Abigail's POV 
I stood on the battlefield, my heart pounding like a hammer against my chest. The weight of the MP5 gun in my right hand was heavy, but not as heavy as the riot shield in my left. Across from me, Nathalie stood with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. I could see it in her eyes—she was ready to fight. But I knew, deep down, this wasn’t what either of us wanted. Not now. Not like this.
Emery’s voice echoed through the arena as she started the five-minute battle clock, her cruel smile making it clear how much she was enjoying this twisted game. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. How was I supposed to fight her? Nathalie, my best friend, the one who always had my back, the one who was there for me through everything? Every stupid mistake I made, she’d saved me from it. 
A tear escaped my eye. Why do I have to fight her? What’s the point of this? I asked myself. I wanted to scream, to throw down my weapons and walk away, but I knew I couldn’t. 
Nathalie was moving now, focused, her face hard. I knew she was struggling too, but Nathalie wasn’t the type to show weakness, especially not with Emery watching her every move. She was keeping it all inside, forcing herself to push through. And I had to do the same.
We started moving, circling each other, weapons ready. Every step felt like a battle of its own. Each clash of metal and quick dodge was a reminder that time was slipping away. My hands were shaking as we fought, but Nathalie wasn’t holding back. 
Three minutes left.
I glanced at the clock for a split second, and that’s when it happened. I didn’t see her coming, didn’t notice Nathalie charging at me. Before I knew it, I was slammed to the ground, rolling against the hard stone wall. My shield clattered away, my body aching from the impact.
It was all too sudden. I had let my guard down.
I forced myself to get up, but my body was still weak, still recovering from the last fight. I couldn’t keep up with her. Not like this. Nathalie was too fast, too strong right now, and I was barely hanging on. 
One minute and ten seconds to go.
I pushed myself up, my legs trembling, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. Pain shot through every part of my body, but I had to keep going. I couldn’t stop now. But it hurt so much. Too much.
My vision blurred, and I coughed, tasting blood. The ground tilted beneath me, and I stumbled, barely able to keep my balance. Please, not now... I begged silently, my legs giving out beneath me.
40 seconds left.
I heard Nathalie’s voice cut through the chaos. “Get up, Abigail!” she shouted. “Get up or it’s only gonna get worse for you!” 
I looked down and saw a small drip of water on the ground, and I knew it wasn’t just water. It was Nathalie’s tears. She was crying, even though she was still fighting.
I tried. I tried so hard to stand, but my body wasn’t listening to me anymore. It was too heavy, too painful. All of this, everything that had led to this moment, I never wanted any of it. I didn’t want to be here, fighting for survival in this insane academy, all because my father thought this was the right path for me.
Finally, I stood up, my entire body screaming in pain. 8 seconds left. It would all be over soon.
And then Nathalie smiled at me. A genuine smile, despite everything. “Good girl,” she said, her voice soft but proud. “You’re stronger than I thought.”
Before I could process what she said, Nathalie dropped to the ground, lying flat on the battlefield. 
The timer rang, signaling the end of the fight.
I stood there, panting, barely able to stay on my feet while Nathalie lay on the ground, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. She let out a quiet laugh, turning her head toward me. “You better make it to the fifth round, Abigail...” she said, her voice low but teasing. “Or I’ll beat your ass next time.”
Before I could respond, Amara was already moving towards Nathalie. She didn’t waste a second, plunging the injection into Nathalie’s arm without hesitation.
“No!” I screamed, rushing forward, but Lucas grabbed me, holding me back. “Don’t,” he said, his voice strained. “Don’t waste your energy. Nathalie wanted it to end like this.”
I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. Nathalie shouldn’t be the one lying there, taking the injection. She should have been the one standing, not me. This wasn’t right.
Finn moved quickly, lifting Nathalie’s limp body into his arms. “Alex!” he shouted, his voice thick with emotion. “Get her some water, now!”
