Abigail's POV
I couldn’t take my eyes off Lucas. He was barely holding it together. Finn was trying his best, pulling Lucas close, whispering things to him that I couldn’t hear through the glass. But it wasn’t enough. I saw the pain in Lucas’s eyes, the way his whole body trembled. Alex was gone, and no words could fix that. 
I swallowed hard, feeling a knot twist tight in my stomach. We had all lost something. It felt like the weight of everything that had happened was finally catching up to us. And now, this was all that was left. 
"Abigail," Noah’s voice broke through my thoughts, urgent but steady. "We gotta go. The final game... it’s almost morning. We don’t have much time to stand around." He glanced up at the ceiling, where the clear glass showed the sky above the garden of trees. The dark of night was almost gone, giving way to the faint light of dawn.
I nodded, my heart still heavy. We had to keep moving. Even if it felt impossible. 
All four of us gathered in the area marked for the final round. The sign was hard to miss, glowing above us like some kind of sick joke. I felt the tension building inside me as I took in the scene around me.
Then I saw Amara. She was helping Nathalie walk toward us, one arm wrapped around her waist, supporting her. My heart lifted for just a moment, a flicker of relief. Nathalie was okay. She wasn’t in perfect shape, but she was alive.
Without thinking, I rushed over to her, my arms wrapping tightly around her in a hug. "If you try to get yourself killed again, I swear I’ll drag your ass out next time," I said, trying to sound tough even though my voice was shaky.
Nathalie rolled her eyes at me, but there was a smile on her face as she giggled. "That’s your line, Abigail. Not mine." 
I let out a small laugh, pushing her lightly as I stepped back. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make me prove it." I was trying to keep things light, but the truth was, I was just glad she was here. After everything, I needed her by my side.
Only five of us were left. Five survivors. 
We stood there for what felt like forever, waiting. My heart pounded in my chest as I looked around at the others. No one knew what to expect. No one said a word. We were all just waiting for whatever was coming next.
Then, the giant screen in front of us flickered to life, the bright light flashing in the dim space. A message appeared, the words glowing on the screen.
"Congratulations to all five of you for surviving to the very end of the game. Each player will have 60 seconds to process the given speech of Emery, one by one."
I turned my head, following the others’ gaze as we looked over at Emery. She was already there, standing far from us, watching. Her face was blank, no emotion showing. But there was something in her body language. Something wasn’t right. She looked like she was forcing herself to stand there, forcing herself to act calm.
I stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on behind those cold eyes. But I couldn’t read her. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
Then, after what felt like forever, Emery spoke.
"Spread out," she ordered. "Everyone needs to be five feet apart from each other."
We hesitated for a second, glancing at each other before moving. Slowly, we spread out, each of us taking a step back until there was enough space between us. My heart was pounding harder now, and I didn’t know why. Something about this final game felt different. It felt dangerous.
Emery paused, watching us carefully, her eyes sweeping over the group like she was sizing us up. Observing. Waiting.
I didn’t know how this game worked. None of us did. And that’s what made it terrifying. Everything about it felt risky, unpredictable. I glanced up at the sky again. The sun was almost up. Any moment now, it would rise over the trees.
But I snapped back to reality when Emery spoke again.
"This final game is simple," she said, her voice cold. "Live or die."
I felt my stomach twist. Those words… they hit harder than anything else. 
Emery continued, "I will ask each of you a question. After the question is given, the timer will start, and you’ll have a moment to think. Answer with complete honesty. If you fail… don’t bother stepping out of this room." She didn’t smile, didn’t flinch. She just said it like it was a fact. 
I glanced around at the others. I could see the tension on their faces. This wasn’t just another challenge. This was different.
Emery turned to Finn first. 
"Why do you want to live?" she asked. "Why do you think you deserve to get out of this room when you’ve killed someone to survive? Why, Finn?" She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Why do you deserve to live?"
I watched Finn, my heart sinking for him. That was such a hard question. How could anyone answer that? Finn didn’t move at first, his eyes wide as if the question had knocked the wind out of him. I knew it was hitting him hard, and he wouldn’t be able to process it fast.
Before he could respond, Emery turned to Noah. "And the same goes for you, brother. You’ve killed three people to survive this far. Don’t you feel desperate? Don’t you feel selfish? Do you really deserve the life you have?"
Noah clenched his jaw, but he didn’t respond. He looked down at the floor, his hands tightening into fists. The tension in his body was clear. He was struggling with it, too. We all were.
Next, Emery turned to Lucas. "And you, Lucas. Killing a friend... Alex. Do you feel desperate now? Or maybe excited after pulling the trigger on him?"
Lucas’s face turned pale. He didn’t say anything, but I could see the pain in his eyes. The guilt. He was reliving it, the moment he had to kill Alex.
As Emery kept asking questions, my nerves were getting worse. She hadn’t gotten to me yet, but I knew it was coming. What was she going to ask me? What if I couldn’t answer it? What if I said the wrong thing?
And then… I realized I had zoned out. I hadn’t even noticed that Emery was now staring at me, waiting.
"Abigail?" Emery’s voice snapped me back to the present. "Did you hear the question?"
