The silence that followed B67's trembling question was suffocating.
It wasn't the kind that felt calm or thoughtful.
It was the kind that made the back of your neck itch like something terrible was crawling up just out of sight.
No one said anything for a good ten seconds. You could hear the wind brushing through the grass, the faint rustle of someone's boot shifting against gravel. Then 27-C spoke, her voice low and deliberate, like she already knew she was about to say something none of them wanted to hear.
"Does this ring a bell?" she said, not looking at anyone in particular. " 'If you lose a teammate in there, their points will be divided among you.' "
The words hit like a drop of ink in clear water.
Instantly, everything darkened.
Z-34 froze mid-step, eyes flicking up like a thought had just slammed into his skull. His jaw tightened, his whole body going still for one long, unsettling heartbeat. Then he muttered, "Son of a bitch," and started walking.
Straight for B67.
