The group moved through the jagged canyon that marked the edge of Sector B2, the terrain shifting with every step. Long shadows twisted across the cracked stone, cast by warped structures—once buildings, now ruins of a broken simulation.
Aiden kept checking his device. His target's distance fluctuated—112 meters. 98. 102. Whoever it was, they were circling.
"He's nearby," Aiden muttered.
"Stay calm," Rena said. "That tracker's only accurate within five seconds. Could be close. Could be bait."
Takumi limped behind them, using a rusted pole as a crutch. His face was pale, sweat dripping down his neck.
"I'm slowing you down," he said weakly. "You should leave me."
"No one's leaving you," Amara said firmly.
Lila walked beside him, holding his other side. "You saved me. I'm not abandoning you."
Suddenly—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Proximity Alert – Target within 50 meters.
Aiden froze.
Then—
THWIP!
An arrow slammed into the rock beside him.
They ducked. Another arrow flew. It hit the pole Takumi was leaning on, knocking it from his hands.
Rena spotted movement on the ledge above them. "There!"
A figure in a red jacket—masked, fast—dashed across the cliff edge, bow in hand.
Amara hurled a knife but missed.
Aiden's device flashed:
Target Identified: Player #066 – Gunter (Germany)
Status: Active – Hostile
"Looks like I'm the prey," Aiden hissed.
Rena grabbed his wrist. "We split. Now. You draw him away. I'll circle and flank."
"You're assuming he's alone."
"I'm assuming you won't survive if you stay still."
Aiden hesitated—then ran.
He bolted down a slope of shattered glass tiles, heart racing. Behind him, the bowman gave chase, fast and agile, leaping over ruins like he'd trained for this all his life.
Then—
Aiden reached a ledge. Dead end. A 10-foot drop.
He turned, breathing hard.
The bowman appeared—mask reflecting the crimson sky. He drew an arrow.
Aiden raised his hands. "Wait—do you even know why we're here?"
The man said nothing. He fired.
CLANG!
The arrow was deflected—Rena tackled him from the side, blade slicing through his bowstring.
The two tumbled. Rena rolled to her feet, knife pressed against his throat.
"You talk," she said coldly, "or I make you silent forever."
The man coughed, spitting blood. "You're wasting your time."
Player #066 – Eliminated
Kill Registered: Player #021 (Rena)
Bonus Transferred to Closest Team Member: Player #013 (Aiden)
Reward: Echo Dart x1 – Track any player for 30 minutes
Aiden stared down at the dart now appearing in his inventory.
"That was my target," he whispered. "He almost got me."
Rena stood, wiping her blade clean. "Then next time, don't hesitate."
Aiden glanced at the group, still waiting in the distance.
The gap between hunter and hunted had closed—but the distance between them all…
Was just beginning to grow.
---