A voice rang across the stadium.
Clear.
Measured.
Effortlessly dominant.
"Ladies and gentlemen…"
The words flowed, smooth as silk, yet heavy with authority.
"You who stand before me are not victims of circumstance."
A pause.
"You are criminals."
Not an accusation.
A verdict.
"Each of you carries a past stained with blood, betrayal… or something far more distasteful."
No one dared to interrupt.
"And yet," she continued, her tone softening just enough to feel deliberate, "you have been granted a mercy few in your position deserve."
"A chance."
"To live."
"To survive."
Each word placed with care.
"For you see… to the world beyond these walls…"
A faint, amused lilt.
"You are already deceased."
The silence pressed in.
"To earn the privilege of continued existence," she went on, "you will render your service."
"You will enter designated instances."
"You will assist complete the tasks left behind by our origin…"
A pause.
"…the will of our founding god."
Stillness.
Then—
a voice broke through.
"…No."
Heads turned.
A man stepped forward, shoulders tense, a strained smile on his face.
"No—wait," he said, shaking his head quickly. "This… this isn't serious, right?"
A breathless laugh slipped out.
"You can't actually expect us to just walk into this and die for you."
He looked around, searching for agreement.
For sanity.
"And if we don't?" he pressed, louder now. "What then?"
A beat.
His expression faltered.
"…You're not actually going to kill us for refusing, are you?"
Silence.
Then—
a soft laugh.
Elegant.
Amused.
"Oh?"
A pause.
"How endearingly naïve."
And then, gently—
"Then you die."
The words landed—
and the world fractured.
Voices erupted.
Shouting. Swearing. Panic spilling over.
"This is insane—!"
"I'm not doing this—!"
Someone started crying.
Then another.
Then more.
The sound spread—raw, desperate.
"Silence."
The word fell—
but not fast enough.
A sharp crack tore through the air.
Then another.
And another.
People flinched—
Some dropped instantly.
Others—
moved.
A man stumbled sideways just in time, the shot grazing past him.
Another ducked, collapsing to his knees, breath shaking but alive.
A girl tried to run—too slow.
She fell.
Blood splashed across the white floor, staining it in harsh, uneven patterns.
Screams tore through the air.
Someone slipped, scrambling back in panic.
Others froze completely, too terrified to even breathe too loudly.
In seconds, the truth settled in.
It wasn't random.
It wasn't mercy.
It was reaction.
Those fast enough to dodge—
lived.
Those who weren't—
didn't.
No warning.
No second chances.
Just outcome.
Then—
"Silence."
This time—
the world obeyed.
Instantly.
Not a single voice remained.
Only shaking bodies and wide, horrified eyes.
"I am aware," she continued, as though nothing had happened, "that your memories have been… altered."
A delicate pause.
"You will find them unnecessary."
"You will follow the guidance of your assigned systems."
"You will complete what is required of you."
"And in return…"
A soft, almost gentle note—
"You may continue to exist."
Stillness.
Absolute.
"Oh—"
Her voice shifted, just slightly.
"Subject 979067."
Something cold brushed down my spine.
Not recognition.
Just—
the feeling of being seen.
Directly.
Precisely.
Too precisely.
I stiffened without meaning to.
Behind me, a soft voice—
"She is referring to you, sir."
I didn't turn.
"What?"
"Your sister," he said gently, "attempted to breach the Vice President's office."
…
Oh.
My sister.
The word echoed.
Then louder—
My sister.
The blood.
The screams.
The bodies—
faded.
Like they no longer mattered.
Something inside me gave way.
The stadium blurred.
Sound dulled.
Everything slipped—
And then—
nothing.