---
All six of them lay scattered in the ruined street, breathing hard. Burn marks, fractured limbs, bruises that hadn't even darkened yet.
Alex wiped blood from his mouth and sat up, silent, eyes locked on the spot where Avork had vanished. His hand trembled.
He looked at his team.
"I think I have an idea," he said, voice hoarse. The others turned to him, too tired to speak but too desperate to ignore him.
"You all remember what they said about wolves, right?" he continued. "We awaken through death."
"You've died already," Zack said. "What's your point?"
Alex clenched his hands. "Exactly. Maybe… maybe there's a way to trigger it."
Liana's eyes widened. "Then if that's true — vampires need fresh human blood to awaken. Mia, give me some of your blood from your wound."
"If we're going to die anyway…" Liana slowly licked the blood and waited for something that never came.
Zack muttered, "Two hours until it starts again."
"No," Liana said flatly. She wasn't angry or scared. Just hollow. The same emptiness sat in all their faces.
"We're not ready," Kyle whispered. "We're kids. What the hell was that?"
"Avork killed us like it meant nothing," Mia said. "He didn't even speak."
"He pointed at me," Alex murmured. "He just… pointed."
Mia's voice trembled. "In the end… we haven't even killed anyone. It's not worth the risk."
"Wait," Alex said.
"No," she snapped. "We're kids! We're just—kids! And we're dying like dogs in a game no one wins."
She turned to Zack. "You died laughing."
To Liana: "You didn't even scream."
To Alex: "And you—you just kept going."
"We were supposed to have fun."
That did it. Lily's breath hitched. She covered her face with her hands. "I don't want to die again. Not even once more."
It wasn't dramatic. No yelling. No protest. They just… decided.
PARTICIPANT GROUP 15: EXIT REQUESTED.
TRIAL SUSPENDED.
Result: 9%
Ranking: D
Death count: 688
The dome trembled. Blood-stained buildings cracked and distorted as the system began its reset cycle. The sky glitched — burnt orange, static, then black. Then white.
"What the hell just happened?" Kyle muttered, shaking his hands like he'd just discovered them.
"I… I'm not dead?" Mia said, patting herself down. "I'm alive! I'm not bleeding!"
Zack said nothing, staring at the spot where Avork had stomped his face. He looked like he was checking whether he'd woken from a coma.
Suddenly, Sia appeared, swirling in black with dramatic flair. Her violet eyes gleamed, her smile unsettling.
"Well, good job, guys," she said, voice dripping with approval and mockery. "Zack, Alex, Liana. You did… well, I guess? You failed, but hey, it was entertaining."
"You just watched us die!" Alex exclaimed, hands flying.
"Repeatedly," Liana added dryly. "By the same guy. Very educational."
Sia shrugged. "Yes, but it's been decided. I'm your mentor now."
The group froze.
"Mentor? Like 'let's talk about your feelings over coffee' mentor?" Kyle asked.
"No. Like 'watch you suffer while I occasionally make sarcastic comments' mentor," Sia replied, grin wicked. "But it'll be fun. I promise."
"Wait, you're just gonna… watch us die again?" Zack asked.
"Yes," Sia said, eyes twinkling. "And no, you're not done. The fun's just starting."
"What about the others?" Mia asked.
"They're still stuck in the simulation," Sia replied cheerily. "Dying over and over for the next six days. Minor mental scars, maybe. But you? You get to enjoy the peacefulness… while it lasts."
The group exchanged stunned glances.
"A 'break'?" Alex blinked.
"Yes, a brief reprieve," Sia said. "You've earned it… for now."
"Paradise?" Kyle asked incredulously.
"Call it what you like," Sia said with a dark chuckle. "But every other student is still in there, dying on repeat. You're the lucky ones… or unlucky. Depends on how you see it."
The six stared at her, exhausted, shocked, and silently realizing that the real trials — the true nightmare — had only just begun.
---