I wake with a start in a dimly lit cabin, my throat burning as if I'd been choking. The memory of the noose tightens around my neck, and I reach up instinctively, half-expecting to find rope. Instead, my fingers brush against my skin - warm, alive. Not possible. I was executed. I remember the drop, the snap, the darkness...

A chime echoes through the intercom, followed by that dreaded, high-pitched voice. "Good morning, my lovely blackened! Rise and shine for another wonderful day on the Despair of the Seas! Breakfast is served in the dining hall until 9 AM. Don't be late - hungry murderers make irrational choices! Puhuhuhu!"

Monokuma. He's here. That means...

I throw off the covers and rush to the mirror, staring at my reflection. Blonde hair with that stupid ahoge, purple eyes wide with shock, the faint scar on my neck from the noose. This is real. I'm alive. But how?

The cabin door clicks open, and I spin around, heart racing. A boy with spiky purple hair and a jacket stands in the doorway, arms crossed. "Finally awake, Sleeping Beauty? I was about to kick the door down." Kaito Momota smirks, but there's tension in his shoulders.

"Kaito? You're..." I can't finish the sentence.

"Alive? Yeah. So are a bunch of us. Turns out Monokuma decided to throw all the worst killers into one big happy family." He gestures for me to follow. "C'mon. Breakfast. Try not to get stabbed on the way."

As we walk through the ship's ornate corridors, I spot others - a biker with an orange pompadour, a gothic girl with drill hair, a sleepy girl clutching a gaming device. All faces I recognize from stories, from memories that aren't quite clear.

The dining hall is a tense scene. Sixteen people, all convicted murderers, sitting in awkward silence. Eyes darting, hands near potential weapons, no one trusting anyone.

"So," I say, breaking the silence, "we're all blackened here." Not a question.

A pale girl with red eyes and dark hair冷哼s. "Indeed. And now we're trapped in another killing game. How... predictable." Celeste Ludenberg swirls an imaginary drink.

"Not if we work together," I insist, slamming my fist on the table. "We can find a way out without more bloodshed."

The room erupts in skepticism. Voices overlap, arguments break out. Through the chaos, Kaito catches my eye and gives a small nod. Maybe, just maybe, there's hope.

Monokuma's laugh suddenly blares from hidden speakers. "Attention, passengers! Time for today's motive! Remember those gaps in your memory? Each murder you commit will restore one lost memory! How about that - kill to remember!"

The room falls silent. Eyes narrow, hands clench. The game has officially begun.

Kaito leans closer, voice low. "What's your move,钢琴家? You gonna play hero again, or survive?"