Still Lucas POV
Seven minutes. That was all we had before the second round started, and I could feel it in the air—everyone was waiting, tense, nervous. Then, Emery stood up, her calmness unsettling as her eyes scanned the room. Everyone's eyes snapped toward her. 
A sudden sound, loud and harsh, pierced through the room—two doors started ringing. My chest tightened. We all knew what it meant. Time was up for two players. They had failed the first round.
The doors creaked open slowly, revealing two girls—one from the Red Elites and one from the Blue. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with fear, and their necks… bruised, deep purple lines wrapped around their throats like marks of their near death. They stumbled out, barely able to breathe, gasping for air like it was their last.
Amara appeared out of nowhere, walking toward them, holding two syringes filled with some sickly green liquid. The girls panicked, their weak voices turning to desperate cries. "No! Please, don’t! I don’t want to die!" They begged, their screams tearing through the silence.
Amara didn't flinch, her eyes cold, focused. She glanced at Emery, waiting for the signal.
Emery gave a small, casual nod, like she was deciding something trivial. That was all it took. Amara stepped forward and injected the liquid into their arms, swift and ruthless. The girls screamed again, but it was too late. Ten minutes, Emery had said. Ten minutes before the poison spread through their bodies and did its job.
I gripped my hands into fists, my nails digging into my palms, trying to block out the horror. But I couldn’t stop thinking about my friends. I couldn’t stop thinking about Abigail. I couldn’t let her end up like that.
Emery’s voice rang out again, smooth, almost amused. “You two have ten minutes. Crawl if you must, find the other injections hidden in the room. Some of them hold the cure. Some…” She trailed off, her eyes glinting, “… well, they hold something worse.”
Before I could process what was happening, I saw Finn step forward. “I’ll use my pass,” he said firmly, his voice steady even though I could see the worry in his eyes. “I’ll help the girls find the cure.”
I opened my mouth to step in, to say I’d help too, but Emery cut me off with a wave of her hand. “Only one participant can help in each round,” she said with a smirk. Her eyes narrowed, locking onto Finn. “Are you sure you want to risk it? What if the injection you find isn’t the cure? What if it’s fatal too?”
Her words hung in the air like a threat, and I saw Finn hesitate for a split second, his mouth tightening.
Emery’s voice broke through again. “You have five minutes left before the second round begins. If you spend the whole time looking for the cure, you’ll miss the next round. You’ll fail.”
She turned away, a smile tugging at her lips as she sipped her tea, calm as ever. "Good luck," she added, her voice almost mocking.
Finn didn’t waste time. He shot me a look, one that said he was going to do this no matter what. And he took off, moving quickly across the room, his eyes darting, searching desperately for the injections.
I felt the clock ticking down in my head, every second squeezing tighter. There wasn’t enough time.
Finn was still searching, his movements getting more frantic with every second that passed. His eyes darted from corner to corner, shelf to shelf, but still no sign of the cure. He was struggling now, breathing hard, but he didn’t stop. Meanwhile, Nathalie and I stood helpless, watching the two girls stumble around, their bodies weakening. I could feel the weight of the seconds pressing down on all of us.
Nathalie handed Abigail a bottle of water, her hands shaking. "Here, drink," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Abigail’s face was pale, and I saw her wince, her hand clutching her side. I crouched down next to her, my voice low but tense. "Are you feeling pain? Tell me if it’s getting worse." She just nodded, taking small, shallow breaths as she sipped the water Nathalie gave her.
I couldn’t just stand here anymore. "Keep an eye on her," I told Nathalie as I stood up. My legs felt heavy as I walked over to Alex, who was watching Finn’s every move.
"Any progress?" I asked, my voice tight. 
Alex sighed, his eyes not leaving Finn. "He found one, but it’s labeled green. Fatal." His voice was flat, defeated.
I cursed under my breath. Shit. Finn was still scrambling, searching every corner, but it was no use. I could see it in his movements now—he was struggling. Desperate. The two girls were whining in pain now, their bodies starting to give out as the injection slowly spread through them. 
