Maya's eyes fixed on Veyra's face. The weight of the revelation still hung between them. She tilted her head slightly, studying the older girl with newfound curiosity.
"0002... how old are you?"
"I suppose... I must be around twenty-two now."
Maya's eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly, "Twenty-two..."
"I've been here....for fifteen years, three months, and approximately eleven days. But who's counting?"
Maya stared at her, Veyra had been in this facility longer than she had been alive. "That's... that's a long time."
"It is."
[ AFTER 20 MINUTES ]
Subject 0011 walked at the front, his thin frame barely visible beneath the shadows. Subject 0014 followed close behind, his eyes scanning the treeline.
Subject 0004 brought up the rear, his posture remained alert.
They reached the cave entrance. The curtain of hanging vines swayed gently in the night breeze, revealing the dark opening beyond.
Subject 0011 pushed aside the vines and stepped inside.
The cave was warm— warmer than the forest outside. The fire had burned low, reduced to a bed of glowing embers that cast faint shadows across the stone walls.
Maya was curled against the far wall, her small body folded into a tight ball. Her dark hair had fallen across her face, hiding her expression.
Her breathing was slow and even—deep sleep.
Subject 0002— was lying a few feet away, her sharp features softened in rest. One arm was tucked beneath her head, the other rested loosely at her side.
Her cropped black hair was tousled, her usual calculating expression replaced by something more vulnerable.
They were both completely asleep.
Subject 0011 froze in the entrance. Behind him, Subject 0014 nearly collided into his back. "Hey—what's the—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze following Subject 0011's.
Subject 0004 stepped around them, his movements silent. He glanced at the two sleeping figures, then back at the others.
Subject 0014 let out a low grunt, "Huh. 0017A look... Smaller."
"She was always that size."
"You know what I mean. When she is awake, she is terrifying. But when she is asleep.... She just look like kids."
Subject 0004 moved past them, his steps quiet against the stone floor. He settled against the far wall. "Sleep."
Subject 0014 lingered near the entrance for a moment longer. Then he shrugged and moved deeper into the cave, settling onto the ground near the dying fire. "Hey."
Subject 0011 murmured, "Hmm?"
"Wake me if something happens."
"Okay, 0014 A."
[MORNING ]
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtain of vines, casting golden patterns across the cave floor.
Maya's eyes fluttered open. She blinked slowly, her vision adjusting to the light. The cave was quiet, the air cool and still.
She pushed herself upright, her gaze swept across the cave.
Subject 0011 was slumped against the wall, his glasses crooked, his mouth slightly open.
Subject 0014 was sprawled on his back, snoring softly. Subject 0004 was sitting against the far wall, his eyes closed, his posture relaxed.
Beside her, 0002 stirred. Her sharp eyes opened, immediately alert. She glanced around the cave, taking in the three sleeping figures. "Idiots."
The five of them stood at the cave entrance, the curtain of hanging vines swaying gently behind them. The first rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy above.
Maya turned to face them, her gaze sweeping across each face.
"We need points, we need to reach fifty. The only way to do that is to go deeper.I'm not asking you to come with me. I'm telling you what I'm going to do. "
Subject 0011 stepped forward. His thin frame was trembling slightly but his eyes were steady.
"I'm coming with you."
Subject 0014 let out a low grunt, "You think I'm going to let a bunch of kids have all the fun? I'm coming too."
Subject 0004 said nothing. Subject 0002 let out a slow breath, "morons, let's go."
The forest was alive with sound—birds calling from the canopy, leaves rustling in the breeze, the distant murmur of a stream.
The five of them moved through the undergrowth in silence, their footsteps soft against the earth.
Maya led the way. Subject 0011 followed close behind, His glasses had slipped down his nose, and he pushed them up with one finger, his eyes darting nervously across the forest.
Subject 0014 walked beside him, Subject 0004 brought up the rear, His eyes swept across the treeline with cold precision, missing nothing.
Subject 0002 moved like a shadow, her cropped black hair swayed with each step.
They had been walking for nearly an hour when Maya stopped.
She raised her hand, signaling for the others to halt. Her head tilted slightly, her ears straining to catch a sound that had snagged her attention.
Her body went rigid, every muscle coiling with alertness.
