Bred By Daylight: Sadako's Ring
Vittorio balanced himself against a school desk as his body manifested inside Midwhich. He blinked several times to clear his head of the fog that flooded his brain during every transfer. "Eighty-two," he muttered, the number of trials he has survived since unlocking his most recent spell. Each of those eight two survivals had earned him the right to keep his memories, and each victory strengthened his resolve and determination to change the rules. A glyph on his forearm glowed. He looked down at it and smirked. This was it; he could feel it inside him; this was the day that the rules changed permanently. The auric cells permeating everything around him vibrated with possibilities. Eighty-two survivals in a row and, likely, countless other trials had shifted Vittorio into something
more
than just a survivor. And, finally, it was time he shared his gift...
*
Jake Park thanked his lucky stars. Not only had he survived his last trial against some fucked up turkey thing that lurked in the lockers, and now he had manifested right beside a generator. Jake noticed he was inside some kind of dilapidated bathroom that was covered in fleshy growths. Determined, he immediately set to work. The knowledge of how to fix the generators was almost instinctual, given to him by some unknown force. His nimble hands had a mind of their own. His precision was spot-on as long as he paced himself. He heard heavy footsteps and grunting, and a shirtless man with close-cropped hair, a trimmed beard, and a nose that looked like it had been broken more than once in a fight stumbled up next to him.
"What the fuck is going on?" The man grunted. His voice was coated in some iteration of a British accent.
"Just start fixing it," Jake cautioned in a low voice. "Trust me, you'll know exactly what to do, but go slow."
"But what fuck is going on?"
Jake continued his work. Part of the generator groaned and chugged. "Just breathe for a second, and the answers will come to you."
The man kneeled down and fidgeted with the machine. "Trial...gates...survive..." he mumbled to himself as though reading from instructions.
"Exactly," Jake affirmed. "And if we make it out, we won't forget all of this and can finally fucking think and figure out a real escape.
The generator released a small explosion, and the British man fell back onto his ass, launching profanities.
"Keep it down and listen," Jake hissed.
Both men knelt beside the generator. Their heartbeats were steady, and the only sound was the mechanical thumping of the engine.
*
Renato crouched behind a pile of debris. A medpack rested at his feet, and he concentrated on bandaging a slash across his waste. "Dumb, fucking bitch really got me." He tried to maintain his breathing, but-from his perspective-this was his first trial. He had been around a campfire thinking about finding his sister and sitting down to watch the newest match, and now he was in some kind of fucked school. A crunching sound behind him made him jump. His hand slipped and irritated his wound. "Fuck!" he yelped.
"My apologies," came a deep voice thick with an Italian accent. The man was wide-chested, and his skin was etched with blue runes. His hair was a stylish mess of gray. His features were strikingly handsome. A genuine smile split the man's trimmed beard. "Oh, Renato, nice to see you."
"I know you?" Renato stood up.
"Some version of you does. Unless he's forgotten. Unless
you've
forgotten." The man leaned close. "My name is Vittorio." He held out his hand.
Renato shook it. "We've got to get those gates open."
Vittorio put a heavy hand on the cute Brazilian's shoulder. "I always admire your dedication, but I'm beyond these little
games
now." Vittorio ignored Renato's confused look and took the younger man's hand. "Let's find the other two." Both men were enveloped in a swirling, black fog.
*
The pallet slapped Sadako's head with a satisfying crunch. The undead woman was stunned momentarily, and Jake took the opportunity to crouch and sneak around the corner. He motioned to David, who was crouching behind a fleshy tumor in the hall, signaling to stay still. Sadako recovered and scanned the room for her victims.
A swirl of fog appeared in the middle of the hallway, and two men manifested: a stout white-haired man and a younger dude with his hair pulled back into a bun. Sadako veered right for the duo. She threw her hand out, but the gray-haired man didn't flinch.
As if wrapped in an invisible rope, Sakdo's limbs pulled to her side, and she stood straight and rigid. Vittorio's arm was thrown towards her, and the runes along his skin glowed brightly.
Jake and David stood up, walking towards the duo.
"What is happening?" Jake asked.
Vittorio's face was a mask of concentration, but he looked at Jake from his peripherals. "Just a little revenge," he muttered. He motioned with his free arm, and Sadako's clothes vanished. "The fun kind."
Jake blinked in shock. Unsure of what was happening but also surprised by the voluptuous curves of the undead woman. Her hair, hanging in her face, couldn't entirely conceal her full breast; some of the dark strands parted around her left tit, revealing a perky but pale nipple.
"Look, fellas, I don't really want to explain all this shit right now." Vittorio looked at his three confused companions. "Long story short, I've found a way to turn predators into prey, and I think whatever calls the shots around here likes it." He lowered his arms, but Sadako remained stuck. "Or this place has gotten so big that
it
doesn't even notice when I break the rules."