Prince's hand hovered over the door handle.
No one breathed.
No one moved.
Kaida's phone vibrated again.
Open.
Prince swallowed, then slowly turned the handle.
The door creaked open.
Ryan was standing there.
But something was… wrong.
His clothes were the same. His face was the same. His hair was the same.
But his eyes looked empty. Like he hadn't slept. Like he had seen something he couldn't unsee.
"Ryan…" Kyra whispered.
He didn't answer.
He just stepped inside.
Everyone backed away instinctively.
Summer hugged herself. "Why are you looking at us like that?"
Ryan finally blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"I answered," he said softly.
Prince rushed forward. "What did it make you do?"
Ryan looked at him.
Then he smiled.
A small, strange smile.
"It made me understand."
Thorian frowned. "Understand what?"
Ryan slowly turned, looking at each of them.
"One of you is lying about something that already destroyed someone else's life."
The room went cold.
Jason whispered, "What?"
Ryan pointed at Kaida's phone.
"It showed me things."
Kaida shook her head. "I don't even know what it is."
Ryan's smile faded.
"It's not random," he said. "It's hunting."
Prince grabbed him by the shoulders. "Ryan, stop talking like that. What did it do to you?"
Ryan's hands started shaking.
He tried to laugh, but it broke halfway.
"It made me choose."
Kyra's heart dropped. "Choose what?"
"Whether I'd let it hurt me…" he said slowly, "…or hurt someone else."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lyrelle whispered, "What did you choose?"
Ryan's eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't choose," he said. "So it chose for me."
Kaida's phone lit up.
ROUND COMPLETE.
Everyone jumped.
Ryan gasped like he had just come back from underwater.
He grabbed Prince's arm. "I don't want to play anymore."
Prince pulled him into a hug without thinking.
Ryan shook.
Hard.
Then Kaida's phone buzzed again.
And this time, it wasn't gentle.
Next round loading.
Player missing.
Jason's head snapped up. "What does that mean?"
Kaida's voice trembled. "It says… a player is missing."
Everyone looked at each other.
Prince whispered, "We're all here."
Then Summer spoke.
"Where's Zyren?"
Everyone froze.
They turned.
His spot was empty.
His bag was still there.
His phone was still on the table.
Unlocked.
Kaida's phone vibrated.
Zyren has been selected.
Zyren's round has already started.
Lyrelle screamed.
Prince ran for the door.
Jason followed.
Thorian grabbed Kaida. "What does it say?"
Kaida's voice was barely sound.
"He didn't get a warning."
Kyra started crying. "What do you mean no warning?"
Kaida swallowed.
"This round isn't asking permission."
Then Zyren's phone lit up on the table.
A video started playing by itself.
Everyone turned.
And what they saw made Summer scream.