Jack woke with a slow blink.
The dorm was still quiet—cool air brushing over his face—but something was different.
Ruin was slumped against his side, head resting on Jack's shoulder. His soft breaths rose and fell, peaceful in sleep. Jack didn't move. For a moment… he didn't want to.
Then—
Beep.
A sharp tone echoed in front of his face.
Jack flinched.
Hovering in midair—just inches from him—was a black, rectangular device. Thin. Metal. Sleek like a shard of obsidian glass.
Glowing letters scrolled across the surface:
"Welcome, Jack.
You have entered the Rank Two Selection Process."
Jack frowned, sitting up carefully. Ruin stirred but didn't wake.
The text kept flowing, cold and sharp:
**"This device is now linked directly to your wrist. You will not be able to remove it. It will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and mental stability at all times.
Should you neglect your health…
Or push yourself beyond safe limits…
The device will lock your access to all resources—
Including food.
Allowing you to die.
Maintain your health.
Survival depends on it."**
Jack's throat tightened. His eyes flicked to his wrist—
The metal was already there. A sleek band, pulsing faintly against his skin.
The message continued:
**"You are now officially part of the Rank Two Arena Selection.
Perform well in the coming weeks… and you may advance to Rank Three.
Fail… and you know what happens.
Enjoy the games, Jack.
And welcome… to Rank Two."**
The screen blinked off.
Jack stared at his wrist, heart thudding.
Ruin shifted beside him, leaning gently into his arm again. His expression was soft—calm.
Jack closed his eyes for a moment.
Another chain.
He exhaled slowly, lowering his head.
If this is the game they want…
Then he'd survive it.
But this time…
He wasn't doing it alone.
Jack blinked awake to a soft weight against his shoulder.
Ruin was asleep, head leaning gently against him, arms wrapped around his knees. His face was calm—almost peaceful in a way Jack wasn't used to seeing.
For a moment, Jack didn't move.
Then—
Beep.
A sharp vibration jolted against Jack's wrist.
A thin black device hovered in front of him, glowing faintly with cold, blue letters:
"Welcome, Jack.
You are now within the Rank Two Selection."
Jack stared, his pulse spiking.
The text kept scrolling:
"This device is permanently connected to your wrist.
It will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and mental stability.
Neglect your health… and your access to food, water, and supplies will be revoked.
Your death will be allowed."
Jack felt a tight coil twist in his gut.
**"Perform well in Rank Two… and you may enter Rank Three, where even deadlier trials await.
But for now…
Survive."**
Beep.
The device vanished, replaced by a simple alert:
"Next Arena Match — 30 Minutes. Prepare."
Jack closed his eyes, forcing a steady breath.
"Ruin."
Ruin stirred beside him. "Huh…?"
"Wake up. Match in thirty."
Ruin sat up fast, wiping his eyes.
Jack stood, glancing at the next bunk. "Nova. Now."
Nova opened her eyes immediately—already awake, already listening. She nodded, grabbing her boots.
---
The walk to the arena was silent—except for the faint beeps from their wristbands guiding them.
When they stepped through the final gate, the air hit them like a wall.
The arena wasn't a ring.
It was a graveyard of steel.
Crushed cars. Half-collapsed buildings. Towers of scrap stacked like twisted bones. The ground soaked with oil and mud.
Above them—two massive bleachers encased in glowing dome shields.
Inside… the masked elite.
Men and women in black suits, faces hidden behind expressionless masks. Some watched in silence. Others chuckled, whispered, pointed.
Jack clenched his fists.
Just another show to them.
Across the field—
Team Rust.
Rush. Tik-Tik. Set.
Rush stood tall, blue eyes glowing sharp, her stance light—like she might take off at any second.
Tik-Tik towered beside her, a human slab of muscle, metal bands on his arms sparking faintly.
Set stood apart—quiet—her peacock feathers flickering with shifting colors, eyes unreadable.
Nova narrowed her eyes. "Great. Speed freak, walking bomb, and a mind-bender."
Jack said nothing.
Beep.
"BEGIN."
Rush blurred forward—
A sonic boom trailing behind her.
"MOVE!" Jack snapped.
They split—Jack darted left, Ruin rolled right, Nova fell back—hand outstretched, eyes locked on Rush.
Rush aimed for Jack—her body a blue streak—
But Nova's fingers snapped—
Rush's flight dipped—yanked downward mid-air by an invisible force.
She slammed into the dirt, rolling in a sharp skid.
Jack lunged, grabbing a broken pipe, hurled it straight at Tik-Tik—
Tik-Tik swatted it—BOOM.
The explosion threw Tik-Tik a step back—his arms flaring with sparks.
Jack charged—
No vines—he ducked under Tik-Tik's punch, snagged a steel rod, and jammed it into his gut.
BOOM.
The explosion threw Jack back—he hit the ground, rolled, sprang up fast.
Tik-Tik stumbled, coughing.
Ruin's hum vibrated through the junkyard—a low pulse that rattled Tik-Tik's balance.
Nova lashed her hand toward him—
Gravity snapped down hard—crushing Tik-Tik against the ground.
