The buzzing announcement had done its job.
Tension spread like wildfire through the Eclipse Arena. Players whispered, speculated, and panicked. Some tried to act unbothered, but everyone knew the truth—this game could be anything.
Ace, Mia, and Liam watched from their dorm window as players gathered outside.
Liam exhaled. "We don't have enough information to prepare for this."
Mia tapped her fingers against her arm. "They want us rattled. And it's working."
Ace leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Then let's not give them what they want. We'll wait. We'll watch. And when the game starts, we'll figure it out then."
Liam smirked. "Spoken like a true gamer."
Mia sighed but nodded. "Fine. But if this game forces us to go against each other—"
Ace shook his head. "We stick together. No matter what."
Silence filled the room. A promise made in the face of the unknown.
Across the city, others weren't so patient. Some players were already forming alliances, making secret deals. Others were considering more desperate measures.
And somewhere, unseen, the ones controlling the game were watching.
The black-suited man grinned, watching the tension unfold on the screens. "Looks like they're finally starting to realize."
The woman in white smirked. "Trust is a fragile thing."
The hooded figure chuckled. "Let's see who breaks first."
The silent man at the head of the table simply watched.
Soon, the game would begin.
And the real test would start.
The countdown continued, every second dragging tension through the air like a knife.
Outside, players moved in clusters, whispering, scheming, and preparing for anything. The city—once eerily quiet—now buzzed with nervous energy.
Ace, Mia, and Liam remained in their dorm, watching the chaos unfold through the window.
Liam tapped his fingers against the wooden desk. "This is what they want, isn't it? Make people nervous, paranoid, on edge."
Mia sat cross-legged on the bed, arms folded. "And it's working."
Ace exhaled through his nose. "We wait. No point wasting energy on things we can't control."
But not everyone thought that way.
Down in the streets, a small fight broke out. Two players arguing over something trivial—a stolen food ration, a misunderstanding, maybe just stress. It escalated fast. One shoved the other, a punch was thrown, and soon bystanders were dragged in.
Then came the gunshot.
Bang!
A deafening crack split the air. Everyone froze.
A single body dropped to the pavement, lifeless.
The streets fell silent, all eyes locked on the one who pulled the trigger—a man in his late twenties, trembling, gun still raised.
Liam muttered, "What an idiot."
Mia swallowed hard. "They didn't even hesitate."
Ace's jaw clenched. "They're scared."
But wasn't there any consequences?
The streets stayed silent for a moment before murmurs broke out. People exchanged uneasy glances, some gripping their weapons tighter. If violence wasn't punished, then that meant…
"There really are no rules," Liam muttered.
Mia's fingers twitched. "It's survival of the fittest."
Ace exhaled, watching as the shooter lowered his gun, his tense shoulders relaxing when he realized he wasn't being erased. The body on the ground remained where it fell, a cold reminder that this game had no safety net.
And then, something worse happened.
Someone laughed.
A tall man in a grey hoodie stepped forward from the crowd, grinning like this was all some joke. "Guess that means we can do whatever we want, huh?" He kicked the dead body lightly with his shoe, shaking his head. "Man, I was wondering what would happen if someone snapped first."
People backed away from him instinctively.
Another voice called out from the crowd, sharper. "You think this is funny?"
The man shrugged. "I think it's reality. We're stuck in a death game. Why pretend otherwise?"
A tense silence followed.
And then, just as suddenly as the gunshot had broken the air, the city screens flickered back to life.
[NEXT GAME STARTS IN ONE HOUR.]
[RULES WILL BE ANNOUNCED UPON ARRIVAL.]
The crowd hesitated, then slowly dispersed. Some returned to their dorms; others gathered in small groups, whispering anxiously.
Ace, Mia, and Liam exchanged glances.
Liam shook his head. "This is going to get worse."
Mia pressed her lips into a thin line. "We need to be careful who we trust."
Ace looked back at the street, eyes scanning the players around them.
The game hadn't even started yet.
And people were already showing their true colors.
Ace, Mia, and Liam didn't waste time. They left the window and gathered what little they had—nothing too obvious, just essentials. If this next game was anything like the last, they needed to be ready for anything.
The tension outside remained thick. Some players sat in silence, mentally preparing. Others whispered, forming last-minute alliances. And then there were the reckless ones—the ones who saw this as an opportunity. A game within a game.
People were testing limits now. How far could they go before the real consequences kicked in?
Ace didn't like it. The way certain players walked with a newfound confidence, the way groups huddled in dark corners, already making plans.
Mia noticed too. "They're realizing there's nothing stopping them from getting rid of competition early."
Liam scoffed. "Yeah, well, if they start thinking this is some free-for-all, they'll be the first ones dead in an actual game."
Ace adjusted his hoodie, gaze shifting to the massive countdown on the city's digital billboards. One hour was almost up.
Then, the sirens blared.
A deep, mechanical wail that sent chills down every spine. The screens lit up once more, their glow casting eerie shadows across the streets.
[PLAYERS, REPORT TO THE DESIGNATED LOCATION IMMEDIATELY.]
[FAILURE TO ARRIVE IN FIVE MINUTES WILL RESULT IN ELIMINATION.]
The message was clear.
No hesitation. No delays.
People moved fast. Whether in panic or determination, they ran toward the massive stadium-like structure at the city's center—the same one that had been locked behind steel gates since the beginning. Now, those gates yawned open, welcoming them into whatever horror awaited.
Ace, Mia, and Liam stuck together, weaving through the crowd. They stepped through the gates, the weight of unseen eyes pressing down on them.
Inside, the arena stretched wide, like something built for a gladiator match. Massive walls, high ceilings, rows of empty seats towering above them. But there was no audience. Just that lingering feeling that someone—SOMETHING—was watching.
A single platform stood at the center.
And as soon as the last player entered…
The gates slammed shut.
Then came the voice.
Smooth. Cold. Inhuman.
[Welcome to the next game.]
[This is a test of instinct, trust, and survival.]
[The rules are simple.]
A spotlight flicked on, revealing a table.
And on that table sat something familiar.
A deck of cards.