“What happened?” Joriz asks. “Where is Johnrey? What happened to Aeron?”

    Kriz can’t utter a word. Other players except Jeric crowd around her, asking similar questions. Then, streams of tears flow down her face, and she wails like no other. Joriz checks his watch and sees the name of his friends on the screen.

    “What happened to them?” Joriz yells, his eyes full of anger. “TELL ME!”

    Kriz can’t answer and just wails even more. The others check their watches and shudder at the sight of the two names added to the list.

    “Just tell me what happened!”

    “Hey, stop!” Ryan blocks Joriz. “Can’t you see? She’s traumatized! Just give her time, okay?”

    “I just want to know what happened!”

    “I SAID GIVE HER TIME!”

    “DAMN!” Joriz slumps to the ground and bursts into tears. His blue Spanish eyes are now red with bitterness.

    “I’m sorry,” Shaira tells Kriz, hugging her tight. “We tried to wake you up but we couldn’t. Believe me we didn’t want to leave you there. I didn’t know what happened but we just couldn’t wake you up. The three of you.”

    “I’m so sorry,” Mabel cries. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

    After several minutes, Kriz manages to speak up. She tells the group that Johnrey turned into a block of ice for being the last in rank. She adds that she and Aeron were both hit by arrows, and that she managed to escape unlike Aeron.

    “Aeron was killed just like that?” Joriz asks, still teary-eyed.

    “We didn’t know where the arrows were coming from,” Kriz answers. “I’m sorry.”

    “But why are you okay? How did you survive?”

    “Her...