His knees buckled, arms trembling under the weight.
Jack darted forward, whipped a chain from the wreckage—looped it around Tik-Tik's legs—and yanked hard.
Tik-Tik dropped hard onto his face.
Nova crushed the air again—flattening Tik-Tik under an unseen force.
Ruin's hum hit him like a wave.
Two down.
Set moved like a whisper.
Her feathers spread—colors shifting—air shimmering.
Jack felt it—the trance sliding over his skin, sinking into his mind.
One. Two. Three.
The voices screamed louder—snapping him out of it.
Jack threw a steel beam forward—not at her—at a nearby stack of junk, toppling it into her line of sight.
The crash broke her focus—
Ruin's hum turned sharp, cutting through the trance.
Jack called on vines—snapped them from his palm, wrapping Set's ankle and wrist—yanked hard.
She hit the ground with a gasp.
Nova flicked her hand—gravity collapsed around Set's body, pinning her flat to the ground.
Jack walked up—stood over her, heart pounding.
"Stay down."
Set struggled once—then stilled under Nova's pressure.
Rush screamed—flying at full speed toward them—
Jack called forth Screeching Maw—the floating monster bursting beside him with a deafening screech.
Rush clutched her head mid-air, veering off course—
Nova reached up—
Rush plummeted like a stone—gravity crushing her into the hood of a rusted car.
She didn't get back up.
Silence.
Then… applause.
Hollow. Mocking.
"Victory — Team Jack."
Jack didn't move.
Nova stood beside him, hand still half-raised, breath shallow.
Ruin let his hum fade, eyes lowered.
They didn't smile. They didn't speak.
They just stood—three broken weapons in a field of wreckage—watched by the rich who owned their lives.
And for once… they stood together.
Jack stood over the crumpled body of Rush.
The cold applause still echoed faintly in the air, but Jack didn't hear it.
He stared… eyes narrowed.
Something inside him twisted.
And his irises—
Shifted.
From blood-red… to a sharp, sickly yellow.
A pulse flickered down his spine.
The voices in his head blurred. Twisted. Changed.
When Jack blinked, his eyes returned to normal—
But Jack wasn't… Jack.
He smirked, rolling his shoulders, letting out a low, mocking laugh.
"Well… that was easier than I thought."
Nova turned her head sharply. "Jack?"
Jack gave her a sideways glance, lips curling. "What? Gonna cry about it?"
Nova flinched—confused. "What's wrong with you?"
Ruin took a cautious step forward. "Jack…?"
Jack walked past them slowly, his steps casual, cocky—like he owned the world.
"What? Thought I'd get all sentimental after a little scuffle? Please…" Jack snorted, shaking his head. "Get used to winning, kiddies. Stick with me long enough, you might survive."
Nova's eyes darkened. "That's not like you."
Jack shot her a sharp grin. "Maybe this is who I've been all along."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode off toward the training wing.
---
The doors to the training hall slid open with a soft hiss.
Jack stepped inside—alone—the metal walls reflecting his shadow.
Then…
His body jerked.
A sharp twitch rolled down his arm—then his shoulder. His fingers spasmed.
His knees buckled—he caught himself on the wall, breathing hard.
What… the hell…
His hands shook—uncontrollably—like something inside him was trying to crawl its way out.
"Fight me all you want…"
A voice slithered through his skull—smooth, confident, sharp as glass.
"…But I'm not leaving."
Jack gritted his teeth. "Who the hell are you?"
The voice chuckled.
"Name's Flyer. And you? You're my new home."
Jack forced himself to stand, eyes burning. "Not happening. Why the hell would I let you take me over?"
Flyer's voice purred in his mind.
"Because I'm offering you something you need… power. The kind that doesn't just survive—but dominates."
Jack sneered. "I've survived just fine without you."
Flyer chuckled. "Sure. Barely. But I'm not here for your approval. I just want a body… a taste of being human again."
Jack took a step forward—then his arm shot out against his will.
"What the—"
A crack split the air.
A dark shape exploded from his palm—coiling, growing.
It took form in front of him…
A massive creature, wings spread wide—each one as long as a car, body thick with muscle and rough, leathery skin. Towering like a man—but monstrous. Its ears were huge, twitching with every sound.
It had no eyes.
Just a jagged, sharp face like a humanoid bat carved from shadow.
The beast let out a guttural hiss.
And then—
It vanished.
Summoned back into nothing.
Jack's heart thundered in his chest.
Flyer's voice dropped into a low whisper.
"This… is what you get when you bond with me. A weapon they'll never see coming. A monster even you can't imagine. So… Jack… tell me… do you really want to miss out?"
Jack stood there, fists clenched.
He thought of the arena.
Of the masked elites.
Of the stronger enemies waiting in the shadows.
He didn't trust Flyer.
Didn't like him.
But right now…
He needed every edge he could get.
"…Fine." Jack hissed. "We bond. But I control you. You don't move unless I say."
Flyer's voice chuckled darkly.
"Deal… partner."
A cold sensation slid across Jack's spine—like a lock clicking into place.
For better or worse…
They were bound.