로그인Amber POVThe cave had become a small city.Soldiers sat against the walls, medics treated cuts and bruises, and people from countries that had been competing against each other less than twenty-four hours earlier were now sharing water bottles and emergency blankets.At some point, the competition had ceased to exist.Survival had become the only objective.I stood in front of the map, trying to keep track of everyone."Status report," Jason said, kneeling beside me.I nodded and looked at my notes."Starlite has two teams accounted for. Three, if Alexander's team makes it back."Jasmine let out a tired whistle."That's better than I expected."I continued."Sum has all four teams."Franklin raised a hand from the back of the cave."Miraculously.""Snake City has three teams."One of the Snake City soldiers nodded."Cloud City has two."A woman in a blue uniform lifted her hand."Lake View has all four teams."That caused several people to sigh in relief."And River City..." I looked
Amber POVFor almost twenty minutes, everyone in the cave watched Alexander's body camera in complete silence.The image shook as he climbed over rocks, crossed narrow paths, and cursed under his breath every time his flashlight slipped.Jasmine was the first to notice."He's giving up."Jason frowned. "On what?""Whatever he was looking for."And she was right.Alexander stopped searching the cliffs and, after one last look toward the ocean, simply sighed."Fine," his voice came through the speakers. "Beach it is."Franklin, sitting beside me, crossed his arms."That man sounds disappointed that he has to investigate a massacre.""To be fair," I said, "he does sound disappointed about everything."The cave fell silent again as Alexander and his team descended toward the beach.The sound of the waves reached us first.Then the smell.Even through the microphone, people could hear his teammates coughing."Jesus Christ..."The flashlight moved.And suddenly the beach came into view.Sev
Amber POVFor several minutes after Emory revealed Oliver's name, nobody in the cave spoke.Mr. Stait was the first to recover."Amber, are you absolutely certain there's an exit leading to the ocean?"I looked back at the open steel door, at the staircase disappearing into darkness."We haven't reached the end yet, but according to the women, they escaped through a hatch by the sea."Mr. Stait immediately turned to someone off-screen."Get the naval maps. Every cave system, every natural entrance, every underground current around that island. Now."The officers behind him scattered.He turned back to me."Show me the coordinates."I pulled the map onto my phone and marked the location of the cave and the emergency tunnel.Mr. Stait studied it for a few seconds."If the exit is accessible, I can have a boat there in approximately twelve hours.""Twelve hours?" Jasmine shouted from somewhere outside the cave.Mr. Stait grimaced."It's the fastest option. Everything closer belongs to th
Amber POVAlexander didn't even bother saying goodbye.One second, his team was standing with Jasmine and the others, and the next, the four of them had disappeared into the darkness of the forest, heading straight toward the beach.Jason was the first one to break the silence."He's insane.""No argument there," Jasmine replied.Daniel sighed. "We're really letting Alexander Vincent walk into a massacre because he asked nicely.""He didn't ask nicely," Noah corrected. "He negotiated.""That's somehow worse."Mr. Stait cleared his throat from the screen in front of me."Amber, don't close this call.""I wasn't planning to.""I'm requesting an emergency meeting with the other countries' representatives. The Secretary of Defense from Sum already contacted several governments, but we need everyone in the same room."I nodded and adjusted the phone against the remains of the dismantled computer."Fine."The old man typed furiously on another screen while military officers ran behind him.
Amber POVFor the twentieth time, I tried Mr. Stait's number.For the twentieth time, I expected silence.Instead, the screen suddenly lit up."Amber?"I almost dropped my phone."Mr. Stait!"The old man looked exhausted. His tie was loose, and there were at least four military officers arguing in the background."Thank God," I whispered.He frowned immediately."How are you contacting me?""The island's command center."His expression changed from confusion to outright alarm."That's impossible.""What do you mean impossible?""The island's communication channels were blocked hours ago." He glanced at someone beside him. "The owner himself assured us that nobody on the island could contact the outside world."I felt my stomach twist."Well, he lied."Mr. Stait rubbed his forehead."I just spent the last hour talking to him. Amber, the man looked deeply suspicious.""You talked to him?""He's insisting that the competition is still underway, that the explosions are controlled exercise
Amber POVFor a few seconds after Jason's transmission, neither of us spoke.The only sounds coming from his side were hurried footsteps, heavy breathing, and Marcus quietly giving orders to the rest of the team.Jason was the first to break the silence."Where are you?"I blinked, momentarily caught off guard."What?""Amber, where are you?" he repeated, more firmly this time. "Are you safe?"For a moment, the strategist in me disappeared, replaced by the wife who had just spent nineteen minutes imagining the worst possible scenarios."I'm at the cave command center," I finally answered. "The mountain one."Jason visibly relaxed."The impossible one to reach?""The very same.""Good."I almost laughed."That's your definition of good? I'm trapped inside a cave on an island where people are getting shot.""Exactly. Nobody sane would climb that mountain.""That's surprisingly reassuring."Behind him, Marcus interrupted."Tell her we're moving farther north."Jason nodded before looking
They called her in. No delay. No warning. The door opened ten minutes later. Amelie walked in looking immaculate — refreshed, polished, perfectly styled. Not a trace of nerves in her posture. At least not until her eyes landed on me. For a fraction of a second, the color drained from her face
I didn’t cry. I didn’t shake. I didn’t look back, or mourned the life and the years i will never get back, lost forever. I just went home, time to pack and say goodbye to my old life. The penthouse doors opened with biometric recognition the moment I stepped inside. Floor-to-ceiling glass. Marb
It did not take long for Victoria to fabricate a lie, but the explosion didn’t come from the board.It came from a live broadcast.Victoria stood behind a polished podium, composed as ever. Cameras flashed. Reporters leaned forward.“I did not intend to involve myself publicly,” she began, voice s
We moved quickly through the hallway. Adrian walked behind me, gun raised, covering the corridor while I forced Henry Watson forward. The mansion was quieter than expected. Too quiet. Which meant either the guards were regrouping… or Jason was already on his way. I glanced over my shoulder.







