Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Gift’s POVThe phone kept buzzing in my hand until the screen finally went dark, leaving behind a silence so thick I could hear my own uneven breathing.I sat back on the floor, resting my elbows on my knees, staring at the red warning text hovering in front of me. The glowing letters didn't fade when I blinked. I reached out, trying to physically swipe the box away with my fingers, but my hand passed right through the light as if it were made of thin smoke. I squeezed my eyes shut tight for ten full seconds, taking a deep breath and telling myself that when I opened them, everything would be back to normal.When I opened my eyes, the screen was still there, quietly floating in the air."Okay," I whispered, my voice trembling as I pulled my legs closer to my chest. "Okay, so I can't turn it off."A strange, quiet horror settled over me. I looked down at the sharp bits of clear glass scattered around my bare feet. My body was completely fine, but my mind felt like it was splitting in t

Gift’s POVDarkness swallowed the living room instantly. The only light left came from the window, where flashing red emergency lights from the street below bounced off the walls in steady, rhythmic waves. Distant screams, sharp and full of horror, began rising from the city streets."Stay behind me," Mich commanded, his voice changing in a single second from confused friend to trained officer.He reached down and drew his hand gun from its holster with a smooth, practiced motion. The dull metallic click of the safety coming off echoed loudly in the dark room. He stepped cautiously toward the hallway door, shielding me with his broad frame.My hands were shaking so violently I had to ball them into tight fists to keep from crying out. I wasn't a hero. I wasn't a soldier. I was just an ordinary girl who used to spend her late nights reading web novels under a cozy blanket, and now I was trapped in the dark with real monsters waking up right outside my room. Every breath I took felt thi

Gift’s POVThe heavy knock against the glass rattled the entire window frame.I froze, the breath catching in my chest. Beside me, Mich reacted in a split second. He stepped sideways, shielding me with his broad back, and drew his service weapon with a swift, fluid motion. The dark steel glinted under the rhythmic flash of the emergency lights from the street."Stay behind me, Gift," Mich commanded in a tense whisper, his fingers tightening on the grip. "Don't move."He aimed the gun directly at the heavy curtains blocking the balcony doors. Rain was pouring hard outside, the heavy drops drumming against the glass like tiny, frantic fingers. My mind raced as I stared at the dark fabric of the curtains. Four floors up. There was no fire escape on this side of the building, no ledge, and no balcony large enough for anyone to stand on without falling into the alley below."Mich, wait," I whispered, reaching out to touch his shirt, my hands trembling violently. "Be careful."He didn't ans

Gift’s POVThe ice-cold pressure of his fingers against my neck was the only thing keeping my mind from completely melting away.Malakor stepped fully out of the dark shadow near the closet, moving with a terrifying, weightless silence that didn't belong to a living man. His tall frame seemed to absorb the pitch-black room around us, radiating a numbing, heavy chill that rolled over the mattress like an invisible wave. The air in my lungs turned instantly to frost, but inside my skin, the feverish fire of the pathogen roared back, screaming for more of that impossible relief.I didn't care who he was. I didn't care that he was a dangerous monster whose threat level made my system screen flash red warnings. I didn't care what he wanted or why he was here. In that exact second, all my pride, caution, and fear burned away, leaving behind a raw, desperate need to survive the unbearable heat in my blood."Please," I gasped out, my voice coming out as a raspy, pleading whisper. I reached up

Gift’s POVI stared at the crumpled piece of paper in my hand, my mind spinning in complete confusion.Don't trust the one who smells like rain.Was this left behind by the original Gift? Or did one of the two hundred and ninety-nine previous players write this warning before she was killed? I tried to remember every detail from the book, but nothing came up. Malakor brought the biting chill of frost, but Mich was the one who had walked through the pouring downpour to get to my door. My eyes flicked toward Mich, my stomach tightening with a cold, terrifying doubt."Gift? Did you find the extra water bottles?" Mich’s deep voice shattered my thoughts as he zipped his backpack closed. He stepped into the kitchen, looking at me with genuine concern. "Hey, you're staring off again. Are you alright?""I'm fine," I said quickly, shoving the paper deep into my pocket before he could see it. I forced my hand to stop shaking and picked up two large plastic bottles from the counter, slipping the