The clock was ticking, not just for them but for all of us. The participants who had finished the first round were getting ready—only two minutes left before the second round started. But the girls still had five minutes to find the cure, and it wasn’t looking good.
Then, from behind me, I heard Noah’s voice. "He’s not gonna find it," he said, his tone cold, detached. "It’s a waste of time, using his pass for them."
I turned around to see him sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall next to his father, who was resting with his head tilted back. Noah’s eyes were sharp, piercing, like he knew something the rest of us didn’t.
And then, the time rang. A loud, sharp sound that seemed to freeze everything in place. The second round was starting.
I glanced back at Finn, still searching, not even fazed by the noise. "Finn!" I shouted, trying to snap him out of it. "Come back! It’s over!"
He didn’t even look up. He just kept going, flipping through more boxes, tearing through shelves. He was lost in his own world, not hearing me, not caring.
My frustration boiled over, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I stormed over to him, my voice harsh. "Stop! The second game is starting! It’s over!" But he ignored me, still rummaging through the room like he could somehow fix everything if he just found the right vial.
I grabbed his collar, yanking him to face me. "It’s over!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "There’s nothing you can do! You have to survive… You have to put yourself in the line before others!" My words slipped out like a whisper, more to myself than to him. I didn’t want to believe them, but I knew that’s how this game worked. 
Emery sat nearby, watching us with a sick kind of amusement in her eyes, like she was enjoying every second of this. She wasn’t going to step in. She loved the tension, the desperation, the breaking points.
Without thinking, I dragged Finn back toward the others, forcing him to stop. There was nothing left to do but survive.
Emery stood up, her voice calm and cold. "Get into the glass boxes."
I knew what the second round was. It had been explained earlier, and I hated it. This was going to be even worse than the first. It was physical, brutal. We would be placed in separate glass boxes that would slowly fill with water. The only way to survive was to hold our breath as the water rose, until it filled the entire box. Then, and only then, would the doors open. 
But the worst part? The water wouldn’t be the same for everyone. Some would feel cold, others warm, and for some… burning hot. We didn’t know who would get which.
"There are 18 participants left," Emery said, her voice smooth. "Each of you will enter your own glass. You will have six minutes to play this round. And remember… some of you may feel cold. Others warm. And some… might not survive the heat."
A distant ring signaled that it was time to move.
We all looked at each other, the fear, the exhaustion, the desperation written on everyone’s faces. Slowly, one by one, we stepped into the glass boxes. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped inside mine, the door sealing shut behind me. I pressed my hands against the cold glass, watching the others. Damnit. This was Emery’s game, her twisted game, and we were nothing but pieces on her board.
I could hear the faint sounds of the water starting to fill up, creeping higher and higher.
This wasn’t just a test of strength. It was a test of how long we could endure the inevitable. How long we could survive before we drowned in it.
I looked across, my eyes locking on Finn. He was already staring back at me, his face hard, determined. He wasn’t saying anything, just watching. And I knew—he knew too—this round wasn’t about who could think their way out. It was about survival, pure and simple.
The water started to pool around my feet, cold and creeping up my ankles. My breath caught in my throat. Six minutes. That’s all we had to survive. Just six minutes. I could feel my heart pounding, every beat loud and heavy in my ears. 
I glanced at the others, trying to see how they were doing. Nathalie was in her own glass box, gripping the sides, her knuckles white, her face tense. She was scared. Hell, we all were. Abigail... I couldn’t see her from where I was, but I knew she had to be struggling. 
I wanted to reach out, help her, help all of them. But I couldn’t. We were all trapped, each one of us alone in this game. Emery’s sick game.
The water was rising faster now, up to my knees, freezing cold. I could feel my muscles tensing up, trying to brace for what was coming. I couldn’t look at Emery, couldn’t bring myself to see the smug look she probably had on her face. But I knew she was enjoying this. Watching us panic, watching us squirm.
The water hit my waist, and I had to fight back the rising panic. My hands pressed against the glass, trying to focus, trying to think. But the more I thought, the more useless it all seemed. There was no way out except to wait, to hold on until it was over. The water kept rising, climbing higher up my body, cold and relentless.