Subject 0014 tightened his grip on his spear. "What is it?"
Maya didn't answer.
The forest fell silent. The birds had stopped singing. The leaves had stopped rustling.
And then they heard a low, rumbling growl—deep and guttural, vibrating through the earth like a distant thunder.
Subject 0011's face went pale. "What... what was that?"
"Something big."
The creature emerged from the treeline.
It was a massive, wolf-like beast with fur as black as shadow and eyes that burned like embers. Its muscles rippled beneath its coat with every movement and its jaws dripped with saliva.
It was enormous. Easily three times the size of a normal wolf.
Subject 0011 let out a shaky breath, his eyes wide with terror. "That's... that's a Venator Lupus, hunting wolf. Critical threat."
Maya was already moving, "Attack. "
Her small body lunged forward with blinding speed, closing the distance between her and the beast in seconds.
The wolf's head snapped toward her, its jaws opening wide. Maya dropped to the ground, sliding beneath the creature's massive body.
The wolf's jaws snapped shut on empty air, and she came up behind it, her fingers closing around a sharpened rock she had been carrying in her pocket.
She drove the rock into the beast's flank with all her strength.
The wolf let out a deafening howl, a sound of pure agony that seemed to shake the very trees. Its body convulsed with pain and it spun around, its massive claws swiping through the air with murderous intent.
Maya ducked, rolling to the side. The claws missed her by inches, tearing through the earth where she had been standing.
She came up on her feet, her dark eyes fixed on the creature's throat. "Now!" she shouted.
Subject 0014 surged forward, his spear aimed at the beast's chest. He moved with surprising speed, his wood root driving deep into the wolf's flesh.
Subject 0004 followed a heartbeat later, his injured arm forgotten, his body moving with lethal precision. His blade flashed in the dappled sunlight, catching the beast across the throat.
The wolf stumbled, its massive body crashing to the ground. Subject 0014 drove his spear deeper into its chest, pinning it to the earth with all his weight.
The beast let out one final, shuddering breath—and went still.
Silence descended upon the clearing. The only sound was the ragged breathing of the five children, their chests heaving with exertion.
Subject 0011 stared at the creature's motionless form, his mouth hanging open. He looked at Maya, then at the wolf, then back at Maya.
"We just killed a hunting wolf,That was... that was insane," he said, his voice carrying a note of awe. "Absolutely insane."
Subject 0002 stepped forward, "That was efficient, we need to move. The blood will attract more predators."
Maya nodded. She looked at the fallen beast, then at the path ahead. The Core Zone lay somewhere in the distance, hidden beneath the dense canopy.
"How many points was that?" she asked.
Subject 0011's fingers flew to his collar. He pressed the indentation, and a holographic display flickered to life before him. His eyes scanned the glowing text.
"Ten points, Critical threat kill."
Maya's lips curved into a small smile. "Good."
They moved through the forest in silence, their bodies humming with adrenaline. The encounter with the hunting wolf had sharpened their senses, made them more alert.
Subject 0014 walked at the front now, his spear held at the ready. His bald head gleamed in the dappled sunlight and his eyes swept across the treeline with predatory focus.
Subject 0004 flanked the left side, his injured arm still hanging limp but his good hand resting on his blade. His expression was unreadable.
Subject 0002 walked beside Maya, her sharp eyes scanning the treeline with equal intensity.
They continued forward, the forest growing darker around them. The canopy thickened, blocking out more of the sunlight.
Subject 0011 moved closer to Maya, "We're getting close to the Core Zone, I can feel it."
They emerged into a small clearing—and stopped.
Three massive wolves stood at the center, their amber eyes fixed on the intruders. Their bodies were coiled with tension, their ears flat against their skulls.
Low growls rumbled from their throats, vibrating through the earth like a warning.
Subject 0014's jaw tightened. "Three of them."
Subject 0002's sharp eyes swept across the clearing, "Pack tactics. They'll surround us."
Subject 0011's face had gone pale. "What do we do?"
Maya's eyes swept across the clearing, her mind moving quickly. She analyzed the terrain, the wolves' positioning, the distance between them.
"Subject 0014— take the left one, Subject 0004—the right. Subject 0002—you're with me on the center. Subject 0011—stay behind us and watch our backs."
