Chapter 2: One Life Left
The door creaked shut behind Kelly, and the silence that followed was deafening.
Zayn stood still for a long moment, watching the red scratch on his forearm slowly fade. It didn't heal instantly like in the game. It throbbed—faintly painful, oddly grounding. The blood had dried already, sticky against his skin.
[HP: 97/100]
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had always prided himself on staying composed under pressure. In tournaments, he could pull clutches with 1 HP. But this… this was something else.
The musty smell of dust and gunpowder still hung in the air.
He walked to the cracked window and peered outside.
The landscape was eerily familiar. It was exactly like the Bermuda map. Same buildings. Same layout. But now, it was more than pixels. The trees swayed in the wind. Birds fluttered in the distance. Far off, a column of smoke rose from where an airdrop had landed.
This place was alive.
But he didn't belong here.
[Respawn System: Active]
[Number of Respawns Remaining: 1]
[Cooldown: 47 hours, 38 minutes]
[Warning: Death without respawn will result in permanent erasure]
Zayn closed his eyes. "Permanent erasure…? What does that even mean?"
He looked down at his hands. They were trembling.
Calm down. Think like a player. Adapt. You've done this a thousand times before—just not like this.
He stepped out of the building slowly, pistol raised.
The road was quiet. A few scavenged items lay on the ground—a helmet, a medkit, an SMG with no ammo. The usual early-game mess.
[Helmet Level 1 Acquired]
[Medkit x1 Acquired]
[MP5 (0/30) Acquired]
He clipped the MP5 to his back and crouch-walked toward the next building. He needed supplies. Armor. Ammo. Weapons. And above all—information.
He turned a corner—
And nearly ran into a body.
A real, dead body.
It was a man, face down on the concrete, blood pooling around him. His chest had two bullet wounds, one clean through the heart.
Zayn staggered back. He'd seen kill animations, ragdoll deaths, and blood effects in-game. But this… this was real. The man's eyes were open, glassy. Lifeless.
[Player "Duke" Eliminated]
A message flickered across his vision.
His breath caught. "This… this guy's dead. For real."
Suddenly, the reality of it hit him like a wave.
This isn't some weird dream or simulation. These people are dying. For real. And I only get one second chance.
He stumbled away, heart pounding, sweat dripping down his temple.
Then, another message appeared.
[Zone Shrinking in: 2:00]
[Safe Zone Marked on Map]
A glowing circle appeared in his peripheral vision, drawing a line on the imaginary map in his mind. He was just barely outside of it.
"Zone mechanics… still in play," he muttered. "Just like the real game."
But the timer wasn't just a countdown to the next fight. It was a death sentence for anyone caught outside.
He had two minutes to move.
Grimacing, he checked the dead player's body. It felt wrong, but he had no choice.
[Groza (30/90) Acquired]
[Armor Level 2 Acquired]
[Ammo 7.62mm x90 Acquired]
The Groza felt solid in his hands. Familiar. Deadly.
Zayn took one last look at the fallen man.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Then he ran.
—
He reached the edge of the safe zone just as the blue wall began to shimmer into existence behind him. Unlike the game, it wasn't just a barrier—it hummed, low and ominous, and the air behind it warped like heat waves. A bird that strayed too close was swallowed by it—and didn't come out.
Zayn didn't want to imagine what would happen if he got caught.
He found cover behind a stone wall near a tall water tower. From there, he crouched and scanned the area.
Movement.
Two figures sprinting across an open field, both equipped with shotguns. One dove behind a crate, the other tossed a grenade.
Classic push and flank, Zayn thought automatically.
[Player "Flux" eliminated Player "Ink"]
Gunfire echoed again. This time closer.
Zayn stayed low, heart thumping. The desire to engage—ingrained in him after years of playing—itched at his fingers. But he forced himself to wait.
This is not a kill race. This is survival.
He needed more than kills.
He needed answers.
And he knew where to get them.
—
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm orange glow across the land, Zayn made his way toward Clock Tower. It was a high-traffic zone in the game—but in this world, it was more than just loot central. It was where Squads regrouped. Where info Brokers traded. Where you might meet someone who knew more about what was going on.
Zayn crept through the outskirts, avoiding detection. A few players fought near the main building. He waited until the gunshots stopped and slipped in through a side alley.
Inside the shattered ruins of a once-grand hall, a small group had gathered. There was a fire pit in the center. People sat around it—real people. Some wore gear, others looked exhausted. No HUDs, no usernames. Just faces.
Zayn spotted her instantly.
Kelly.
She was seated on a crate, cleaning a weapon. She looked up as he approached.
"You're alive," she said.
"You sound surprised."
"I've seen players break in less than an hour," she replied. "This world doesn't forgive."
Zayn looked around. "What is this place?"
"Safe zone. Neutral ground. No killing allowed here. Well, not openly."
Zayn frowned. "You said I was chosen. Chosen for what?"
Kelly stared at him for a long moment. Then she said,
"There's a theory… That players like you—ones from the outside—are brought here when the game detects a 'perfect sync.' You didn't just play Free Fire. You lived it. Your brain, reflexes, strategy—it all aligns with the system."
Zayn sat down opposite her. "So it pulled me in."
She nodded. "Maybe. Or maybe someone sent you."
He blinked. "Sent me?"
Kelly's voice lowered. "There's a rumor. That the Respawn System is part of something bigger. An experiment. A test. Those who survive long enough… unlock the truth."
[Respawn System Update: Survival Time Exceeded 60 Minutes]
[Progression: 2%]
[Unlockable Ability: ???]
Zayn's vision flickered with new text.
Kelly glanced at him. "You saw it, didn't you?"
He nodded slowly.
Then she smiled for the first time.
"Looks like you're not just another player, Zayn Arif. You're a piece of something much bigger."
And for the first time since arriving in this strange, deadly world—
Zayn felt like he wanted to know what came next.