I closed my eyes for a second, trying to focus on my breathing. Steady. Slow. Don’t panic. But damn it was hard when you could feel the water creeping up your chest, inch by inch.
I looked back at Finn. He was holding it together, at least on the outside. But I could see it in his eyes, the way he was glancing around, checking on the others. He was just as freaked out as I was.
The water reached my chest now, the cold biting into my skin, and I had to tilt my head back just to keep my mouth above the surface. My heart was hammering in my chest, my breath coming in short gasps. God, it felt like the water was rising faster, like it was swallowing me whole.
I pressed my hands harder against the glass, my fingers shaking. This wasn’t just physical—it was mental too. The pressure, the cold, the fear of drowning, it was all getting to me. 
I caught a glimpse of Nathalie again. She was shivering, her lips blue from the cold, but she was hanging on. Barely. And Abigail... I still couldn’t see her, but I could feel the panic rising inside me. I wanted to shout out, to tell her to hold on, but I couldn’t. The water was too high now. 
The glass was fogging up from the heat of my breath, making it harder to see anything clearly. My legs were trembling from the cold, and the water was up to my neck now. I tilted my head back, trying to keep my nose above the surface. 
Then, without warning, the water covered my head. I sucked in one last breath, feeling the freezing cold close around me like a vice. 
I pressed my hands against the glass, holding my breath, praying I could make it. Every second felt like an eternity. My lungs were burning, my mind screaming for air. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t panic. 
I had to survive. For them.
The pressure was building, my chest tightening with each passing second. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears, each thud like a drum, slower and slower. How long had it been? One minute? Two?
I didn’t know. All I knew was that the world was closing in, that cold, black water wrapping around me, pulling me down.
But I wasn’t going to give up.
Not now. Not ever.
Then, out of nowhere, the water began to drain.
The water started to drain slowly at first, like it was teasing us. I couldn’t feel it at first, just the heaviness of it, the weight on my chest. But then, I noticed it—it was getting lighter, moving down, finally giving us some space to breathe.
I gasped for air, my lungs burning like fire as the cold air rushed in. My body shook, teeth chattering, but I didn’t care. I was alive. I pressed my hands harder against the glass, watching as the water dropped below my neck, down to my shoulders. It was like a release, but I couldn’t relax. Not yet. I glanced around quickly, trying to see the others.
Nathalie was slumped in her glass, breathing heavily. She looked weak, but she was okay, she made it. I couldn’t see Finn from where I was, but I knew he was stubborn—he wouldn’t give up so easily.
I had to find Abigail. I had to make sure she was okay.
The water kept draining, but it felt like forever. Time didn’t matter here. Every second stretched out like it was meant to torture us. My mind was racing—what if Abigail didn’t make it? What if she was drowning while I just stood here, doing nothing? 
No. I couldn’t think like that.
Finally, the water was low enough that I could move. My body was stiff, my muscles aching, but I pushed against the glass door, hoping, praying it would open. And after a second, it did. 
I stumbled out, barely keeping my balance, the cold air hitting me like a wall. I looked around, desperate. I saw Nathalie first, still on the floor, shaking but alive. Then Finn, coughing and trying to catch his breath.
But where was Abigail?
I couldn’t wait. I ran, my legs feeling like they’d give out any second. The glass box she was in was on the far side, hidden behind some others. I could feel my heart racing, pounding so hard it hurt.
Please, let her be okay.
When I reached her, the door was still closed, the water inside almost completely drained. Through the glass, I saw her—lying on the floor, not moving.
“Abigail!” I slammed my fist against the door, panic rising in my chest.
No, no, no!
I kicked at the door, feeling my own breath hitch, my throat tightening. She couldn’t be—no, she wasn’t gone. She couldn’t be.
Finally, the door clicked open, and I rushed in, dropping to my knees beside her. She was cold, her face pale, her lips a faint blue.
"Abigail, come on! Breathe!" I shook her lightly, trying not to completely lose it. 
There was no response.
I pressed my ear to her chest, waiting. For anything.
A beat. A faint, shallow beat. She was still there, but just barely.
