couldn't be seen with the naked eye. There was a huge red letter «A» painted on her shirt, on the side of her back. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a notification on his phone.

A message on Instagram from Nicholas.

«NICHOLAS: Do you know where Dmitry is? Did he come to class? For some reason he's not responding for a long time»

«NIKITA: Nope, I haven't seen him at school. How are you feeling?»

«NICHOLAS: I'm fine, recovering fast, the bandages are already off. I think I'll be back soon.»

«NIKITA: Happy for you.»

«NICHOLAS: Thanks. But do you know if Dmitry's coming or not»

«NIKITA: Why do you need him? What if he's late? When he comes, I can tell him you wrote to him»

«NICHOLAS: He assumed Yaroslav was the game maker and said he'd follow him, but after that he never logged on again, never wrote what happened.»

«NIKITA: So you don't know what happened...»

«NICHOLAS: What don't I know? What happened?»

«NIKITA: To make a long story short, there was a test in biology class yesterday. While it was going on, someone from Yaroslav's phone number made Dmitry play a game. He won, and afterwards went up to Yaroslav and beat him up.»

«NICHOLAS: I see... What was the game? Just curious.»

«NIKITA: Sigita was cheating on the test paper. Yeah, I was surprised myself. And he must have figured out exactly how.»

«NICHOLAS: So how?»

«NIKITA: The phone in the translucent shirt.»

*«NICHOLAS: Cool... I wouldn't have guessed. What happened after he beat up Yaroslavа?

«NIKITA: No clue, they ran off somewhere.»

«NICHOLAS: Sigita came to class?»

*«NIKITA: If she had, I would have asked her about Dmitry a long time ago.»

«NICHOLAS: Someone must have seen him!»

«NIKITA: Right! I remember! Maxim was there!»

«NICHOLAS: Did he come at least?»

«NIKITA: Yeah, he's right in front of me! I'll ask him what happened!»

Nikita put his phone in a pocket and turned to his classmate.

— Hi, Maxim! How are you?

— Hi! — he smiled. — I'm good. But yesterday's day... — covered his eyes and tilted his head. — It... It was something...

— What was yesterday? And where's Dmitry?

Maxim told him everything.

— You're kidding... — Nikita shook his head dazedly. — Actually, I feel sad for Dmitry. It's not an easy thing to go through.

— I feel sad for him too. Well, eventually, we all woke up. The masked man was gone. The doors opened, and we were able to get out. I searched the crowd for Dmitry and Sigita, but as you can see, to no avail. They disappeared without a trace.

— Got you. I'll tell Nicholas. He's worried about Dmitry.

— Okay.

Nikita turned away, opened «Instagram», and outlined Maxim's words to Nicholas.

«NICHOLAS: That must have been a lot of fun.»

«NIKITA: What do you mean?»

«NICHOLAS: Watching those idiots! Dmitry nearly cried like a girl! It was so funny!»

«NIKITA: I understand. You're not Nicholas.»

«NICHOLAS: Exactly. But you realized it too late. So I wish you a good game!»

«NIKITA: What game?»

«NICHOLAS: The letter A on your friend's shirt is a liquid poison that can only be seen with special glasses. It's gradually seeping into her skin. Over time, the number will fade, and when it disappears completely, Maria's heart will stop.»

Nikita stared at the text, and couldn't believe his eyes. He and Maria had been friends for so many years, and now her life was in danger.

The voice of the math teacher brought him back to reality.

— Maria, did you solve the problem we didn't have time to finish yesterday?

— Yes, of course, — the student nodded.

— Please come to the blackboard and show us the solution!

— Gladly!

Ready to show everyone her knowledge, the girl went forward, but Nikita distracted her:

— Stop! Don't go to the board!

— Why? — she marveled.

— This is a game.

— Nikita, do not interfere! — the teacher resented.

But Maria realized that the classmate was doing it for a reason. He needed something.

— It's okay, — she played along. — Nikita helped me solve this problem. Can we sit down and discuss something? There seems to be some things wrong here.

— All right, go ahead, — the woman turned to the class. — Everyone else, turn to page 121 and solve problem nine in your notebook. In five minutes, I'll go through the desks and check everyone's work.

The teacher left the classroom, and Nikita moved to Maria.

— You need to leave now and call an ambulance. Your shirt is soaked in poison. If we do nothing, you're gonna die.

— How do you know that? And how do you know it's exactly a game? So you know about the last game too?

— What last game?

— The one I was in the hospital for a few days after.

— They told us you were sick. But I didn't believe. I knew there was a game being played on you. I just had no idea what kind of game. What did he do to you?

— I don't trust you! I get it! You're the game maker!

— What? Me? — Nikita's jaw dropped. — I'm your friend, I want what's best for you! And after all my efforts, you claim I beat you up? You dumb bitch!

He was so furious that he didn't realize the insult was coming out of his mouth.

— Damn... I'm sorry... I didn't mean...

