Emery's POV 
As I finished bandaging Nathalie’s wounds, I couldn’t shake her words from my mind. I didn't want to admit it, but everything she said was true. Seeing her like that, struggling to fight Vince, her body nearly giving up—I couldn’t stand it. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t care. That whatever happened was simply part of the game. But deep inside, I knew I was lying to myself.
No matter how much I’ve pushed her away, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to lose her. That same part that doesn’t want to lose Finn, either. No matter how cold and detached I’ve tried to be, that part of me still exists. And it’s growing harder to ignore.
From the very start of this fifth round, I knew Vince would be carrying the reverse gun. I let it happen because I wanted to see how far he would go, how desperate he was for power. But in reality, I was just... waiting. Waiting for him to crack, for him to fail. Waiting for my father to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness, for everything he’s done—for how far he’s gone to gain power and bring my mother back.
If Nathalie, Finn, Abigail, and Lucas had just stayed out of this mess—if they hadn’t poked around in my plans—they wouldn’t be here, trapped in this game. But no. They had to dig deeper, push themselves into things they didn’t understand. Now, they’re caught in my web, playing my game, facing consequences they were never supposed to face.
I stood up, feeling the weight of everything settle on my shoulders. The sixth game would begin soon, and there was no turning back now. I looked at the remaining players, my voice steady as I announced, “The sixth game will begin in seven minutes. Prepare yourselves.”
I turned toward Nathalie, pausing for a moment before saying, “Use your pass. Don’t play this game. Rest and recover.”
My face remained expressionless, but my heart clenched at the sight of her. She needed rest, and I wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep going. I was pushing them all too far, but I couldn’t stop now. I had to see this through. No matter what.
I turned back to the others and spoke again, dropping a poem that had been circling in my mind for days. 
“When the moon drops and the sun begins to rise, fate will find its way. The end is close, but only those who understand will see it through. Hurry, for the sands of time run thin.”
The words were vague, but they served their purpose. The players needed to think, to understand that time was running out. This game wouldn’t last forever, and they needed to move quickly if they wanted to survive.
I closed my eyes, leaning back in my chair. There were seven minutes left, and the next round would begin. I crossed my arms and let the silence fill the room as the others tried to piece together what the poem meant. 
After a moment, Nathalie spoke, her voice hesitant. “Emery… you don’t have to do this.”
I didn’t respond right away. My eyes remained closed, my mind swirling with a thousand thoughts. Part of me wanted to agree with her. Part of me wanted to stop, to walk away from all of this. But that part of me was weak. It wasn’t the part that had gotten me this far.
After a long pause, I finally spoke. “I will finish what I started. No matter how this ends.”
I didn’t need to explain myself to her. She knew me well enough to understand that I wasn’t backing down. Not now. Not ever.
Nathalie didn’t answer, but I could feel her eyes on me, searching for something that wasn’t there. She might not have responded, but I knew she wasn’t giving up either. She was stubborn, just like me. That’s why she was still here, fighting through the pain, pushing past her limits.
The room was silent again, and I let it stretch on for a while. I needed this quiet moment before the storm. The sixth game was coming, and I wasn’t sure who would survive it. But one thing was certain—I wouldn’t stop until everything I set out to do was done.
I glanced at Nathalie for a quick moment, my eyes flickering over her wounds. They were healing, but it was slow, too slow for what was ahead. Her body was struggling, and yet she still managed to put on that brave face. When I looked away, she caught my gaze and gave me a small smile, like she was trying to reassure me. “I’ll be fine,” she said, her voice soft but firm, as if she was telling me not to worry.
But I did what I always do. I looked away, pretending I didn’t hear her. I couldn’t let her see that it got to me, that her words made me feel something I didn’t want to admit.
Nathalie’s soft giggle broke the silence, the sound pulling me back to memories I thought I’d buried. It was just like old times, back when the three of us—me, her, and Finn—would mess around together, laughing even when things were falling apart around us. We used to play hide and seek for hours, running around until we were too tired to keep going. Summer days were spent drawing and painting under the sun, chasing each other until someone fell and scraped their knees. And then we’d cry, thinking that a little scratch meant the end of the world.
I felt something stir inside me, a weird, almost painful feeling I hadn’t allowed myself to feel for a long time. Nathalie, with her gentle nature, her way of protecting those she cared about, even in the middle of this chaos—it was something I both admired and hated. I hated how it reminded me of who I used to be. Who I’m not anymore.
Before I could argue that I wasn’t worried about her, Finn’s voice cut through the quiet. “I’m playing the sixth game,” he said, his voice full of that same energy he always had. “I’m still in. I want to see this through with the others.”
Of course, he was ready to jump into the next round, bold and reckless as always. I couldn’t help but wonder what his real goal was. What was driving him to push himself this far? What was he trying to prove?
I mumbled to myself, “Finn never changes, not even a bit.”
Nathalie must have heard me, because she gave me a look like she understood. I shook my head slightly, knowing exactly what was coming next. I turned to Finn and said, “Do what you want. Make your choice. But remember, when this game ends, you better not regret how things turn out.”
He didn’t respond right away, just looked at me with that determined expression of his. I could see the fire in his eyes, the same fire that had always been there since we were kids. But now, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be enough to save him.
The night was almost over. Soon, the sun would rise, and everything would come to an end. I told them, “We’re running out of time. You better act quickly.”
I didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, I turned back to Nathalie, handing her a bottle of water and a small towel. She was sweating, her body betraying her even though she kept insisting she was fine. But I knew better. Her wounds were taking a toll on her, and she was pushing herself too hard.
“Here,” I said, offering her the water. She hesitated for a second, but then took it, her hands trembling slightly as she unscrewed the cap. She was trying so hard to keep it together, but I could see how much pain she was in.
Four minutes left. Four minutes before the sixth game would begin.
The tension in the air was thick, and I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. They were waiting for my next move, waiting to see what I would do. But for now, I just sat there, watching as Nathalie drank the water slowly, her breathing uneven.
“You can still stop this, you know,” she said suddenly, her voice breaking the silence again. “Hidding in the shadow is like hidding somewhere from your past.”
I didn’t respond, my eyes closed, trying to block out the emotions that were threatening to surface. She didn’t understand. I couldn’t let her understand. This wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about finishing what I started, no matter the cost.
After a long moment, I finally spoke, my voice low. “Let's just watch, shall we?.”
She didn’t say anything else, just nodded quietly. But I could tell she wasn’t satisfied with my answer. She never was.
The countdown continued, each second ticking closer to the start of the next game. There was no going back now. All we could do was face whatever was coming and hope that, somehow, we’d survive.
And yet, in this brief moment, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling of nostalgia, the reminder of a time when things were simpler, when the three of us were just kids. Before all of this madness took over our lives. Before I became someone I barely recognized.
But there was no room for that now. The clock was ticking, and the game was about to begin.