The blinding white chamber buzzed with restless murmurs and mounting tension as the televisions went silent. The voice that had thundered across the hall, delivering a brutal reality check, vanished—leaving the 7,898 captives to stew in a cocktail of confusion, fear, and defiance.
For a few minutes, there was nothing but scattered whispers and unsure glances.
"Can we even trust any of this?" someone mumbled from the far side of the hall, their voice low and hesitant, restricted by the collar clamped around their throat.
"They said we're criminals... monsters," another replied, "But this doesn't make sense. Why games? Why us?"
While the crowd spoke in hushed tones, Darian Wolfe stood silently, scanning the sea of faces until one familiar figure caught his eye. His eyes narrowed into slits.
Riley Wolfe.
He was unmistakable—same sharp eyes, same confident sneer, but now dressed like the rest, with the same tech-bound collar and numbered clothing. Darian's fists clenched.
He stormed forward, grabbing Riley by the collar and yanking him close.
"I did not expect you to be here," Darian growled, his voice low and cold, "But let me tell you—I'll find a way to kill you during these games."
Riley, unfazed by the threat, chuckled under his breath. "You think you're still king, Darian?" he hissed back. "You ruled Texas, sure. But I've already taken what you left behind. There's nothing left for you to reclaim. I've built my own empire—and now I'm stronger than you."
Darian's eyes flared with fury, and Riley's jaw tightened, their mutual hatred sparking like dry gunpowder.
Then BZZT! A sharp, electric shock surged from their collars, forcing them apart violently. Both stumbled back, pain etched on their faces, as the realization hit them hard—they couldn't even fight each other.
A mechanical beep echoed across the hall, and the televisions blinked back to life. The synthetic voice returned, calm and unbothered.
"As you've all figured out, physical violence between players is restricted. This is a game of survival—not a street war. Every action here has consequences, and you'll learn those soon enough."
A brief pause.
"Now, to help you better understand who stands among you, we will begin data reveal. Each of you will be introduced to the rest of the players—with the records we at GAC have compiled about your lives. Your crimes, affiliations, history... everything we know."
A chill ran through the hall. The captives turned to one another, faces suddenly blank with tension. Some stood frozen. Others started shifting uncomfortably. There was no hiding now.
Their secrets—the darkness they carried—were about to be laid bare before 7,898 strangers... and potential enemies.