— You gave yourself away, bastard! You're a real psychopath! Why didn't I realize that before?

— You're acting weird... Did he give you some kind of drug?

Maria stood up and screamed:

Nikita is playing games! On Nicholas, on Dmitry, on me! Catch him before someone else gets hurt!

— Nikita made the games! For Nicholas, for Dmitry, for me! Catch him before someone else gets hurt!

— Is it true? — Maxim asked.

— Of course not! He's influenced her in some way to make her distrustful! Maria, listen to me! You have poison on your shirt! Here, look at this!

He took off his glasses and held them out to Maxim.

— Look at her back! What do you see?

The classmate squinted his eyes.

— Nothing. Her back is just like her back.

— Nothing?

— There's nothing on the back.

Nikita froze from shock.

— Let Yaroslav try to look!

Maxim handed the glasses to Yaroslav.

— I don't see anything either. What were we supposed to see?

— I don't understand... Give me the glasses.

Yaroslav gave them back to Nikita.

— It's here! The letter A on the back! I see it! But why don't you?

Those present looked at Nikita as if he were mentally ill.

— So, even if I show you the threatening message, you will say that I wrote it myself?

— Yep, — Yaroslav answered.

And with one punch to the jaw made Nikita instantly fall unconscious.

— MMA, — he smiled.

The door opened, and the teacher stepped over the threshold:

— So, Maria, did you discuss the task?

— Yes, check, — the girl put the solution on the board in advance.

— Everything is correct. I give you a well-deserved «A». And while I check the ninth problem in notebooks, Nikita will reproduce it on the board.

— No way. Nikita became ill, a severe headache. While you were away, he asked the class counselor for an excused absence.

— Ahh... Well. If that's the case, Yaroslav comes to the board.

...

When the lessons were over and the classmates were gone, Maxim, Yaroslav and Maria went into the math classroom, opened the closet and pulled Nikita out.

— You hit him hard, — Maxim admired. — How are we going to wake him up now?

He repeatedly slapped the sleeping man's face with the palm of his hand.

— Wake up! Come on, wake up!

Nikita opened his eyes.

— Idiots, what are you doing? — he looked at Maria with surprise. — Wait, why are you still alive?

— What, the plan to kill me didn't work?

— Oh, yeah... I didn't know you guys were so brainless. For the umpteenth time, I'm your friend and I wasn't playing games with you!

— Of course, of course! What else can you say?

— Don't you get it, morons? He's trying to turn you against me! It's a game! It's all just another game!

— You can make all the excuses you want. Now we'll call the class counselor and you'll be finished.

— I don't think so! — Nikita spotted that Maxim was closest to the door, shoved him, and ran away.

— He's running away! — Maria wailed. The friends raced after him.

Due to his physical fitness, Nikita was strong and fast, so couldn't be caught up by Maria and Yaroslav. Unlike Maxim, who practiced sports no less. Step by step, the distance between them was shrinking. When Nikita arrived at the first floor and made his way to the exit, Maxim reached him and grabbed his arm, causing the latter to slip and fall.

— It's over!

— No! I'm innocent! Dumb idiots!

With his free hand, Nikita took hold of Maxim's arm and bent it backwards. The classmate groaned in pain, and Nikita threw him to the floor. In the fall, Maxim's head struck the radiator. His vision blurred.

Overjoyed, Nikita dashed to the exit, but was suddenly confronted by the teacher.

— What did you do to him?

— He started first! Grabbed me, but I fought back! Let me get out of here!

— Get out? No! I'll call the headmistress and you tell her why you hit that student.

— I don't have time, bitch! — Nikita pushed past the teacher and headed for the exit, but the door was locked.

When he turned around, he saw five teachers in front of him, and the class counselor standing behind them with her arms folded across her chest.

...

In the center of the lyceum roof four chairs were sprawled out in a row, on which Nicholas, Alina, Sigita, and Dmitry were sitting. They were handcuffed behind the back of the chairs. A masked stranger stood near them.

— How do you like this place for a game? — he asked. The mask mechanism distorted his voice. — Fresh air. And no one will interfere with us here. If only because the hatch is locked.

Dmitry, not paying attention to him, immediately turned to his friends.

— Alina, Nicholas, what happened to you? What kind of game has he arranged with you?

— I would not advise you to talk to them.

— Why?

— There's a volume sensor on their clothes. If it picks up a sound above 20 decibels, which is below a whisper, it activates a mechanism.

— So what is our game?

— You must answer your own question.

— I don't understand.

— In ten minutes, you have to figure out what happened to Alina and Nicholas in all that time, and why they didn't come to school. To help, they can nod or shake their heads.

— Just ten minutes? — Dmitry's excitement was replaced by indignation. — How am I going to figure out what happened to them in such a short time?

— In case you haven't forgotten, in less than ten minutes you were able to understand how your classmate cheated on a test paper.

— What happens if I don't make it in time?

— They die. And your beloved will die with them.