The steam finally began to clear, hissing into the scorched air like dying breaths. I stumbled out of the centipede's corpse on unsteady legs, my eyes scanning desperately for any trace of my best friend. Anything like a piece of clothing, his weapon, even ash that might have been shaped like a person.Nothing. Until I spotted something. The ground where Tobi must had made his final stand was crusted over with a layer of hardened minerals and toxic residue. It was as if he had never existed at all, as if our friendship had been nothing more than a fever dream in this hellish place.I dropped to my knees, my hands pressed flat against the warm surface. This couldn't be real. Any moment now, Tobi would emerge from behind some rubble, grinning that cocky smile and telling me I looked like hell. Any moment now.But the moment never came.I was too numb to cry. Too empty to scream. I just knelt there, wishing with every fiber of my being that this was all some twisted nightmare I coul

Dawn broke gray and toxic over the wasteland, painting the sky in sickly shades of yellow and green as we followed Jabari toward Bitus's stronghold. Every step sent fresh waves of pain through my bandaged wounds, the torn flesh pulling against makeshift stitches, but I gritted my teeth and kept moving forward through the treacherous terrain. Vira had Little on her back as nobody else could volunteer for the burden. My injuries made carrying him impossible, and the others were still recovering from the lingering injuries those mutant wolves gave us. "There," Jabari whispered, pointing to a cluster of jagged rocks ahead. "Behind those."“Alright, let's stay low and observe them from a distance.” I said. We crouched behind the massive boulder, our bodies pressed against its cold, rough surface as we peered over its jagged edge at the scene of organized brutality below. My stomach clenched with a mixture of rage and despair at what I saw.Bitus had turned it into his personal kingdom.

How many flaws must I endure to get it right? An answer I don't know and maybe will never know.I watched as participants scattered like ants from a disturbed hill, desperately searching through the smoldering wreckage for anything salvageable.Vira was among the first to reach the ruined supply piles, her hands plunging into the black soot without hesitation. The charred residue stained her palms and fingers as she dug frantically through twisted metal and ash, searching for even the smallest vial of medicine that might have survived.From where I sat, my mind raced through possibilities. Airdrops were supposed to have landed. They definitely wouldn't want their favorite participant to lack anything, especially since he was giving them the content or whatever material they needed for this trial. So why hadn't it happened?My eyes swept across the area, counting heads. There were approximately nineteen participants left, almost all of them gathered in one spot. This kind of concentrat

I woke to Little's concerned face hovering over mine, his dark eyes studying me intently with the kind of worry that seemed too old for his young features. The moment he saw my eyes flutter open, he called out softly but urgently."Vira! Jabari! He's awake! Come quick!"Footsteps approached rapidly, and soon Vira knelt beside me, her face etched with lines of worry and overwhelming relief. Dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights spent watching over me."How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as if speaking too loudly might somehow break me again.Jabari appeared behind her, his usual stoic expression cracking into something resembling a smile as he gave my back a playful but careful strike. "You scared the hell out of us there for a while, brother. We honestly thought we'd lost another one. Your breathing was so shallow we had to check for a pulse every few minutes.""The antidote?" I croaked, my throat feeling like I'd swallowed handfuls of sa

Somebody wake me up from this nightmare.I glanced at everyone who looked at each other. “So?” Asked Bitus, “Who is it?” Murmuring filled our midst as many gave out their own opinions. “We should check everyone's cards to be sure.” one suggested. They all agreed with another adding, “The person should confess to make it easier for us all. Isn't it ok if nine of us survive? You're saving lives this way.”My legs remained planted on the ground, my body shivering like I got a cold. I stared at the grinning jester in my trembling hand, the cruel irony not lost on me. After all I went through with this so-called trial, they still want to make sure that I am dead. Thorne made it known to me that he wasn't done with me yet.Vira moved closer to me, whispering “What's your card?” I glanced at her, wondering if it's ok to tell her or not. “I, I don't know.” I stammered. She took another step closer to the point that I could feel her body heat. “Don't lie to me.”Taking a shaky deep bre