They were down to five players.
Not five total in the arena—just five in their group.
Aiden.
Rena.
Lila.
Takumi.
And Kieran, the new guy.
He'd saved them two nights ago during an ambush near the floodplain zones. Took out two raiders solo, barely spoke, and earned their respect with blood more than words. Rena didn't trust him. Lila said he reminded her of her brother. Aiden gave him the benefit of the doubt.
That was the mistake.
---
The next mission came unexpectedly:
NEW RECKONING MISSION: GROUP SPLIT
Each player must enter a separate quadrant. Last to finish the trial is automatically flagged.
Trust Points can be used to manipulate another quadrant's challenge.
Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Manipulate how?"
Rena's screen blinked with options:
'Add Fire Trap to Lila's Zone (-2 TP)'
'Lock Takumi's Exit Gate (-3 TP)'
'Remove Enemy AI from Your Zone (-4 TP)'
Takumi's jaw tightened. "They're turning us into saboteurs."
Lila whispered, "They want us to betray each other."
Aiden looked at the screen and said nothing.
Then Kieran spoke: "If we don't use the system's tricks, whoever's slowest gets flagged. If that's someone we need, it's a loss. If it's a liability…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
But the implication lingered.
---
Each player entered their assigned quadrant.
Dark, maze-like corridors. Laser walls. Timed gates. Gravity shifts.
Aiden moved fast, dodging drones, leaping ledges, solving logic puzzles designed to wear him down. At one point, he was tempted to tap into Rena's zone and ease her trial… but he didn't.
He had to trust that she could handle it—and she'd never forgive him if he didn't.
But when he finally reached the exit, the screen froze:
Exit Locked. Another Player Has Used 3 TP to Delay You.
He stared at it. Stunned.
Someone had chosen to sabotage him.
---
When they regrouped at the staging area, Lila was shaken but safe. Takumi had a burn on his arm. Rena looked pissed but unhurt.
Kieran came out last, grinning.
Aiden stepped forward. "One of you locked my gate."
Takumi shook his head. "I didn't spend a single point."
Lila held up her wrist. "I used mine to block a trap for you, Aiden. I swear."
Rena growled. "I don't even play by their rules."
That left only one.
Kieran smiled. "Wasn't personal."
Aiden stared. "You used my trust to sabotage me."
"You were in the lead," Kieran said. "We needed to slow someone down. It was strategy."
"You could've killed me."
"No," he said. "The system would've. I just optimized our odds."
Rena pulled her blade. "He dies now."
"No," Aiden said. "Not yet."
---
That night, Aiden sat on the ruins of a metal scaffold, looking out at the night. Kieran sat nearby, calmly sharpening his stolen dagger.
"I know you think what you did made sense," Aiden said. "But trust doesn't regenerate."
Kieran shrugged. "Neither do friends in this game."
"I don't want allies who treat me like a number."
"Then you'll die."
Aiden stood. "I'd rather die human… than live like the system wants."
---
The next morning, Kieran was gone.
Took some supplies. Two TP pills. No goodbye.
They didn't chase him.
Because Aiden knew this much now:
The system didn't just test strength.
It tested your soul.
And the real Reckoning… was who you chose to become.
---