“Help! Somebody, help!” I yelled, my voice breaking, but nobody moved. Everyone else was just as exhausted, barely holding on themselves. 
I didn’t care. I couldn’t lose her. 
“Abigail, come on, wake up. Please.”
I lifted her into my arms, holding her close, her cold skin against mine. Her breathing was shallow, too shallow. Every breath she took was a struggle. 
This wasn’t right. None of this was right.
Emery was still sitting there, like she didn’t give a damn, sipping her tea like nothing was happening. I wanted to scream at her, wanted to demand she stop this twisted game, but I knew it wouldn’t change anything. 
I looked down at Abigail again, her chest rising and falling too slowly. 
Damn it. I’d do anything to keep her safe, but I couldn’t stop what was happening. All I could do was hold her and hope. Hope she’d find the strength to pull through.
The clock was ticking. Two more minutes before the next round.
I looked around, my heart heavy, eyes locking on Finn, Nathalie, Alex. They all looked broken, defeated. But we didn’t have time to feel that way.
I had to pull it together. For Abigail. For them.
“We need to be ready,” I said, my voice hoarse, barely above a whisper.
The air felt heavy, like every breath I took was wrapped in fear. My arms were still around Abigail, holding her close, praying for her to wake up. Her face was pale, and I could feel the tremors in her body, as if she was fighting to stay with me.
The clock was ticking. I could hear it in the back of my mind, every second slipping away. How much time did we even have left? Less than two minutes? Less?
I couldn’t focus. My mind was racing between the thought of losing her and the horror of what was coming next.
“Abigail, please, wake up,” I whispered again. I didn’t care if she could hear me or not. I just needed her to fight, to keep breathing, to hold on for a little longer.
Nathalie was on the ground nearby, still gasping for air. She looked at me, her eyes wide, her face twisted with worry. She knew it too—this wasn’t right. We were all barely hanging on, and the second round was about to start.
Damn it, Emery. 
I looked at her, sitting at that table like she was watching a damn show. Her tea cup was still in her hand, and I felt rage boiling inside me. How could she just sit there, so calm, while we were struggling, while Abigail was... God, she was dying.
I was about to shout at her when Finn’s voice snapped me out of it.
“Lucas!” he called, his voice strained. He was standing now, looking around, like he was still trying to figure out what to do.
“Finn!” I yelled back, my voice harsh. “There’s nothing! We can’t...”
But Finn wasn’t listening. He was staring at the ground, pacing, like he was trapped in his own head. He was still trying to think of a way out, a solution that didn’t exist. 
The clock kept ticking, louder now, each second crashing into me like waves. We didn’t have time. 
I looked back at Abigail. Her breathing was even more shallow now, her chest barely rising. 
“No...” I whispered, my hand trembling as I brushed the hair away from her face. “Please, Abigail, not like this. Don’t leave me. Not now.”
I felt something break inside me. It wasn’t just fear—it was helplessness. For the first time, I didn’t know how to save her. I didn’t know if I could. 
Suddenly, the clock stopped. The silence was deafening, and it took me a second to realize what it meant. 
The next round will be starting.
A loud noise filled the room, like gears turning. The glass cages—the ones we had to go back into—started rising from the floor again, ready to trap us in another nightmare.
I clenched my fists, trying to fight the panic that was crawling up my throat. How the hell were we supposed to survive this again? Abigail could barely breathe as it was, and now this?
“Everyone back to your positions,” Emery’s voice rang out, sharp and cold, cutting through the tension. “The next round begins now.”
I froze. My heart pounded in my chest. 
No. No, I wasn’t going back in there. Not with Abigail like this. 
“I’m not doing it,” I muttered under my breath, but no one seemed to hear me.
Finn was already walking toward the next area, and Nathalie was struggling to her feet. Everyone was moving, getting ready. But I couldn’t move. My eyes stayed on Abigail, her fragile form still cradled in my arms.
“Lucas!” Alex shouted at me, his voice urgent. “We have to go. Now.”
“I’m not leaving her!” I snapped back, my voice breaking. I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to abandon her.
Alex hesitated, his face torn between wanting to help and knowing we didn’t have time. “We can’t... We’ll all die if we don’t—”
“I don’t care!” I yelled, louder this time. “I’m not leaving her!”
