The announcement for the final game came without warning.
All remaining twenty-eight chosen had already been gathered in the central lobby, standing beneath the bright white ceiling where earlier rounds of waiting had taken place. This time, however, the atmosphere felt completely different. No one spoke loudly. No one moved carelessly. By now every survivor understood that simply reaching this stage did not mean safety—it only meant the final part would likely be worse than everything before it.
The Capital had dressed them again.
Just as before, the clothing had clearly been chosen not for comfort but for presentation. Yet unlike the earlier decorative outfits, this time there was less exaggeration and more uniformity. Tyler immediately noticed that several groups had been given simplified battle-ready clothing in different colors depending on assignment.
Tyler himself, along with Tansy and Rose, wore plain white outfits.