Subject 0011 swallowed , "What if they try to flank us?"
"Then you call out," Maya replied.
The wolves began to move, their massive bodies circling the group with predatory grace. Their eyes never left the children, tracking their every movement.
Subject 0014 tightened his grip on his spear, "They're testing us."
"Let them."
The wolves lunged.
Subject 0014 met the left wolf head-on, his spear driving into its chest with all his strength. The beast let out a howl of pain, its body crashing to the ground but it wasn't dead.
It struggled to rise, its claws scraping against the earth. Subject 0014 didn't give it a chance. He drove his spear deeper, pinning the creature to the ground.
Subject 0004 was already moving, his blade flashing as he engaged the right wolf. The beast lunged toward him, its jaws snapping with bone-crushing force.
Subject 0004 dropped to his knee, driving his blade upward into the creature's throat. The wolf let out a gurgling cry and collapsed, its body going still.
Maya and Subject 0002 moved together, their bodies flowing in perfect synchronization.
They closed the distance between them and the center wolf in seconds, their attacks landing in quick succession.
Maya drove her sharpened rock into the beast's flank. Subject 0002 followed with a precise strike to its throat.
The wolf stumbled, its massive body crashing to the ground. It convulsed once, twice—and then went still.
Silence descended upon the clearing.
Subject 0011 stared at the fallen beasts, "Three... three hunting wolves In less than a minute."
Maya wiped the blood from her hands. Subject 0004 wiped his blade clean, his expression unreadable.
They reached the edge of the ORANGE ZONE .
The forest opened into a vast, sprawling landscape—a place that seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat.
The trees were taller here, their trunks massive and ancient, their branches reaching toward the sky like grasping fingers.
The air was thick and heavy, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else—something wild and untamed.
The five of them stood at the edge of the Core Zone, their bodies hidden behind a thick cluster of ancient trees.
They had expected danger. They had expected predators, expected the kind of relentless, life-threatening chaos that had defined every moment of their time in this place.
But what they saw made them freeze.
Subject 0011's mouth fell open. His glasses slipped down his nose and he didn't even bother to push them back up.
Subject 0014's grip on his spear loosened. His broad shoulders sagged with confusion.
Subject 0004's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.
Subject 0002's sharp eyes widened, just slightly—a rare crack in her usual composure.
Maya stared at the scene before her.
The Core Zone stretched before them. A vast, sprawling landscape of towering trees and dense undergrowth.
But there were no beasts. No signs of the critical threats that had been described. Instead, there were people.
They filled the Core Zone like a small army, their figures scattered across the landscape in organized clusters. They moved with purpose, their postures alert, their eyes scanning the treeline.
They were all wearing the same kind of clothing—dark uniforms that were identical to the guards' attire. But there was something different about them.
And in their hands, they carried long, thick sticks.
Subject 0014 let out a low whistle, his voice carrying a note of disbelief."Guard uniforms."
Maya stared at the scene, her mind churning with questions. She had expected beasts. She had expected danger.
She had expected the kind of life-threatening chaos that had defined every moment of her time in this place.
But this... this was something else entirely.
She looked closer, her dark eyes sweeping across the landscape.
Before anyone could answer—[BUZZ]
The collar around Maya's neck vibrated violently against her skin, her hand instinctively flying to the smooth metal surface.
[BUZZ]
Subject 0002's eyes snapped toward her. "What is it?"
Maya didn't answer. Her fingers found the small indentation on her collar, she pressed it.
A holographic display flickered to life in front of her, casting a pale blue glow across her face.
New text scrolled across the screen.
[WELCOME, SUBJECT 17 A]
YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REACHED THE BOUNDARY OF THE CORE ZONE CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PROGRESS]
Maya's breath caught. She stared at the words, her mind racing. They had been watching her.
Subject 0011 leaned closer, his eyes fixed on the glowing display. "What does it say?"
"They're congratulating me. For reaching the boundary."
Subject 0014's brow furrowed. "Congratulating you, that's... that's new."
[NEW MISSION OBJECTIVE]
[THE CORE ZONE IS CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY RESISTANCE FORCES.
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE EQUIPPED WITH NON-LETHAL WEAPONS AND ARE TRAINED TO NEUTRALIZE SUBJECTS.]
