The chamber they entered was vast and cylindrical, mirrors lining the walls like a thousand eyes watching them. The light was dim, red-tinted, pulsing faintly in time with an inaudible heartbeat.
The four new players—Jisoo, Minho, Harper, and Elliot—stepped closer, their movements cautious but deliberate.
Jisoo's eyes scanned the group with precision. "We need rules," she said quietly. "We can't survive blind."
Minho cracked a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "We don't survive by rules," he muttered. "We survive by acting first."
Harper's lips pressed into a thin line. "And what about trust?" she asked, voice laced with suspicion. "Do we just pretend we have any?"
Elliot's calm voice cut through the tension. "Trust is optional. Strategy isn't. The system will adapt faster than our morals can keep up."
Matthew and Rin exchanged a glance. They had survived games where loyalty had cost lives, where every choice was a razor's edge.
Then the system's voice echoed:
Final Game: Death Land. Rules are simple—survive. Adapt. Only some will escape.
A trapdoor opened in the floor, revealing a descending tunnel. The red light from above reflected off jagged walls, turning the narrow path into a hall of fire and shadow.
Sora's death lingered in Matthew's mind, a bitter reminder of how quickly survival could turn into loss. "We follow," he said, voice steady despite the gnawing fear. "Together… at least for now."
As they moved into the tunnel, the mirrors reflected not just their images but fragments of their memories: past deaths, choices, and faces of those they couldn't save. The weight of the final game settled over them, unrelenting and immediate.
The system watches. The system learns.
And it would not forgive weakness.