“I’d rather die than live team up with you.” I uttered, pulling my hand away.The words rang out across the outcrop, sharp as steel, cutting through the night air like a blade For a moment no one breathed. Then Bitus’s smile faded, and I saw the cold promise in his eyes, telling me that he’d make me regret ever rejecting him and embarrassing him.For a moment, everyone held their breath, allowing the dark shades in the sky flickered across the entire place, painting every face in shades of doubt and fear. Even Jabari’s grip on his bat tightened until the wood groaned under his fingers.Bitus didn’t move at first. He just looked at me, that predator’s grin still fixed in place, but thinner now, brittle around the edges.His silence was worse than a strike. He let it stretch, winding the tension tighter, feeding it back into the group until I felt their nerves cracking."Think about it, Kae," Bitus said, his voice smooth as poisoned honey. "We both know how this ends if we keep fighti

The Razor Wing's doors hissed open, and I stumbled backward from a wall of sound. Hundreds of different staff like the coordinators, medical staff and even the engineers all cheered with manic enthusiasm, as if they'd witnessed something wonderful instead of systematic murder.After a few weeks of silence broken only by screams and mutated growls, this cacophony felt like I was punched hard. I covered my ears, struggling to process the scene.These people must have watched us suffer, probably placed bets on who would die next, and now celebrated us like returning war heroes. The contradiction made my stomach churn.I frantically searched for familiar faces, my chest tightening when I saw Little, Vira and Jokob beside me."Where is Jabari?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the crowd.Jokob leaned closer to be heard. "I heard that his wounds were too deep so he won't be joining us right now."Terror shot through me. "Is he?….will he be okay?""We hope so. We should be thankful that

The kiss tasted like honey on my lips. It was sweet, warm, undeniably perfect for the cameras capturing our every movement. It was like witnessing a carefully choreographed performance I hadn't auditioned for and didn't understand my role in.When we broke apart, I stared at Nira, watching the blush paint on her soft cheeks. She looked up at me, catching my gaze as the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.The sound washed over me like a wave, but all I could focus on was the shocking reality of what had just happened. Nira had kissed me. On live television. In front of hundreds of people.Then, someone crossed my mind and, on reflex, my gaze dashed through the heads until it found Vira. She remained stoic, her expression unreadable as she watched from her position with the other survivors. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind. I wanted to tell her that I knew nothing about it and explain myself to her. Why do I feel like I need to explain myself to her? I'm an adult, and t

This is not happening! This can't be happening! I rushed to the door, pushing the person off to open the door when the terrified crew member grabbed my arm."Please, don't!" he whispered urgently. "You might draw them here!""He's right," Nira said, her voice steady but strained. "We should stay put and wait for help."I whirled around to face her, anger flaring in my chest. "Your sister is out there! Aren't you bothered about Vira at all?"Nira's composure cracked slightly. "Of course I am. But she told me that if I ever heard gunfire or fighting, I shouldn't try to be the hero. She said at least one of us should survive."Her words blurred all sorts of reasoning. I stared at her in shock, unable to process how she could just sit here while her elder sister was in danger.Was this what Vira was trying to protect? “Are you serious right now?” I asked, rising my voice at her. She jolted and shamelessly looked away. I wonder? How was she able to be among the top one hundred? Nira cl

I had been quiet throughout the entire dinner, lost in the dark implications of Thorne's whispered threat. The weight of his words pressed down on me like a heavy concrete, making it difficult to focus on the conversations swirling around our table."Kae seems distracted tonight," I heard Kambi murmur to someone nearby, though I couldn't bring myself to care about appearances.Thorne's voice suddenly cut through the ambient chatter as he called for attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to make a toast to our new champions, for helping us to keep shaping our future with their remarkable courage!"I raised my glass mechanically, the champagne tasting like ash in my mouth as I forced myself to smile for the cameras.“For the Sphere.” Thorne declared “For the sphere.” everyone chanted. I watched everyone taking a sip and felt obliged to do so, as I glanced at Thorne, I caught his gaze on me as he was taking his own sip. That silent glare was enough to let me know my own trial has