[YOUR TASK: NEUTRALIZE OR EVADE ALL RESISTANCE FORCES AND REACH THE EXTRACTION POINT LOCATED AT THE HEART OF THE CORE ZONE.]
[ONCE YOU REACH THE EXTRACTION POINT, YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXIT THE TRIAL AND RECEIVE YOUR FINAL POINTS.]
[ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE: RESISTANCE FORCES ARE WORTH 5 POINTS EACH. USE YOUR JUDGMENT.]
Subject 0011 let out a low whistle. "Five points each.... that's a lot."
Subject 0002's sharp eyes fixed on the display. "Keep scrolling."
[BUZZ...BUZZ....BUZZ]
They all looked at each other. Then, one by one, they pressed the small indentations on their collars. Four holographic displays flickered to life.
[ATTENTION ALL SUBJECTS : NEW MISSION OBJECTIVE]
The same text appeared on every screen.
Subject 0011's fingers trembled as he scrolled further. "There's more."
[NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED: OPEN OPTIONS]
[YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE OPEN OPTIONS SYSTEM. USE YOUR POINTS TO UNLOCK WEAPONS, SURVIVAL TOOLS, AND ALLIES. EACH OPTION HAS A COST. CHOOSE WISELY.]
[CURRENT POINTS WILL BE DISPLAYED BELOW]
They scrolled through their individual displays, their eyes moving across the endless lists of weapons and allies.
Subject 0011's murmured , "I have... I have 37 points."
Subject 0014's voice carried a note of surprise. "I have 41."
Subject 0004's expression remained unreadable. "49."
Subject 0002's voice was flat. "44."
Maya's gaze swept across the others. "50."
Subject 0014 let out a low chuckle. "Of course you do."
Maya's dark eyes swept across the landscape, cataloging every detail. The number of guards. Their patrol patterns.
The extraction point glowed faintly in the distance—a towering structure that pulsed with a soft, rhythmic light.
She turned to face the others, her voice low and steady.
"We need to reach the extraction point. But there are too many of them."
"So what do we do?"
Maya's lips curved into a cold, calculating smile.
"We take them out. One by one."
0004 crouched low, his fingers tracing a crude map in the dirt. The others gathered around him, their eyes fixed on the lines and symbols he was drawing.
"Look, The Core Zone is divided into three sectors. The guards patrol in rotating shifts. Every ten minutes, there's a blind spot here—"
He tapped a point near the eastern edge."—and here."
Maya tapped another point near the western treeline.
"If we move through these gaps, we can take out the guards silently. No attention."
0011 murmured, "Take them out... you mean—"
"Incapacitate."
0002's sharp eyes narrowed. "And if we can't incapacitate them quietly?"
Subject 0014 met her gaze. Her voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. "Then we do what we have to do."
Maya looked at each of them, her eyes cold and calculating.
"0002—you're the fastest. You'll take the eastern flank. Use stealth. Take out any guards who get too close to our route."
0002 nodded, her sharp eyes gleaming with approval. "Understood."
"0014—you're our muscle. If things go loud, you're our shield. You'll hold the center and draw attention if we need a distraction."
0014 grinned, "I can do that."
"0004— you're our precision. You'll take the western flank."
0004's expression remained unreadable but he inclined his head in acknowledgment.
"0011— you're our eyes. You'll stay on the ridge and watch the patrol patterns. If anything changes, you signal us."
0011 nodded. "I... I can do that."
"And me?" Maya asked, her voice soft.
0002's lips curved into a faint smile. "You're the leader. You'll guide us through the gaps. And if something goes wrong—"
She paused, her sharp eyes meeting Maya's.
"—you'll be the one who makes the call."
Maya pressed the indentation on her collar. The holographic display flickered to life.
[OPEN OPTIONS SYSTEM – WEAPONS]
She scrolled through the list, her dark eyes scanning the options. Her fingers paused over a few selections.
[BLADE – 10 POINTS. COMPACT. LETHAL.
SMOKE BOMB – 5 POINTS. CREATES COVER. DISORIENTS ENEMIES.
GRAPPLING HOOK – 8 POINTS. ALLOWS VERTICAL MOVEMENT. ACCESS TO HIGH GROUND ]
She glanced at the others. "What are you all getting?"