The Host's Judgement

15. The Abyss Triage Part 2

3. Sofia (the Influencer)

SOFIA was paralyzed. She clutched her signal-less phone against her chest, tears smearing her heavy makeup as she sobbed nonstop.

When her name lit up on the chandelier, she simply could not take a single step.

“It’s a lie… this is a sick reality show, I’m going to wake up…” she whispered, curled up on the floor.

[ 00:30 ]

[ 00:15 ]

[ 00:00 ]

Time ran out without her moving. The Host did not tolerate hesitation. The marble block beneath Sofia’s body fully retreated into the wall, opening a gap under her. Sofia fell sitting straight into the void, her high-pitched scream vanishing into the deep darkness of the pit.

[ REMAINING: 7 ]

4. Clara (the Retired Employee)

The elderly CLARA looked at the abyss, then at the panel displaying her name. Her weak legs and arthritis-ravaged knees would never allow a two-meter jump to the first platform. She gave a sad, resigned smile and looked at us on the other side of the bridge.

“May God have mercy on you,” she said, her calm and dignified voice standing out against all the horror of that room.

She did not try to jump. When the marble platform retreated under her feet, Clara simply closed her eyes and allowed gravity to take her. She fell in silence a quick departure amid the carnage.

[ REMAINING: 6 ]

With the number of survivors dropping drastically and the smell of iron rising from the pit, the remaining ones realized that the only alternative was absolute precision and speed.

Lucas (the Hacker): Using his analytical mind, Lucas waited for the exact timing of the ropes’ swing. He did not run; he simply took a wide, firm step at the moment the LUCAS platform approached the axis. He landed lightly, adjusted his glasses on his face, and moved forward without looking back.

Roberto (Ex-Investigator): The veteran policeman used his raw physical strength. He jumped with his body leaning forward, cushioning the impact by grabbing the ropes with his muscular arms. The platform creaked under his weight, but his falling technique guaranteed the necessary stability.

Melissa (Jewelry Designer): Barefoot and extremely agile, Melissa managed to coordinate her movements with the bridge’s momentum to slide precisely onto her acrylic, crossing the structure as if she were floating.

Beatriz used her knowledge of structures to guide Jonas. The two jumped almost in sync onto their respective platforms, dividing the bridge’s oscillation so that one person’s weight stabilized the other’s. Both reached the opposite wing unharmed.

Elena Vance: Benefiting from the already-tested path and without the threat of sabotaged platforms after sacrificing Daniel, Elena crossed the bridge with slow, firm, calculated steps. She passed by me with a look of absolute disdain, holding her small black box tightly.

When the last pneumatic mechanism locked, the immense iron doors of the east wing closed behind us with a deafening crash of metal against metal.

I looked around. Of the fourteen survivors who had begun the bridge crossing after Hugo’s fall, only ten remained standing. The smell of death rose from the pit, now completely silent.

Gabriel collapsed onto the new carpet of the east wing, sobbing. I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees, the air burning in my lungs as I stared at the bright screen on the wall that displayed the new official game scoreboard:

[ SURVIVORS REMAINING: 10 ]

The ten survivors Me (Hayes), Elena, Marcus, Diana, Gabriel, Lucas, Roberto, Melissa, Jonas, and Beatriz looked at one another, exhausted, filthy, and marked by the horror.

The Host’s distorted voice returned, echoing through the speakers installed in the high ceiling, now with an almost funereal solemnity:

“Congratulations to the survivors. The first half of the settling of accounts is complete. But do not relax… because the truth has a price, and the next round will require you to pay with blood.”