The survivors’ quarters were quiet, heavy with the kind of tension that never truly left the walls. Even after the confrontation with Marcus, a thin veil of unease lingered, like dust in the air, catching the harsh light from the overhead panels. Ethan stood in the center of the room, key glowing faintly at his side, watching his group move through the motions of the tasks he had set for them.Naomi adjusted the straps on her makeshift armor, her fingers trembling slightly. Claire checked her weapons silently, her calmness a stark contrast to Sky, who was bouncing on his heels like a caged animal. Daniel flexed his hands, trying to work out the ache in his muscles, while Leah, Jun, and Rafi formed a loose circle around Ethan. Axel and Theo were slightly apart, leaning against the walls, their usual bravado tempered by the shadow of what tomorrow might bring.Ethan cleared his throat, the sound sharp enough to cut through the murmurs.“All right,” he said, voice steady, controlled. “We

The shards of glass rained down around him, glittering like jagged stars. Ethan’s fists had struck with all the fury and grief he carried, and the barrier between the field and the Overseer’s hidden chamber splintered, splintering the system’s control in ways no one had anticipated.The Overseer’s voice, usually all-powerful, mechanical, omnipresent, quivered slightly—an imperceptible falter that sent a chill through the battlefield.> “Impossible… how—”Ethan didn’t pause. He stepped forward through the fractured remnants, eyes blazing as the room beyond revealed itself: a lattice of circuits, monitors, and control panels pulsating with code. And, on the far wall, a door. It was unassuming, metallic, unmarked—but it felt alive, like a heartbeat waiting for release.He dropped to his knees beside the key, examining its fractured glow. It was unstable after Naomi’s sacrifice, pulsing erratically, each beat threatening to die out. He pressed his fingers to it, trying to align the fragme

Ethan's pov….Every fiber of my being screamed as I pressed against the door. The key burned in my hands, pulsing with the echo of Naomi’s sacrifice, with the fractured energy of every fragment I had aligned in the field, with the stolen pulse of the system itself. Sparks flared across the metallic surface, the edges of the door glowing red under the strain, and I could feel the energy of the Overseer thrumming through the panels, fighting me, resisting me, trying to erase me as it had tried to erase everything else.But I didn’t care.I slammed my shoulder into the door again, the key flaring brighter than it had ever done. The lattice of energy screamed, whined, twisted, and for a heartbeat, it felt like the system itself was alive, writhing beneath my hands. My arms trembled, muscles burning, veins throbbing, sweat stinging my eyes. But I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not ever.“Come on,” I growled, teeth gritted, forcing myself to push harder. “Come on… just open…”The door buckled slig

Ethan's pov........The city was quiet, too quiet. Not the kind of quiet that invites peace, but the kind that unsettles, like the air itself was holding its breath. Broken streets, abandoned vehicles, digital billboards flickering with glitches—evidence that something in the world had shifted while we were trapped in the system.I walked beside Sky and Claire, muscles still sore, mind still haunted by memories of the grid. Every step outside the hospital felt unreal. A week had passed since we woke, but it was clear the world had moved on without us, or maybe it had fractured in ways we didn’t understand.“Look at this,” Claire said, pointing toward a high-rise partially covered with scaffolding. She pulled out a tablet, scanning the flickering signs and holographic advertisements. “The digital systems are… off. Patterns aren’t random. Someone’s deliberately tampering with the infrastructure, but not like a regular hacker. This is… systemic. Coordinated. And pervasive.”I frowned, gr

Ethan's pov...The arena stretched endlessly before us, impossible geometry folding and shifting like it had a mind of its own. Floating platforms hovered above reflective surfaces, connected by paths that could appear—or vanish—at any moment. The violet sky pulsed like a heartbeat, neon streaks darting across the horizon as if marking some unseen rhythm.I swallowed hard, the memory of the old system pressing against my skull. The stakes were higher now, the danger more immediate. Marcus sat atop a golden platform in the distance, calm and confident, as if observing the world for his amusement.“First step,” I muttered, glancing at Claire and Sky. “We assess, we move, we survive. One misstep and it’s over.”Sky flexed his fingers, a grin spreading across his face. “Good thing I’ve always been great at missteps.”Claire rolled her eyes, scanning a holographic display. “Keep the humor to a minimum, Sky. If we’re going to survive, we need focus. Strategy. Coordination.”I nodded, feelin