I blinked, feeling my throat tighten. "I… I’m sorry, what was the question?" I stuttered.
Emery let out a heavy sigh, her cold eyes never leaving mine. "This is why you’re weak, Abigail," she said quietly. "You always let your guard down." 
My chest tightened at her words, a lump forming in my throat. I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t know what to say. 
"The question," Emery continued, her voice sharp, "is simple. Live or die. Which do you think you deserve? If we’re being honest, you’ve been a burden in most of these games. Your friends have risked their lives to save you more than once. So… do you really think you deserve to get out of this room? Do you really think you deserve to live?"
Every word she said hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t know what to say. She was right. I had been a burden. I had needed help so many times. Maybe… maybe I didn’t deserve to live. Maybe she was right.
My thoughts spiraled, and I felt tears sting my eyes.
The room was dead silent. No one moved. No one breathed. Emery’s question hung over all of us like a dark shadow. Finn, Noah, Lucas, Nathalie... no one seemed to know what to say. Even I couldn’t think straight. Every second felt like it stretched out forever, and I hated it. My chest was tight, my heart racing. I didn’t know how we’d make it out of here.
Suddenly, the screen flickered, and the cold glow of the TV caught my attention. It showed the time ticking down, 60 seconds. That’s how long we had to answer, how long we had to think. And right beside it, another clock appeared, labeled ‘End of Game’. It read ‘7 minutes’. Seven minutes before the sun lined up with the Garden of Life. Seven minutes until whatever this game was would be over.
I could feel my throat tighten. Seven minutes… that’s all we had left?
Then, I heard footsteps. I turned my head and saw Noah stepping forward. His face was stiff, like he was forcing himself to do this, but there was no turning back now. 
“I guess I’m ready to answer,” he muttered, breaking the stillness.
I watched as he swallowed hard before speaking again. His voice wasn’t as strong as usual. There was something off about it.
"It's not easy," Noah started, his voice low. "To survive while the others don’t… it feels wrong. But the truth is, I have to think about myself first." He paused, his eyes flicking toward the ceiling as if searching for the right words. "I need to survive because... because I promised someone. Someone who made me swear to look after the people he cared about most in this world. No matter what happens, it’s my responsibility now."
Noah lifted his head then, his eyes locking on Emery’s cold stare. "I promised him I’d take care of you and Mom, Emery. That’s why I need to live."
The screen flashed again, processing what Noah had said. For a moment, we all waited, tension so thick it was choking. Then, a green light flicked across the screen, confirming he was clear. But before any of us could breathe a sigh of relief, the floor beneath us started to tremble. A crack appeared in the ground between us and Emery, slowly splitting apart the stone, making a deep gap.
“What the hell?” I whispered, my mind racing. "What’s happening?" I thought Noah passed the test, right? He cleared the game… so why was this happening?
But there wasn’t time to think. Lucas stepped forward next. His movements were quick, determined. I could see the fire in his eyes, and for a second, he glanced at me, flashing a small, confident smile before turning back to Emery.
"I choose to live," Lucas started, his voice firm. “From the start, it’s been hell. But I survived because I still have a life waiting for me outside this place. I promised Alex... I promised I’d keep going for him, and I’m going to keep that promise no matter what!” His voice got louder, more intense. "Even if it means going up against you, Emery."
There was so much pain in his voice, so much desperation, it was almost hard to listen. Lucas was one of the strongest people I knew, and seeing him like this... it hurt. 
The screen processed his answer, and once again, the green light flicked on. He was clear. But as I watched, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread curling in my stomach. They were both safe now, Noah and Lucas, but me? I didn’t deserve to live, not like them. They had real reasons to fight, real people they wanted to protect, but me? I had nothing. I wasn’t strong, wasn’t brave. I’d only made it this far because of them, because they saved me over and over again.
The floor creaked again, the crack widening, splitting us apart even more.
“What’s going on?” Nathalie whispered beside me. Her hand gripped my arm, her eyes wide with fear.
"I... I don’t know," I stammered, my heart pounding in my ears. I didn’t have answers. Everything felt like it was falling apart around us, and I had no idea what was going to happen next.
And then, the screen flickered again. The timer continued to count down, the minutes slipping away. Six minutes left now.
Lucas glanced back at me, his eyes full of worry. “Abigail… are you ready?”
I couldn’t speak. My throat felt tight, and my mind was blank. What was I supposed to say? I didn’t know what to answer. Emery’s question echoed in my head—‘Live or die, do you really think you deserve to live?’
I didn’t. That was the truth. I didn’t think I deserved it, not after all the times they risked their lives for me. I’d been a burden, nothing more. But I couldn’t say that, not out loud. They’d all look at me, try to comfort me, tell me I was wrong. But deep down, I knew they were the ones who deserved to get out of here, not me.
“I... I don’t know,” I finally whispered, my voice barely audible.
The floor creaked again, the crack widening even more, and I felt like I was being torn apart, just like the ground beneath us.
Finn stepped forward then, his hand gently resting on my shoulder. “Abigail… you do deserve to live. You’ve fought just as hard as any of us.”
