The roar was deafening. A blinding light. Then blackness.
ZARA woke to cold earth pressed against her cheek, her heart thudding in her ears. The air was thick with silence—unnatural silence. No traffic, no city sounds, no voices. Just birds. Wind. And the soft crunch of movement nearby.
She sat up sharply. Her head spun. Around her, dense jungle. Tall trees stretched toward the grey sky, their leaves heavy, unfamiliar. A bracelet on her wrist blinked red. Digital. Strange.
She wasn't alone.
About twenty others stirred, scattered across the clearing like fallen pieces of a puzzle. All around her, teenagers between 16 and 19. Some dazed, some panicked. All wearing identical black clothes and that same blinking wristband.
"Where... are we?" a voice muttered.
ZARA turned. A boy with tangled hair and bruised knuckles sat up slowly, blinking hard. *Malik*. He had the look of someone used to fighting his way out.
Before anyone could speak again, a loud mechanical *click* echoed through the clearing. A speaker hidden somewhere in the trees crackled to life.
*"Welcome, Participants."*
Everyone froze.
*"You've been selected for the Game of Survival. Your task is simple: survive. No one will come for you. No one is watching to save you. The environment is real. The dangers are real. And so are the consequences."*
Whispers rose. A girl screamed. A few tried to yank off their wristbands—no luck.
*"There are rules. You will discover them. Food and water exist—but not enough for all. Make your choices wisely. In five days, only ten will move to Phase Two. Others... will not."*
*The voice clicked off.*
Silence.
Then chaos.
Someone bolted into the trees. A boy fell to his knees crying. A tall girl—*Lina*—stood with her arms crossed, eerily calm.
ZARA clenched her fists. Her eyes scanned the clearing. Twenty of them. No bags. No map. No clue who to trust. She didn't scream. She didn't cry. She stood.
"Hey!" she shouted.
A few turned. Malik, Lina, and a small group around them.
"We need to stick together. At least until we figure out where the hell we are."
"Stick together?" a cocky voice snapped. *Jayden*, tall, smirking despite the panic. "Did you not hear the voice? Only *ten* make it. That's not a team game—that's elimination."
"So we turn on each other now?" ZARA asked, sharp.
"No," Malik said, stepping forward. "But we don't have to be stupid, either. We share what we know."
Efe, a girl with trembling hands, pointed. "There's something in the trees. A light. Maybe a camera?"
They all turned. A red light blinked far above—silent, watching.
"Lina," Zara said, "you've been quiet. Say something."
Lina's gaze was steady. "This isn't just a survival test. It's a study. They want to see what we do when we're afraid. When we're hungry. When we think we're alone."
Jayden scoffed. "She's been watching too many shows."
"Or maybe she's the only one seeing clearly," Zara shot back.
They argued. Lines began to form. Small groups huddled. A few wandered off.
By sunset, five remained in the clearing: Zara, Malik, Lina, Efe, and Jayden.
"Fine," Jayden said, raising his hands. "We stick together. For now."
"Until it's not safe anymore," Malik added. "Until we have no choice."
ZARA looked at them. The five of them. Strangers.
But not for long.
This was only day one.
And the game had just begun.
—