Chapter 3: The Cost of a Second Life
The fire crackled in the center of the ruined clocktower, casting shadows on the stone walls. Zayn Arif sat cross-legged across from Kelly, the warmth of the flames only barely cutting through the chill that had settled over him since his arrival.
Other survivors murmured in low voices, some eating, others resting with weapons across their laps. It reminded him of a war camp more than anything else—calm between battles.
Zayn turned over the notification in his mind again.
[Respawn System Update: Survival Time Exceeded 60 Minutes]
[Progression: 2%]
[Unlockable Ability: ???]
It looked like a milestone. But the percentage made it clear—he was only at the beginning.
He glanced at Kelly. She was watching the fire, one hand resting lightly on her rifle.
"You said people break in less than an hour," Zayn said quietly. "Why?"
"Because they realize this place doesn't play fair," she answered. "It hurts. When you bleed, it stings. When you fall, it bruises. And when you die…"
Her voice trailed off.
Zayn waited.
Finally, she looked at him. "You feel it. All of it. The pain. The fear. The cold pulling you into the void. And unless you have a system like yours, that's it. One death, and you're gone."
He swallowed.
"But it's a game world," he said. "Why not just… respawn like normal?"
"Because this isn't that kind of game. Whatever this place is—it plays by its own rules. It traps players from different worlds, different timelines. Not everyone comes from Earth, you know."
Zayn raised an eyebrow. "Different worlds?"
"You think you're the only one with a story?" she said. "This world is stitched together from fragments of dozens of games, simulations, maybe even real battles. Free Fire is just the skin. Underneath it… something else is watching us."
Zayn's fingers curled slightly against his knee. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
[Respawn Cooldown: 45 hours, 09 minutes]
[Number of Respawns Remaining: 1]
[Progression: 2%]
He had one second chance—and a ticking clock on using it.
He stood slowly.
"I need to know more. If I'm here for a reason, I can't sit around and wait for death."
Kelly gave a small nod of approval. "There's someone who might be able to help. But he's not cheap, and he doesn't deal in hope."
Zayn narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
"They call him the Archivist. He's… strange. Collects data, code fragments, anything left behind from players who died. If anyone can make sense of your system, it's him."
"Where is he?"
"Graveyard."
Zayn blinked. "That's not on the map."
Kelly smirked. "That's because it's off the edge. Past the cliffs east of Katulistiwa. You have to glitch-walk through the terrain to reach it. Only players with high sync rates can even see it."
Zayn paused. "And how do I get that?"
She tossed him a small vial.
It shimmered with silver light.
[Item Acquired: Sync Stimulant (Temporary)]
[Effect: Allows traversal through glitched terrain for 1 hour]
[Warning: Induces heavy fatigue upon use]
"Use it when you're ready," she said. "And take someone with you. Graveyard is no solo zone."
Zayn looked at the vial, then back at her.
"Will you come?"
She shook her head. "I've used my Sync quota for the day. System locks us out if we push it. But…"
She nodded to someone nearby.
A figure sat near the edge of the fire pit. Black hoodie, tattered scarf around his neck. He looked up—piercing green eyes meeting Zayn's.
"That's Max. He's been here longer than most. Knows how to survive in places that weren't meant to exist."
Max stood silently and walked over.
"You're the new guy with the glitch system," he said flatly. "I'll take you. But we move at nightfall. And you listen to me."
Zayn met his gaze and nodded. "Deal."
—
Hours later, the two moved quietly through the jungle east of Katulistiwa. The trees here were taller, twisted, and strangely pixelated in places. Some flickered as if failing to render properly.
[Time Remaining on Sync Stimulant: 43 minutes]
The stimulant had taken effect, and Zayn could already feel it—his senses felt stretched, sharper, but his limbs ached as though he'd run a marathon.
Ahead, Max reached a dead-end cliff.
"Here," he said.
Zayn frowned. "That's just a wall."
"Not anymore."
Max raised his hand and pushed through the rock.
It shimmered.
Flickered.
Then he stepped in—and vanished.
Zayn stared for a moment, then followed.
His body phased through the wall like passing through cold water.
Then—
[Location Discovered: Graveyard]
The world beyond the cliff was warped. Grey mist curled around crooked trees. Broken fragments of weapons floated mid-air. Names flickered and vanished, ghostlike.
The air was heavy.
"This is where data goes when players die," Max said. "Their loadouts, their last words, their system errors. It all ends up here."
They walked through a field of gravestones.
Each one was engraved with tags:
[Player: YUI12]
[Error: Disconnection]
[Final Match: Ranked Squad - BR]
[Player: GhostStepX]
[Cause of Death: Zone Damage]
[Respawn Count: 0]
Zayn felt a tightness in his chest.
"They all… lost."
Max didn't respond.
They stopped at a strange terminal in the center of the field. A figure in a long coat stood before it, hood drawn.
The Archivist.
"You bring echoes of new code," the figure said, voice mechanical and low. "System: Respawn. Rare. Dangerous."
Zayn stepped forward. "Can you tell me more? About what I am? About why I'm here?"
The Archivist tilted its head.
"I can extract. But there is always a cost."
[System Extraction Offer: Yes/No]
[Cost: 10% Vital Sync]
[Effect: Temporary Weakness, Vision Blur, +1% Progression]
Zayn hesitated.
[Progression: 2%]
[Respawn Count: 1]
It wasn't much. But he needed to understand. To survive.
He accepted.
[System Extraction: In Progress]
Pain bloomed behind his eyes. His legs buckled. Static rang in his ears.
[Vital Sync Reduced to 90%]
[Progression: 3%]
[Fragment Unlocked: "You were selected because your death matched the anomaly."]
[Origin Flagged: "Earth\_Zone\_23 - Esports Sync Event"]
[Status: Watched]
Zayn gasped as the vision cleared.
"What… what does that mean?"
The Archivist only tilted its head again.
"It means your game isn't over. It's only just beginning."
And then—
The Graveyard faded.
And Zayn woke back in the jungle.
Time had run out.
[Sync Stimulant Expired]
[Respawn Cooldown: 43 hours, 15 minutes]
He clutched his chest, breathing hard.
Max stood nearby, silent.
"Now you know," Max said. "You didn't just fall in here by accident."
Zayn looked up at the sky, now dark and flickering.
He didn't know who—or what—was watching.
But he was ready to play their game.
Even if the rules weren't fair.