They arrive too fast and not fast enough.
Thorian drives. Prince sits in front, tense, giving directions from Kaida's phone. Everyone else squeezes into the back, knees knocking, breaths shallow.
No music. No jokes.
Just the sound of tires on road.
The location leads them to a quiet street lined with low apartment buildings and flickering streetlights. Too quiet for a Friday night. Too still.
Thorian parks crooked.
"Together," Prince says again.
They step out.
Aurora's building stands at the end of the block, one dim hallway light glowing behind glass doors. No movement inside.
Summer mutters, "If this is a horror movie, I'm suing all of you."
Zyren grabs her wrist lightly before she can step ahead. "Stay close."
She doesn't pull away.
Inside, the hallway smells like detergent and something metallic. Their footsteps echo softly as they move toward apartment 3B.
The door is slightly open.
Ryan pushes it first.
Jason sits on the floor against the wall, breathing hard, eyes wide like he hasn't blinked in minutes. His phone lies in front of him, screen glowing.
He looks up when they rush in.
"You came," he says hoarsely.
Lyrelle kneels immediately. "What happened?"
Jason laughs weakly. "I chose wrong."
From the kitchen doorway, a slow clap.
Aurora steps out.
Calm. Composed. Smiling.
"Took you long enough," she says lightly.
Prince straightens. "What did you do?"
Aurora tilts her head. "Me? Nothing." She nods toward the phones lighting up in all their hands. "It did."
Kaida's screen flashes first.
"WELCOME BACK."
"ALL PLAYERS PRESENT."
Summer scoffs nervously. "She's part of it."
Aurora shrugs. "Not part. Aware."
Zyren steps forward, placing himself slightly in front of Summer without thinking. "Start explaining."
Aurora studies him. Then Summer. A knowing look flickers across her face.
"Oh," she murmurs. "That's interesting."
Summer frowns. "What is?"
Aurora smiles wider. "Nothing. Yet."
Jason finally stands, shaky. Ryan moves to steady him.
"What did it make you do?" Ryan asks quietly.
Jason runs a hand through his hair. "It asked me if I wanted to know why it chose us. I said yes."
Kaida's eyes close briefly.
"Curiosity," Aurora says softly. "Always the easiest door."
Every phone vibrates.
"PENALTY PENDING."
"CONFESSION REQUIRED."
The lights in the apartment flicker. Once. Twice.
Then stabilize.
Jason's phone speaks aloud in a flat digital voice.
"PLAYER KAIDA."
"STEP FORWARD."
Everyone turns.
Kaida doesn't move.
Thorian's hand tightens around hers. "You don't have to—"
Her phone flashes violently.
"NOW."
She steps forward slowly.
Aurora watches with open interest, like someone at a show.
Kaida swallows. Looks at Lyrelle. At Prince. At Kyra.
Her voice barely holds.
"I knew something before the game started," she says.
Lyrelle frowns. "Knew what?"
Kaida's phone blares.
"INSUFFICIENT."
"FULL TRUTH."
Kaida's chest tightens. "I—"
Suddenly Summer steps forward. "Okay wait. Why is it always trauma o'clock with this thing."
The tension snaps for half a second.
Zyren huffs a laugh. Even Prince exhales.
Summer gestures wildly. "Like can we get a fun round? Trivia? Karaoke? Anything?"
Aurora laughs softly. "You cope with humor. Interesting."
Summer glares. "You cope with being weird."
Phones vibrate again.
"DEFLECTION NOTED."
Kaida squeezes her eyes shut. "Stop."
Silence falls.
Then she whispers, "I knew about something that would hurt Lyrelle. And I didn't tell her."
Lyrelle's expression changes. Slowly.
Prince goes still.
Kyra stops breathing.
But before anyone can speak—
All phones buzz violently.
"CONFESSION INTERRUPTED."
"NEW VARIABLE DETECTED."
Ryan's phone lights up brighter than the rest.
He lifts it slowly.
A photo loads.
It's the group. From tonight. Inside this apartment.
Taken from above.
Everyone looks up instinctively.
The ceiling camera blinks red.
Summer lets out a sharp laugh. "Oh hell no."
Aurora doesn't look surprised.
Ryan's phone speaks.
"PLAYER RYAN."
"YOUR TURN."
His jaw tightens. "For what?"
Text appears.
"WHO WOULD YOU SAVE IF ONLY ONE COULD WALK AWAY?"
Silence crashes down.
Lyrelle grips Prince's arm.
Jake reaches for Kyra.
Zyren's hand finds Summer's automatically.
Thorian moves closer to Kaida.
Ryan looks at all of them.
Then at the screen.
"Answer within sixty seconds."
The timer appears.
Summer whispers, "This game is sick."
Aurora watches Ryan with bright, fascinated eyes.
"Tick tock," she says softly.
And for the first time, the choice isn't hidden.
It's public.