POV: Chris – Blackwood 1
"Now that they've breathed," I said coldly, stepping away from the observation deck, "it's time they listened."
A new chamber, deeper than the last, lit up. No water, no fire, no poison this time—just silence. A round room of mirrors, polished to divine clarity. Each survivor, one by one, was escorted in. Alone.
The Room of Echoes.
They didn't know that behind the glass, neural stimulants had been released into the air—odorless, slow-acting. Not to kill. No, this test wasn't about death.
It was about truth.
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POV: Number 31172 (The teen boy)
As I entered, the door sealed behind me. Dozens of me stared back from every surface. But then… they began to move.
> "You're a coward."
"You let your brother die for a loaf of bread."
"You lied to survive. You were never chosen."
My own voice. But it wasn't mine.
I dropped to my knees, trembling. It felt like every sin I had buried screamed back at me from those mirrors.
I tried to shut my ears. I clawed at the walls. But I couldn't hide from myself.
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POV: Dictator Christiana
She stood beside Chris, eyes narrowed.
> "This is darker than usual," she muttered. "Mental collapse? They'll be vegetables before they reach the next room."
Chris didn't blink.
> "Those who can't face their reflection have no place in my empire."
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POV: Amara
"I still don't get it," I said, turning toward him. "Why are you doing this in stages?"
Chris looked at me, his voice quieter than before.
> "Because, Amara… revolution starts in the mind. And so does control."
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