By the time the shouting reached the basin, Aria was already gone.
Not fast.
Finished.
The Stampede Arrives Late
Contestants burst through the trees in clusters.
Breath ragged.
Eyes wild.
"Where is it?!"
"I heard it land here!"
"Who opened it?!"
They found the crate.
Empty enough to matter.
Someone kicked it in frustration.
Another cursed the sky.
The drones hovered, catching every red face and shaking hand.
💬 [LiveWatcher]: THEY MISSED IT 😭
💬 [SurvivalFan]: Running burned more calories than they gained
Aria, Somewhere Else
She sat on a rock a short distance away.
Out of sight.
In shade.
Drinking water.
The cameraman whispered:
"They're tearing each other apart."
She nodded once.
"…Running creates noise," she said.
"…Noise attracts competition."
She checked the time.
Not the sky.
Why Waiting Wins
The cameraman finally asked:
"…Why didn't you rush it?"
Aria looked at him.
"…Because urgency narrows vision," she replied.
"…Waiting widens it."
She stood.
Adjusted her path.
"…They chase events," she added.
"…I intercept outcomes."
Energy Accounting
Downhill, arguments escalated.
"You took too much!"
"You weren't even here!"
"This isn't fair!"
Energy drained with every word.
Aria moved slowly uphill.
Every step deliberate.
Not because she was tired—
Because she wasn't.
The Chat Sees the Pattern
💬 [Watcher]: She let them burn themselves out
💬 [EconomicsProf]: Opportunity cost on full display
A side-by-side clip appeared:
Left—contestants sprinting, shouting, arguing.
Right—Aria sitting, drinking, waiting.
The contrast hurt.
Producers Stop Interfering
In the control tent, someone whispered:
"Do we adjust again?"
The director shook his head.
"…Let it play."
"She's dominating."
"She's adapting," he corrected.
The Second Sound
Minutes later, another drone hummed faintly.
Lower.
Closer.
Most contestants were still yelling.
They didn't hear it.
Aria did.
She turned slightly.
Changed direction by five degrees.
The cameraman's eyes widened.
"…Another one?"
She nodded.
"…Smaller," she said.
"…Secondary distribution."
Closing Beat
As the second drone descended—quiet, precise, unchallenged—
Aria was already beneath its shadow.
Waiting.
Because she understood something no one else had yet:
In a game that punished haste—
Patience wasn't passive.
It was predatory.