The blaring sound of that damn alarm jolted me awake again, the same grating noise that greeted us every miserable morning in this hellhole. I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck, it felt like I hadn't actually slept in days. And maybe I hadn't. The kind of sleep we got here wasn't rest.
I blinked, confused for a second as I looked around, then remembered exactly where I was curled up on the cold floor beside Zaara's bed. My head had been resting on the edge of her mattress all night. No wonder my neck felt like it had been snapped in half.
I turned slowly, trying not to wake her. My hand instinctively reached up to touch her forehead, and I exhaled when I felt her skin, warm but no longer burning. The fever had broken. Thank God.
That did something to my chest. Like a tight knot loosening just a little. I hadn't even realized how hard I'd been holding on to the fear that she might get worse.
For a moment, I just stared at her. The soft rise and fall of her chest. The way her lips were slightly parted as she slept. There was something about watching her breathe that made the rest of this nightmare feel… manageable.
Everyone else was still passed out despite the alarm blaring above us like a war siren.
I stood up fast, as I realized how obvious it would look if anyone saw me there. I moved quickly, darting across the room to slide back into my bed. Just by in time. My back cracked as I straightened. I was so damn tired. Tired in my bones. Tired in my soul.
Moments later, the door burst open and the men in black stormed in, tapping everyone aggressively to wake up. Grumbles and groans echoed through the room as we all staggered to our feet like sleep-deprived soldiers. I rubbed my face, missing home so much it hurt. If I were back home, I'd be getting a deep tissue massage with some overpriced tea in hand. But no, here I was, stuck in a militarized game show designed by psychos.
We were ordered to line up. I shuffled into place, then spotted Zaara just ahead of me and moved behind her. I leaned in slightly.
"How are you feeling now?" I asked.
She turned slightly, giving me a tired smile. "Thanks for last night, Vincent. I… I don't really remember everything that happened, but thank you."
Wait….what?
I blinked. She doesn't remember?
All that? The crying, the way she clung to me, the warmth of her hand in mine… The moment she held onto me and didn't want me to leave? the way I took care of her, how close we were in the dark… all of it. And she couldn't even recall it?
Damn, I'm disappointed… part of me wanted her to remember. To remember how much I cared.
Before I could get lost in that thought, we were marched into the announcement room, the same one where this nightmare had begun. The room where they first tempted us with blood money.
We stood in silence, worn down, dead-eyed. Even the sound of the speaker's voice couldn't stir much reaction anymore.
"Hello everyone. Congratulations on making it to the third round of the Recall Trials. It's been a pleasure watching you fight to survive… all for a whopping amount of money," the voice said, cheerfully.
No one cheered. No one even smiled. We were way past that.
Then the voice added, "So because of that, we have decided to reward you all."
That got everyone's attention. Heads lifted. A few gasps broke the silence. People actually looked… curious.
The voice crackled through the speakers again. "Since five contestants have been eliminated, we're increasing the prize money."
Gasps echoed through the room.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. I already hated when they did that. It felt like a bad omen every time. The transparent piggy-bank-like object descended from the ceiling again, floating,and then, from the top of the room, the cash began to fall. Literal stacks of it, raining down like some twisted dream.
"Five hundred million dollars," the voice declared.
People screamed. Cheered. Some were actually jumping.
I just stood there, frozen. What the hell was happening? Were we really that easily bought?
Piper died yesterday. We watched it happen. Her scream still lived in my head, and yet, here they were, celebrating. Dancing in the blood-soaked shadow of what this game actually was.
Then the voice continued. "Today will be a rest day. No games. No rules. A full day of freedom. The elites will be watching you, but there will be no trials. Tonight, there will also be a pool party and a feast."
Another round of cheers erupted. Laughter. Relief.
I wasn't cheering. My stomach was sick. I wanted to scream.
And then Carter did it for me.
"What are you trying to do? Bribe us with your blood money?!" he shouted from the crowd.
Heads turned. The room fell still.
"We don't want your shitty money," he growled. "We want out."
The voice came back. "Watch your tone, Contestant 052. Are you really sure everyone wants to leave?"
"Yes," Carter shot back.
Finally, he was saying it. Out loud.
The voice replied smoothly, "I asked you all the first day if you wanted to leave. No one said anything then."
"That was before we knew the kind of hell you were dragging us into," Carter said. "I was in the military. I've seen war. But this? This is pure manipulation and cruelty. You all are monsters."
There was a pause.
We all felt it, the tension. Nobody moved. No one breathed.
Then I stepped forward.
"Fee us, we want out. Free us, we want out," I said. Once. Twice. Then again. Like a chant. I didn't care who heard me. My voice cracked but I kept going.
Zaara stepped forward beside me. Then Nomi. Then Luca. One by one, others joined in.
It felt like rebellion. It felt like hope.
"Fine," the voice said. "If 50 out of 95 contestants come forward, I'll let you all go."
Immediately, something loosened in my chest. This was real. This was happening.
Carter stepped forward.
A woman with a buzz cut followed him.
I did. Zaara. Nomi. Luca. Asha. A feminine guy stepped forward.
One by one, we walked toward a possibility that had felt impossible.
If this was our only shot at freedom, we'd take it.