“The First Test”
The soft glow of her bedroom lamp flickered as she stared at the ceiling. The weight of the night hung heavy around her. The dreams were still fresh in her mind—flashes of death, of loss, and the desperation to save him, again and again. Her heart twisted at the thought of his sacrifice. Alex had given everything to protect her. And yet, even knowing what she did now, it didn't feel real—this second chance she had. Could she really change everything? Could she save him?
She had thought the nightmares would fade once she understood. That knowing the future would make it easier. But it didn't.
The room was silent, the only sound her soft breathing. She clutched the pillow beneath her, willing the heavy sadness to go away. But it lingered, like a storm waiting to break.
And then, the notification pinged.
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System Notification:
The survival game has commenced. You will now receive your mission. Please be prepared.
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The words on the screen were brief, but they hit her like a punch to the gut. This was it. The game had started, and she had no more time to waste.
The world around her seemed to shimmer, like the edges of reality were bending. Arora felt the ground beneath her feet tremble as everything around her shifted—like the very fabric of time was twisting. Her breath hitched.
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Mission:
Stay within the marked zone for 3 minutes. Failure to comply will result in elimination.
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The familiar coldness of the system's voice echoed in her mind. Stay in one place? The mission sounded simple, but she knew better. The marked zone would be a trap. She had seen this in her nightmares. The Entities would never make it that easy.
But she wasn't like last time. She wasn't someone who would fall into their traps, blindly trusting the system's whims.
As her gaze shifted, her fingers ran over the map she'd hidden in her bag—carefully studied and memorized during her nights of insomnia. Every exit, every corner, every hidden alcove was etched into her mind. She had prepared for this. The shadow step—her first ability—had already started to manifest. It was subtle, barely more than a whisper of power, but it was there. A small advantage, but she knew it would be the key to moving undetected.
She couldn't afford to let anyone see her act. She had to plan carefully, set the pieces in place. The Entities were watching, but they hadn't yet realized how much she had learned. They couldn't yet see the strategies she was planning in the shadows.
And so, she stepped out of her bedroom, into the world that was about to descend into chaos. The walls of the game were closing in, but this time, she was ready to play the system's game on her terms.
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As she moved out into the dark hallway of her house, her pulse quickened. The tension was rising. She was still in her home, but everything felt surreal, like she was living in two realities at once. The Entities had already begun the game, and there was no going back. She could feel it—this world, her world, was about to shatter.
A slight breeze stirred the air, and she knew the game had begun. The coldness of the system's influence was creeping into every corner of the world. She wasn't alone anymore. The game had already started, and with it, the weight of fate itself hung in the balance.
Her phone buzzed again with a notification:
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System Notification:
The survival game is now in effect. The first mission is live. You have 10 minutes until the first challenge begins. Choose your actions wisely.
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Her eyes narrowed. 10 minutes? That wasn't much time to prepare. She needed to act quickly. No more hesitation.
But as the seconds ticked by, she remembered what was at stake. She had seen it before—the world crumbling, the Entities feeding on the despair, the terror, the betrayal. But not this time. This time, she would control the flow. She would manipulate the game from the shadows.
As she prepared to leave her house, she glanced at her reflection in the hallway mirror. Her face was a mask of determination now, hiding the vulnerability that lurked beneath. She wasn't the same girl who had started this. Not anymore.
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Outside, the sky was growing darker, the stars flickering ominously above. The Entities were preparing. But so was she.
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Mission Reminder:
You must stay within the marked zone for three minutes.
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As she walked out the door, the words lingered in her mind. Stay in one place. A trap.
She was ready for them.
This time, the game would play by her rules.