The cold wind bit into your skin as you pulled your thin coat tighter around your body. Snowflakes drifted through the gray sky, melting as they touched the cracked pavement of the alleyway you walked through. It had been days since you left the Squid Game, but the nightmares never left you.

You had survived—but barely.

On the second day of the games, the vote had been called. More than half had chosen to leave, clinging to the hope that life outside was better than the nightmare inside. You had felt relief when the red-suited guards let you go. But reality hit hard the moment you stepped back into the real world.

Your debts hadn't vanished. Your money problems hadn't disappeared. And worst of all—you had nothing to show for it.

Most of the others who stayed had walked away with their money. You had left with not only money, but regret. Now, you were back to where you started. Broke, desperate, and hunted.

You turned the corner, keeping your head down, hoping to avoid any familiar faces. But fate was cruel.

A slow clap echoed through the alleyway.

"I was wondering when I'd run into you again," a voice purred.

You froze. That voice—smooth as silk but sharp as a blade—sent a shiver down your spine.

Winter.

You turned, and there she was. Winter stood against the brick wall, dressed in a long black coat, her white scarf speckled with the light dusting of snow. Her lips curled into a knowing smirk, but her cold, calculating eyes held no warmth.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Winter mused, stepping forward. "I thought maybe you had... disappeared."

You took a shaky breath, forcing yourself to stay calm. "I told you, I'll get your money. I just need more time."

Winter's smirk widened. "That's the thing, sweetheart. You had time. Now? You're out of it."

You clenched your fists, your nails digging into your palms. "I almost died for that money. And I got nothing. Do you think I'd be standing here if I had it?"

Winter sighed dramatically, tilting her head. "Poor thing. You had your one chance and threw it away. Now you're back where you started. But this time?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "No one's voting to let you leave."

A sudden pain shot through your stomach as Winter's knee slammed into your gut. You gasped, stumbling backward, clutching yourself as your knees hit the icy ground.

Winter crouched beside you, her long fingers tilting your chin up. "Here's what's going to happen," she whispered. "You're going to pay me. Every last won. And if you don't..."

She leaned in closer, her breath warm against your frozen skin. "I'll make sure you wish you had died in that game." Winter mocked in fake sympathy before delivering another punch to your gut.