But I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “No, I haven’t. I’ve only made it this far because of all of you. I’m not strong like you, like Noah or Lucas...”
Finn’s grip tightened, his eyes full of determination. “That’s not true. You’ve been through just as much as us. Don’t let Emery’s words get to you.”
But it was too late. Her words had already cut deep, and I couldn’t shake them. The countdown on the screen was ticking away, and I didn’t have an answer. Not a real one. 
I wasn’t like them. I didn’t know how to fight. I didn’t know how to survive. And now... I was running out of time.
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to answer. Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I was terrified of saying the wrong thing. What if I didn’t deserve to live? What if, after all this time, it was all for nothing?
Suddenly, Nathalie stepped forward. Her face was pale, but her voice was strong. “I don’t ‘want’ to live, Emery,” she started, pausing to take a deep breath. “I ‘need’ to live.”
Her words made the air in the room shift. Nathalie wasn’t just answering the question. She was making a statement. “Why do I deserve it? Because I’ve come this far, and there’s no turning back now. There’s no reason to stop. There’s no reason to question if I deserve to be here or not. ‘Every player’ who fought to be here deserves to live. And that includes me.”
Nathalie’s words echoed in the room, lingering in the air as if they were daring Emery to challenge them. Emery stood still, her face unreadable, eyes locked on the screen as it processed Nathalie’s answer. For a brief moment, it seemed like everything was on pause—until Finn suddenly stepped forward too.
“I want to live,” Finn began, his voice calm but firm. He didn’t flinch, even though the tension in the room was unbearable. “From the very start, Emery, you knew I could pass your standards. I’ve faced every game you threw at us, I’ve given everything I’ve got to show you that I can qualify.” His words were steady, but there was a sharp edge to them, a confidence that made me feel like he was fighting for more than just his own survival. He was fighting for all of us.
Finn’s words hung in the air, and the screen flickered again, showing that his answer was processing too. But it didn’t make me feel any better. The room still felt like it was closing in on me, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my answer wouldn’t be enough.
I felt all their eyes on me again—Noah, Lucas, Nathalie, and Finn—they were all waiting for me. I could see it in their faces, the way their brows were furrowed, how their lips were set in tight lines. They were worried. Worried that I wouldn’t make it, that I wouldn’t say anything at all.
"Abigail!" Lucas snapped, his voice sharp with urgency. “There’s no time left. You have to answer! There’s only 2 minutes before the game is over.”
I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt like it was caving in. The clock kept ticking, louder and louder, echoing in my ears. Tick. Tick.
"Abigail!" Nathalie shouted, her voice frantic now. "Just say something! You deserve to live just as much as the rest of us! Don’t waste time thinking about it. Don’t let it drag you under. There’s no time left!"
I felt like I was drowning in my own thoughts. They were swirling around me like a storm, crashing into each other. But the truth was, I didn’t know if I deserved to live. They all had their reasons—reasons that were clear, solid. I didn’t have that. I was just… me. But as Nathalie’s words echoed in my head, I realized something. I had come this far, hadn’t I? I wasn’t supposed to be here, but I was. And I wasn’t alone.
Suddenly, a bitter laugh escaped my lips, and tears began falling from my eyes. It was a strange, hollow laugh, one that didn’t feel like it belonged to me. “I think I’m ready now,” I whispered, wiping away the tears that wouldn’t stop.
My voice was shaky as I tried to speak. “I… I want to live, Emery,” I finally said, my heart pounding in my chest. “I want to live with the players standing here with me! I’ve done my best, just like the others! We didn’t ask for any of this to happen. We didn’t ask to be thrown into this nightmare!” I paused, my voice cracking as I realized what I was saying. “But now I understand… I understand everything.”
The words were tumbling out of me, faster than I could process them. “This… this was meant to happen. We were all meant to be here, and that means we’re meant to survive. This isn’t just some game. It’s chaos, but we’re supposed to finish it. Alive.”
As the words left my mouth, the room grew colder. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or relief, but I finally said what I needed to say.
The screen flickered again, but this time it went black. No red. No green. Just black. And the timer? It was still running. 30 seconds left.
“What… what’s happening?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. The sun was now setting over the Garden of Life, casting a strange light over the room. I could feel something shifting, something changing, but I didn’t know what it was.
Emery stood still, her eyes locked on us. She didn’t say a word. She just watched us, her face cold and distant. Then, she slowly shook her head, as if she was disappointed. Like we had missed something important. Like we didn’t understand.
And then, without warning, the ground beneath us started to shake again. The crack in the floor widened, spreading toward us. The gap was growing larger and larger, splitting the ground between us and Emery.
“Get back!” Lucas shouted, panic lacing his voice. “Move! Get to safety!”
We all stumbled backward, our hearts pounding in our chests. The crack was growing wider, deeper, but something was rising from the darkness below. I could see it, but I didn’t understand what it was.
“What… what is that?” Finn asked, his voice shaking as he stared at the rising object.
None of us knew. None of us could understand what was happening. But we didn’t have time to think. The game was about to end, and whatever was coming, it wasn’t going to wait for us to figure it out.