Melissa’s POVThe shift hit hard.Zara staggered. “I hate phase two.”Jamal caught her. “Stay sharp.”The city wasn’t gone—just broken. Buildings torn apart, smoke rising, order gone.“This isn’t controlled,” Leila said.Failsafe pulsed. “Environment remains controlled. Resource scarcity introduced.”“Scarcity?” Amina whispered.“Shelter. Energy. Sustenance.”Zara scoffed. “So—survival mode.”The Entity stepped forward. “Objective: resolve conflict between individual need and group stability.”“…Meaning not everyone survives,” Jamal said.“Yes.”Silence.Then movement.People scattered—searching, hoarding, fighting.“Pressure creates this,” I said.“Pressure reveals truth,” the Entity replied.A structure lit up ahead—intact, limited.“Not enough space,” Zara muttered.“Correct.”Crowds surged toward it.“If we rush, we’re part of the problem,” Jamal said.“And if we don’t, we lose,” Zara shot back.“Then we control access,” Leila said. “Create order.”We moved.Jamal blocked the entr
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