The sun didn't rise.
It just… returned, without warning—flickering weakly through the thick clouds above the Black Zone. Pale and cold, it cast long, grey shadows through the ruins.
Matthew stretched his legs slowly. His joints ached. His eyes felt dry and swollen.
He hadn't slept.
None of them had.
Sora sat in the corner, legs pulled to her chest, staring at the metal shutter. It hadn't moved again. Whatever—or whoever—had been out there last night had never forced its way in.
But its presence had never left either.
Rin stood at the entrance, watching the street.
Her arms were crossed. Her eyes were sharper than usual.
"No bodies," she said flatly.
Matthew frowned. "What?"
"From the game. Hollow Tower had ten players total, right?" Rin looked at them both. "We saw two die. Where are the other five?"
Sora blinked. "You think they survived?"
Rin didn't answer.
Instead, she pointed to the sidewalk.
Footprints. Not theirs. Multiple sets.
Fresh.
Leading past the station, deeper into the city.
Away from the tower ruins.
Matthew felt it again—that tight pull in his chest. Not fear. Not quite.
Dread.
The Death Land wasn't just a battleground. It was a system. An intelligence. And last night, it hadn't sent anything to kill them.
It had watched them.
Tested them.
Changed something.
Sora stood slowly. "Maybe we weren't the only ones it was watching."
A siren sounded suddenly—long and low, pulsing across the ruins like a heartbeat.
Their wristbands lit up.
SECTOR UPDATE:
A NEW GAME ZONE HAS BEEN UNLOCKED
TIME TO ENTRY: 1 HOUR
ALL LIVING PLAYERS MUST ATTEND.
NON-COMPLIANCE = EXECUTION.
Rin hissed. "So much for rest."
Matthew turned to the east, where the shadows grew darker.
Something was waiting again.
But not in the dark this time.
In broad daylight.