I stood there, frozen, watching as the life drained out of Nathalie. My chest felt heavy, my heart aching. I wanted to scream, to cry, to do anything, but I couldn’t. I was too numb.
Nathalie didn’t deserve this. None of us did. 
As Finn carried Nathalie away, I glanced back at Emery. Her eyes were locked on Nathalie’s body, a look of cold disappointment etched on her face, as if Nathalie’s decision to fall was just another failure in her twisted game.
“Stupid.” Nathalie had mumbled just after the injection. Finn, Alex, and even Lucas laughed quietly at the ridiculousness of it all, though their laughter was hollow. Nathalie had always been the one to lighten the mood, even in the worst situations, and she’d done it again, right before the end.
I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the tears. I couldn’t break down, not here, not now. I had to keep going, no matter what. 
I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The frustration, the anger—it all exploded inside me. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was on Nathalie, slapping her hard right where Amara had just injected her. 
"Why?! Why do you always have to be the hero?! You idiot!" I yelled, my voice cracking with each word. "Stop making everything worse! Stop acting like you're some kind of hero of the night!"
Nathalie winced, curling up against Finn’s body, trying to shield herself from my slaps. She didn’t even fight back, just covered her arm where the injection was. But I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop. 
"Abigail!" Finn’s voice was muffled by his own laughter, his shoulders shaking as he coughed, trying to drink Nathalie’s water but failing miserably. “H-Hero of the night?” he managed to get out between gasps, before bursting into laughter again. He was laughing so hard that he choked on the water, sending it spraying out of his mouth.
Nathalie just kept squirming, still hiding behind Finn, her face scrunched up in pain and annoyance. "Stop hitting me, idiot!" she shouted, her voice muffled against his back. 
But I didn’t stop. I kept slapping her, the sting of my hand against her arm not enough to ease the knot of frustration in my chest. 
Alex and Lucas were standing off to the side, shaking their heads at the whole scene. "I can’t believe this," Lucas muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Even now, they’re still messing around."
Alex, his arms crossed, just gave a short chuckle. "Ten minutes," he said, his voice suddenly more serious. “We only have ten minutes before the fatal spread through Nathalie’s body.”
The reality of the situation hit me like a punch to the gut. Ten minutes. That was all the time we had. 
But just when the tension felt like it couldn’t get any worse, Noah stepped forward, his hand raised. The battlefield went quiet as he faced Emery, his expression calm but firm.
“I’m using my pass,” he said, his voice steady. “I’m going to find the cure for Nathalie.”
The silence that followed was deafening. All of us—me, Finn, Alex, Lucas, and even Nathalie—stared at him, shocked. What? Noah? He was using his pass for Nathalie? 
Nathalie blinked, her eyes wide with confusion as she looked at him. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Even though her face was pale, she still tried to sit up straight, her usual stubbornness kicking in.
But Noah didn’t look at her. His gaze was locked on Emery, waiting for her response.
Finn, though, wasn’t so calm. I could feel the tension radiating off of him, his jaw clenched tight, his fists curling at his sides. He didn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes—the cold, sharp glare he gave Noah said it all. He wasn’t happy. Not at all.
Alex, on the other hand, just mumbled under his breath, shaking his head with a small smirk. "Well, that’s interesting."
We all knew the rules. Only one player could use their pass to help in each round of the game. Once it was used, that was it. No going back.
Emery stood still, her lips curling into a bitter smile as she looked at Noah. “Your request has been granted,” she said, her tone flat but dripping with sarcasm. “Good luck, brother.”
The battlefield grew even more tense, the air thick with unspoken words. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. Noah was risking everything for Nathalie. Why? Why now?
Emery turned to the rest of us, her smile fading as she addressed the room. “The next battle will begin shortly. Two new players will step onto the field.”
The announcement hung in the air like a dark cloud. We didn’t have time. Nathalie didn’t have time.
I looked at her, still leaning against Finn, her face pale and tired. She didn’t deserve this...
But there was no stopping this game. Not now.
The clock was ticking, and the next battle was about to begin.