The countdown hit zero.
The plaza dissolved around them. One second, Ravi was leaning on his pipe in the outpost; the next, he was standing in a completely different space.
The new arena was a crumbling office tower, its walls stripped bare, glass shattered, desks overturned. The floor was streaked with old stains that Ravi didn't want to identify.
Text appeared across their vision in the cold, detached script of the system.
[Sub-Scenario: The Betrayal Game]Objective: Survive until the end of the timer.]Special Rule: Only two members of each party may leave alive.]Time Limit: 30 minutes.]
Ravi's stomach sank. "Well, that explains the title."
Beside him, Arjun stood calm as ever, bow loose in his hand, scanning the room with sharp eyes. Karan, meanwhile, laughed nervously, shifting from foot to foot with his chipped machete gripped tight.
"Heh… they're just trying to scare us, right? No way they'll really make us kill each other."
Ravi gave him a flat look. "Oh no, they'll definitely make us. That's the point."
The system's voice chimed again:
[Hint: Trust can be your greatest weapon… or your downfall.]
The glowing text faded, leaving only silence.
For a long moment, the three men simply stared at each other.
Then Karan broke it. "Okay, listen. We don't have to fight. We just wait it out, yeah? Maybe the system's bluffing."
Ravi barked a short, humorless laugh. "The system doesn't bluff. Thirty minutes from now, one of us won't be breathing. Question is" He tapped the pipe against his shoulder. "who?"
The air in the office seemed to thicken. Every sound was too loud the drip of water from a broken ceiling pipe, the faint creak of rusting beams. Even the scuff of Karan's shoe on broken glass made Ravi's grip tighten.
Karan swallowed hard. His eyes darted between Ravi and Arjun like a rat cornered by two cats.
Arjun said nothing. He simply tested his bowstring, the quiet twang echoing through the empty room.
The silence stretched. Ravi could feel the paranoia growing, feeding on itself. That was the real game here. Not just killing but waiting to see who would break first.
Minutes ticked away.
At 25:00, Karan started pacing. At 23:00, he muttered to himself under his breath. At 20:00, Ravi noticed the way his fingers twitched on the machete handle.
"Stop that," Ravi said finally.
Karan jumped. "What?"
"The pacing. You're making me want to kill you faster."
Arjun's lips twitched, almost a smile, before he settled back into stillness.
Karan glared. "You think this is funny? We're trapped in a death game!"
"Yeah," Ravi said dryly. "And whining about it is a top-tier survival strategy."
The tension rose with every passing second. Ravi's mind raced, weighing options. He didn't want to trust Karan—couldn't. He remembered what had happened before. But Arjun? Arjun was an unknown. Dangerous, yes. But maybe…
The system's timer blinked down to 15:00.
And then it happened.
Karan snapped.
With a shout, he lunged at Ravi, machete raised. The blade whistled through the air, aiming straight for his throat.
Ravi twisted sideways, the rusted pipe slamming up to block the strike. Sparks flew. The impact rattled his bones.
"You bastard!" Karan screamed. "I'm not dying here!"
Ravi shoved him back, heart pounding. "Congratulations, genius you just made sure you will."
Karan swung again, wild and frantic. Ravi ducked, the blade slicing a line across his sleeve. He countered with a brutal jab of the pipe to Karan's ribs. The man wheezed, stumbling, but desperation kept him moving.
And then the arrow came.
Silent, swift.
It buried itself in Karan's shoulder.
He shrieked, dropping the machete as blood poured down his arm.
Ravi turned. Arjun stood steady, bow drawn, another arrow already nocked. His expression didn't change. Calm. Cold.
Karan collapsed to his knees, clutching his wound. "W-wait! Don't don't kill me! We can work together, please!"
The system chimed coldly:
[Time Remaining: 12:02][Only two players may survive.]
Ravi exhaled slowly, pipe lowering. He glanced at Arjun. "You didn't even hesitate."
Arjun's eyes didn't leave Karan. "Hesitation gets you killed."
Ravi believed him.
Karan's cries grew weaker. Blood pooled beneath him, slick and dark against the broken floor.
And Ravi realized something chilling. The game wasn't just about betrayal. It was about choice.
Who would you kill?Who would you save?And what would that make you?
The timer blinked down to single digits.
Arjun lowered his bow at last, his voice flat. "Decision's made."
Ravi nodded, pipe resting against his shoulder.
Together, they turned away as the system's chime rang through the office tower, sealing Karan's fate.
[The Betrayal Game Completed.][Survivors: Ravi Sharma, Arjun Varma.][Reward: +800 Coins.]
The office dissolved around them, light swallowing the blood, the glass, and the dying man's pleas.
When the world reformed, they were back in the outpost. The crowd bustled as if nothing had changed.
But Ravi knew better.
Nothing was the same.