The alarms shrieked through every corridor.Mei's virus was spreading. Screens flickered and died. Doors malfunctioned, slamming shut or hanging open. Sparks rained from overhead panels."It's working!" Mei shouted over the chaos. "All the footage, all the data, it's corrupting!"Marcus grabbed her arm. "That means defenses too! We need to leave NOW!"They ran through the collapsing compound. Behind them, automated turrets swiveled wildly, firing at random targets. One guard went down screaming. Another dove for cover.Tyler stumbled. His wounded leg gave out.A bullet caught him in the side.He dropped hard, gasping."TYLER!" Daniel skidded to a stop, grabbed him under the arms. "Stay with me!""I can't—" Tyler coughed blood."Yes, you can!" Daniel hauled him up, half-carrying, half-dragging him forward.Elena laid down covering fire, bullets sparking off metal and concrete. "Keep moving!"They reached the main exit. The doors hung open, emergency protocols failing.But six guards wa

"Winners don't go free?" Kade stared at Sienna. "What does that mean?""Exactly what I said." Sienna stood. Pulled a pistol from her belt. Aimed at Kade's chest."Two hundred sponsor points. That's life-changing money in this game. Power. Resources. Influence."Kade didn't move. "Then why talk? Just shoot.""Because I wanted to see if you're worth the hype." Sienna's finger rested on the trigger. "Victor Kane's favorite. The man who killed a hunter with a knife. Who destroyed Viktor Stone.""Disappointed?""I don't know yet." She smiled slightly. "Show me."She fired.Kade moved. The bullet sparked off the wall. He dove into the water.Sienna fired again. The bullet cut through where he'd been.He surfaced behind her ledge. Grabbed the edge. Pulled up.She spun. Gun aimed.Too slow.Kade knocked the pistol from her hand. She countered with a kick. Fast. Trained.He blocked me. Barely. She knew how to fight."Not bad," she said. "Let's see more."She attacked. Fast combinations. Strike

The five minutes stretched to ten.Everyone needed the rest. Wounds cleaned. Water rationed. Breathing steady again.Jax stood guard at the door. Eyes on Sienna more than the corridor.Elena sat beside Kade, checking his shoulder wound. "It's not deep, but it needs proper stitching.""Later.""You always say later." She wrapped it tighter. "One day later won't come.""Then I'll die with unstitched wounds." Kade almost smiled.Daniel sat against the wall, pale. The kid had seen too much death today. Tyler was already pestering Sienna with questions about her device."So the encryption uses a rotating cipher?" Tyler asked eagerly."Adaptive cipher. Changes every thirty seconds." Sienna answered without looking up. Still scanning for threats."That's brilliant. How did you—""Kid, I'm trying to make sure we don't die. Questions later."Tyler deflated but didn't stop staring at her tech.Jax walked over to Kade. Voice low. "We need to talk. About her.""Not now.""Yes, now." Jax's jaw was

Kade stumbled back into the holding area.His hands wouldn't stop shaking. Blood and sand caked under his fingernails. Marcus's last expression burned into his memory. The fear. The resignation. The tears."Kade." Jax's voice cut through the fog. "Sit down."Kade sat. Didn't remember moving. Just found himself on the bench.Elena appeared with water. "Drink."He took it. I didn't taste it. Just felt the cold in his throat."You did what you had to," Jax said. Hard. Direct. "That's survival. Nothing more.""I murdered him.""The game murdered him. You were just the weapon they used." Jax crouched down. Met his eyes. "Don't carry that weight. It'll break you. And we need you sharp."Tyler sat nearby, pale. "How many more fights?""Too many," Daniel muttered.Sienna checked her device. "Twelve more matches to reach thirty players. Could be hours. Could be all day."The arena screen lit up above them."NEXT MATCH: PLAYER 28 VS PLAYER 33."Two players entered. Both were terrified. The figh

The medical bay smelled like antiseptic and blood.Sienna sat on the examination table while a doctor stitched her shoulder. She didn't flinch. Didn't make a sound. Just stared at the wall with dead eyes.The group gathered around. Elena watching the stitches. Jax by the door, arms crossed, scanning everyone who passed. Tyler and Daniel sat on chairs, exhausted.Kade stood near the window. Watching the arena below. More bodies being dragged away. More sand being raked clean. Preparing for the next round of death."You're lucky," the doctor said. Not looking up from his work. "The spear missed the artery by centimeters.""Lucky," Sienna repeated flatly. "Right.""You're also the first to defeat a Valkyrie." The doctor tied off the stitch. Started on the next one. "In twelve matches, no one's survived. You made history.""Great. Can I get that on a trophy?"The doctor almost smiled. "The Gauntlet has three phases. You completed Phase 1. Thirty players remain now.""What's Phase 2?" Kade