I glanced at the clock. Thirty-five minutes had passed, just long enough for everyone to either understand the material, or at least pretend they did. The students were shuffling their notebooks, some whispering, others, moving toward the door. Some of the girls kept glancing my way, biting their lips, and adjusting their tops on purpose. Jessica had been bold last week. She came to my office claiming she didn't understand her geometry homework, leaned over my desk, and I caught her smirk as I glanced down at her cleavage. I didn't move. I didn't say anything. Professionalism isn't just a word—it's a rule I follow. Some of the other girls weren't subtle either. Glances that lingered a little too long, hair falling so I caught a glimpse of a shoulder or collarbone, legs crossed just right or opened intentionally, giving me an easy view of their panties. One even looked down for a second too long, and I felt it—the faint pressure of awareness—that bulge in my pants I had to ignore. Al

A giant screen flickered on above us, displaying two numbers:Former participant count: 680,481,562Current participant count: 640,472,121The forest clearing went quiet. The survivors, those who'd made it across the river and past the first brutal challenge, all looked at one another with wide, unsettled eyes.The voice returned again, calm and mechanical as always. "40,009,441 participants failed to reach the finish line. Congratulations to all who have advanced to the next round. You have officially been assigned your Player IDs. This completes the initiation ceremony for the Games."My palm throbbed slightly. I looked down, and there it was. A glowing sequence of letters and numbers, etched like it was beneath my skin:P-123700FQ-MIt looked impossibly real, like a digital tattoo. I flexed my fingers, and it flickered slightly with every movement. Others around me were doing the same. Every single person held up their hand, staring at their own glowing Player ID.The voice contin

I was running. I didn't know from what, only that every direction was wrong. Bodies littered the ground in impossible numbers, torn apart, soaked into the dirt, twisted into shapes no human should ever make. Faces I didn't recognize stared back at me with empty sockets. Some still moved, twitching like they hadn't accepted they were dead. "Keep going," someone whispered behind me. I spun around, but no one was there, just more corpses, and then the earth cracked beneath my feet. When I tried to back away, the ground caved completely, and I dropped into a black pit lined with metal spikes. It was a cold, inevitable death but then— I jolted awake, gasping so violently it hurt. My shirt stuck to my skin, soaked with sweat. My heart raced as if it was still trying to outrun something that wasn't there. It took me a second to realize I was still in the room. Still alive. Still in the Games. I turned to look beside me and the bed was empty. The sheets were still faintly warm and creas

As soon as the timer hit 00:00:00, the whole room stopped. A sharp chime rang out, and the system's voice filled the air like it was standing right beside us."Participants. Your alignment period has ended."The room shook once, and then the voice continued:"Welcome to Game Two."The floor ahead of us split open with a heavy metallic grind. One after another, tall booths rose from the ground, forming a circle around us. Each one had a door, two chairs facing each other, and just enough space to stand or move a little. The system didn't pause."This Game is simple. Each booth will host one Participant from Red… and one Participant from Blue."A cold rush ran down my spine. Not just mine—Laura's grip on my arm tightened, Jude's jaw clenched, Blaire's eyes went wide. Everyone who had followed me to the Blue side froze for a second.We had all thought… that this would be about teamwork, about sticking together, maybe even surviving by helping each other. And now this.One-on-one. Face-t

I picked up the next card with my fingers still shaking. The words swam for a second before settling into place, and the moment I understood them, something inside me sank. I didn't want this—not for her, not for me—but the memory of that shock was still ripping through my nerves, and I knew I couldn't take it again. So I read it."Blue to tell Red to… moan their name three times within the next ten seconds. Loud enough for Blue to hear. If done right, the timer will stop."The box lit up, the timer already beginning its slow, merciless descent.Catherine froze. Her hands clenched on her lap, her shoulders curling in as if she was trying to fold herself smaller. For a moment I thought she'd refuse, and a part of me almost hoped she would, even though I had no mercy left. She lifted her eyes to mine—wide, wounded, scared—and I felt something twist in my chest.The timer hit eight seconds.She swallowed, trembling and looked away.Seven seconds.Her voice came out soft at first, barely