Chapter 6: Hunting Shadows

Ethan woke early to the sound of guards murmuring outside their cell. He sat up, straining to catch their words. Something about wives… something about a return. His brow furrowed. The whispers weren't just idle gossip—there was something more to it.

Beside him, Nile stirred, blinking away the last traces of sleep. His fingers instinctively reached for his chest, searching for the strange HP and MP bars he had seen yesterday. Nothing. No glowing bars, no indicators. Was it real? Or just a trick of his mind?

The iron doors creaked open as the remaining survivors were gathered. Fifteen men. Three groups of five, each forming an alliance, driven by fear and desperation. Nile and Ethan, however, remained apart—outsiders in a game where trust was as dangerous as the enemy.

The tension in the air thickened.

Ethan suddenly barked at the nearest guard. "Hey! What wives? Whose wives?" His voice carried through the chamber, demanding answers. "Where is Aron?!"

At the name, Nile stiffened. A shiver ran down his spine. Aron... Something about it scratched at the edge of his memory, stirring echoes of a different life.

His job.

There had been someone named Aron at his workplace. A coworker.

The realization struck like a punch to the gut. His breath quickened as he turned to Ethan.

"And Greg... King Greg," Nile muttered under his breath. His mind raced, piecing together fragments of memories. The king's face—it was the same as his coworker back home.

His pulse thundered in his ears. Why were these names and faces here? Why did this world feel so familiar?

Before he could unravel the mystery, a horn blared through the prison, cutting through his thoughts.

A guard stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping over the survivors. "Shut up," he barked. "There's been a change. The arena battle will start tomorrow."

The games weren't over yet.

And neither were his questions.

The Tiger Returns

An hour passed in uneasy silence before the gates creaked open again. A guard stepped inside, his voice flat. "Dinner."

The scent of stale bread and watery soup barely reached Nile's nose before—

A deep, familiar growl cut through the air.

His stomach twisted.

The tiger from yesterday entered the prison.

A shiver ran down every survivor's spine. They all remembered its brutal presence in the arena—the beast that had slain with precision and savagery.

The survivors clutched their meager meals, inching back.

Five men huddled together, whispering in hushed urgency.

Another five did the same.

But the last three—the ones without an alliance—stood exposed.

The tiger's golden eyes locked onto two of them.

A blur of fur and fangs—

Screams never had the chance to escape their throats before the beast pounced.

Blood splattered across the cold prison floor. The two outcasts were ripped apart in an instant.

Panic surged through the chamber.

Then—

Ethan moved.

He grabbed the nearest wooden bedstick and struck the tiger across the face with all his strength.

A snarl of pain erupted from the beast.

Seeing their chance, the other survivors lunged forward, their weapons crude but desperate.

Sticks. Broken plates. Bare fists.

They struck at the tiger, forcing it to reel back, but the beast wasn't done yet.

With its last remaining strength, it let out a final, guttural roar and lunged straight at Ethan.

He had no time to react.

Then—

A wooden stick whistled through the air.

It struck the tiger in the skull with a sickening crack.

The beast collapsed inches away from Ethan. Its body twitched once before finally going still.

Ethan turned in shock, his breath heavy.

Nile stood there, arm still outstretched from the throw.

For a moment, silence filled the prison.

Then—Ethan let out a breathless chuckle. "Nice throw."

The tiger was finally dead.

Newcomers & Suspicion

The prison gate creaked open once more.

The guards entered, dragging the tiger's corpse away while counting the remaining survivors.

Then—

Two masked figures were escorted inside.

The sight sent a ripple of unease through the prisoners. Newcomers.

But who were they? And why now?

The air thickened with tension.

Before dawn, the guards returned, their voices cutting through the dim chamber.

"The arena battles will soon resume."

Exhausted, wary, and covered in blood—

The survivors realized one thing.

They had little time to recover.