From the moment the first girl died at the crack of a bullet, Nam-gyu had felt the sharp twist of fear in his gut. The realization that he could actually die in these games had been a harsh revelation, especially with his philosophy, "Those seeking life shall croak. Those seeking death shall live". Gravitating instinctively towards safety, Nam-gyu had chosen to partner up with Thanos. The cold metal of his weapon pressed against his palm, a constant reminder of the violence surrounding them.

Thanos was magnetic. Despite his brash, unpredictable, and often impulsive ways, he represented the strength Nam-gyu wished he could have. The scent of cigarette smoke clung to Thanos's clothes, mixing with the faint smell of sweat from their previous game. He was Nam-gyu's link to safety in numbers, making up for the people skills Nam-gyu sorely lacked. They had met briefly outside of the games, Nam-gyu dealing drugs to him at Club Pentagon. Their relationship had been brief and shallow, but under the harsh lights of the game facility, it had evolved into something more tangible.

It wasn't perfect. Thanos often forgot his name, referring to him, infuriatingly, as Nam-su. The sound of his mispronounced name grated against Nam-gyu's nerves like sandpaper. But Nam-gyu was his first pick in every game. He had some significance to Thanos, right? He hadn't been alone. Not like he was now. The taste of two pills he had swallowed were tangy and sharp on his tongue, a chemical residue that did nothing to improve the situation. Trembling hands dragged down his cheeks and covered shaking lips, burning eyes filled with tears he refused to let fall. The rough fabric of his uniform scratched against his skin as he hunched over, trying to disappear into the shadows.

Thanos had only remembered feeling cold, the blinding pain in his throat gone. There was no warmth to the blood spilled down his front nor was there a beat to his heart in his chest. The metallic taste of blood lingered in his nonexistent mouth. Everybody from the fight he had been in moments before was gone, only bloodied smears left on the floor as a reminder of what had happened. Confused, at first he had thought this might be a reaction to the pills he had been taking throughout the games but this didn't have the same fuzzy effect. For the first time in days, Thanos was completely and totally sober.

As he trailed out of the bathroom, phasing through the door as he tried to set a hand on the doorknob, he realized with a mix of emotions that he was a ghost. The door's cool surface offered no resistance, his hand passing through like smoke. It felt rather like the plot of a bad movie and he was immediately distracted by the potential of this scenario. He was dead, yes, so what else could he do besides try to make the best of it?

Nam-gyu. His black hair was obscuring his face, head angled downwards to look at something in his hands - Thanos's cross necklace, glinting dully in the dim light. Thanos's hand went up to his throat, phantom pain still lingering where his life had ended. Something about Nam-gyu's posture, the way his shoulders shook with silent sobs, garnered Thanos's attention. He made his way closer, blinking in surprise when Nam-gyu lifted his head and stared straight at him. The air seemed to crackle with electricity between them. A grin spread across Thanos's face and he stepped closer. "Yo, Nam-su! You can see me, bro?"