Emery stood up now, her eyes locking on me from across the room. There was something in her expression, like she was waiting, watching to see what I’d do.
“Make your choice, Lucas,” she called out, her voice cold and detached. “Either you play, or you both lose. It’s simple.”
Simple? Nothing about this was simple! She was playing with us, like we were just pieces on a board, and she was in control of everything.
My blood boiled, the anger inside me threatening to explode. I wanted to scream at her, to tear everything apart. But I couldn’t. All I could do was hold onto Abigail and pray she’d wake up. 
Dammit. What the hell was I supposed to do?
I looked down at Abigail, her chest barely moving, her breaths so faint I could hardly feel them anymore. And in that moment, I made a decision.
I wasn’t going to lose her.
“Fine,” I muttered under my breath, standing up slowly, Abigail still in my arms. 
I didn’t care what happened next. All I knew was I wasn’t letting her go, no matter what it took.
I held my breath for what felt like an eternity. Abigail was so still, her face pale, her lips slightly parted. I could barely see her chest moving, like she was hanging on by the thinnest thread. The second round had ended, but the panic in my chest hadn’t. I kept holding her close, afraid that any second she might slip away.
Suddenly, Abigail coughed—a weak, rattling sound that almost broke me right there. A small stream of water trickled from the corner of her mouth. She gasped, taking in short, shallow breaths, her body trembling in my arms.
“She’s breathing!” I choked out, hardly believing it myself. I could feel a wave of relief crash over me, but it was too fragile, too thin. She was alive, but barely.
Nathalie rushed over, her eyes wide with fear and hope. She knelt beside us, gently wiping away the water from Abigail’s face, her hands shaking.
“Abigail, can you hear me?” Nathalie asked softly, her voice trembling.
Abigail let out a soft groan, her eyes fluttering for a second, but she didn’t wake up fully. I could feel the weak rise and fall of her chest against me, and it gave me a sliver of hope. But it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t out of danger yet.
I looked up, my eyes darting to where Emery was still sitting. She hadn’t moved. She hadn’t said a word. She just watched, like this was all some kind of sick entertainment for her. Her tea was still in her hand, and she looked so damn calm. Too calm.
How could she watch this? How could she sit there, sipping tea, while we were barely surviving? My fists clenched as the anger inside me boiled over again. I wanted to scream at her, to make her understand what she was doing to us.
But I couldn’t leave Abigail. Not now.
Finn was pacing nearby, his hands running through his hair like he was trying to think of something, anything that would make this better. Alex stood frozen, torn between wanting to help and knowing there was nothing more he could do.
The sound of gears grinding filled the room again, snapping me back to reality. The third round was coming, and it was coming fast. 
“Third round, get ready,” Emery’s voice cut through the air like ice. “No rest. No break. We continue.”
No break? My heart sank. How were we supposed to keep going when Abigail could barely breathe?! How was any of this even fair!
“Lucas, we have to move,” Alex said, his voice shaking. He looked at me with wide eyes, as if he didn’t want to say the words. “We don’t have time.”
I stared down at Abigail, her face still so pale, her body limp in my arms. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t just leave her, but I couldn’t let the others down either. We had to survive. All of us. Somehow.
But this wasn’t right. None of this was right.
I looked at Nathalie, who was still beside me, her hands resting gently on Abigail’s arm. She met my eyes, and I could see she was thinking the same thing.
“What do we do?” Nathalie whispered, her voice barely audible.
I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t know how to save her. How to save any of us.
But then, without warning, Abigail stirred in my arms. She coughed again, more water spilling from her lips, but this time it felt like she was trying to fight, trying to come back to us. Her fingers twitched, and I held on tighter.
“Abigail...” I whispered, leaning in close. “Come on, you can do this. Stay with us.”
Her eyes fluttered again, and for a brief second, I saw a flicker of life in them. She was fighting. She wasn’t giving up. Not yet.
I wasn’t sure what came next. All I knew was that I couldn’t let her go. Not now. Not after everything.
But the third round was coming, and the clock was ticking again.