Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157

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The map was a 10×10 grid, with 100 rooms laid out for everyone to see. Fourteen red dots were scattered across it, each in a different spot.

There were no names or labels to tell Hunters from Hiders, just plain red dots.

Hunters had no clue who their prey was, and Hiders had no idea who was out to get them. It was the game’s way of giving the Hiders a fighting chance.

Lyra checked the positions of her cards, cross-referencing them with the map and eliminating her allies’ coordinates one by

one.

Out of the fourteen red dots, she took out her own and her four allies, leaving nine unknowns.

Her gaze swept over the nine red dots twice before settling on the one closest to her.

Lyra pulled her gaze away, pushed open the door, and stepped out. When she reached the second room, she paused, tilting her head to glance at the map on the wall.

The red dot was on the move, coming right toward her.

Lyra kept moving toward the red dot, pushed open the door, and found herself face-to-face with someone she recognized. It was Sophia from Sambadia, with her brown skin and a short bow at her waist.

They’d run into each other before the Battle Royale, but neither had made a move.

They stared each other down for a second across the table. Sophia let go of her bow and put her hands up, showing she wasn’t looking for a fight. In broken Draconian, she said, “Lyra, no fight.”

Lyra nodded. “Alright.”

Sophia pointed at herself, then at the door to the north. “I’m heading that way.”

“Alright,” Lyra said, stepping aside to let her pass.

As Sophia passed by, she paused, turned her head, and spoke in broken Draconian, her voice low: “The game is targeting your teammate, Lily.”

Lyra arched an eyebrow.

“I took out a Hunter and found a ‘cheat sheet’ on her. It had Lily’s name on it,” Sophia explained.

“Thanks,” Lyra replied. This was the third cheat sheet she’d come across. ‘Is the game really going after Lily?’ she wondered.

Sophia saw Lyra got the message, nodded, and slipped out through the north door.

Lyra turned back to the map on the wall, crossed Sophia off the list, and saw that one of the remaining targets was still moving straight toward her.

Lyra headed straight for the red dot, and before long, the two red dots on the map were almost on top of each other.

Lyra pushed open a door, and at the same moment, the door across from her swung open too. Alex stood there, one hand in his pocket, the other resting on the doorframe. When he saw her, he gave her a gentle smile.

“Lyra, what a coincidence,” he said, sounding like he’d just bumped into an old friend.

“What a coincidence,” Lyra replied with a smile, leaning against the doorframe. They stood across the room from each

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Chapter 157

other, their eyes meeting.

Alex glanced around the room, making sure it was just the two of them, and his smile widened a bit.

“Lyra, I’ve been wanting to catch up with you,” he said.

“About what?” Lyra asked.

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“Team up,” Alex said, letting go of the doorframe and strolling into the room, his movements relaxed. “You’ve probably noticed, too. This round is all about wearing each other down. The last Hunter standing wins.”

Lyra stepped inside, closed the door, and stood across from Alex at the long conference table. Her thumb absently spun the Hidden Edge Ring on her index finger.

“Go on,” she said.

“I’ve already finished my mission. What about you?” Alex asked.

“Same here. I’m done,” Lyra replied.

“So, there’s no beef between us,” Alex said with a casual shrug. “Two Hunters who’ve already wrapped up their missions, no point in us tearing each other apart, right?”

Lyra tilted her head, sizing him up.

Alex was handsome, with striking features and an easygoing smile. When he talked, his eyes stayed on her, like he was genuinely paying attention.

Lyra thought, ‘Good disguise.

“So, how do you want to team up?” Lyra asked.

“Lyra, in Battle Royale, everyone’s location is public,” Alex said. “Some Hunters are dangerous: Sophia, Chloe, Ron, even Lydia, though she’s your ally. Team up with me, and we can clear the remaining Hiders and hostile Hunters.”

“Sounds good,” Lyra said.

“Right?” Alex grinned. “You’ve got the skills, I’ve got the gadgets, if we team up…”

“Alex,” Lyra cut him off.

Alex stopped mid-sentence.

“Jung-hoo’s dead. You know that, right?” Lyra asked.

Alex’s expression didn’t change as he nodded. “Heard the announcement. That’s a shame.”

“What’s a shame about it?” Lyra asked.

“Just his bad luck,” Alex sighed. “I even gave him a Healing Potion and Trail Incense to help him find people, but he still didn’t survive.”

Lyra let out a laugh. “You also gave him a Soul Lock Card.”

Alex’s eyelid twitched. “Yeah, for him to make a run for it. I even warned him not to mess with your people.”

“Yeah, he told me. He said you told him the Soul Lock Card could hold the souls in place for a bit so he could make his escape. Lyra said.

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Chapter 157

That’s right, Alex replied.

“But when you gave it to him, you weren’t really hoping he’d get away, were you?” Lyra asked.

Alex’s smile faltered, his eyes narrowing just a bit. “Lyra, what’s that supposed to mean?”

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“Hand him the knife, point him in the right direction, then act all innocent, ‘Hey, don’t look at me, I never told you to go.” Lyra said, mimicking his tone with a smirk. “Alex, you really are a master at this game.”

Alex paused for a couple of seconds, then his smile slid back into place. “Lyra, you’re mistaken. I honestly wanted to help” him. Besides, you know I’ve always been looking to work with you, why would I do something like that?”

“What about that cheat sheet?” Lyra pressed.

Alex’s fingers twitched just a bit. “Cheat sheet? I don’t know what you mean.”

“The sheet that marks Lil Lily as the target,” Lyra said, keeping her eyes on his hand. “Blake had one, Jung-hoo had one. What about you? Got one?”

“I don’t,” Alex replied, shaking his head. “That was handed out by the game, has nothing to do with me.”

“Is that so?” Lyra shot back. Lyra thought, ‘Would a normal person say it had nothing to do with him? If it really had nothing to do with him, shouldn’t he have said he never got that cheat sheet?’

“Lyra, you really have me all wrong,” Alex said, his voice turning earnest. “There’s no conflict between us, and Lily’s not my target. Why would I go after her?”

Lyra didn’t say anything. She glanced at the map on the wall, there were fourteen red dots, but now hers and Alex’s had become just one.

“Alex, let me ask you one last thing,” Lyra said.

“Go ahead, Alex replied.

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