The screen flashed
"Player Count: 267"
The players were herded through the dim hallway, the lights above blinking like dying stars. The tension grew with each step, every echo a footnote in someone's obituary.
Lyra walked beside Kyro in silence.
Not friends.
Not enemies.
Allies… for now.
Then the hallway widened — revealing an open chamber so vast it looked like a void had split the world in half.
And across the void: a narrow bridge.
No railings. No support wires.
Just a straight metal plank suspended above a black abyss.
And 267 lives waiting to fall.
A familiar voice echoed from the walls:
"Game 6: INITIATED"
"GAME 6: BRIDGE OF BALANCE"
GAME RULES:
1. Only one player may cross at a time.
2. You have 60 seconds to cross.
3. If you fall, you are eliminated.
4. Push, sabotage, or delay another player ➤ Rule Violation.
5. First 150 players to cross survive.
6. Time begins when your number is called.
7. Rule Violators will be punished instantly.
Punishment: Bone Fracture (non-lethal) + Disqualification
Player 027's number blinked.
She stepped forward, trembling.
The bridge vibrated beneath her feet — every step louder than the last.
She hesitated at the halfway point. A gust of artificial wind hit.
She screamed—
And slipped.
"Player 027: ELIMINATED."
Silence followed.
Then came the next name.
Lyra clenched her fists. "They're thinning us without touching us."
Kyro's voice was calm. "That's the point. Fear is doing the work for them."
Player 304: GO.
He sprinted across with feline grace — almost as if he'd walked this path before. He made it in 48 seconds.
The countdown never stopped.
Player 109: GO.
Lyra froze.
That was her.
She took a breath, stepping onto the bridge.
Step by step.
Steady.
But halfway across, a vibration shook the beam. The wind tunnel opened again.
She staggered but caught herself, one foot slipping off the edge before she balanced again.
A scream erupted behind her — not hers — someone had rushed behind her before their turn.
"PLAYER 221 – RULE VIOLATION DETECTED."
A mechanical claw shot from the side, grabbing the rule-breaker mid-air.
CRACK.
The sound of bones breaking.
Then the body was dropped into the void.
"Player 221: ELIMINATED."
"Penalty Executed: Left Arm Fracture before Death."
Lyra didn't look back.
She crossed with one final step.
"Player 109: SUCCESS."
One by one, the bridge claimed the foolish and the unsteady.
Rhea made it.
Barely.
But others weren't so lucky.
Player 083 tried to push someone ahead of her — the system responded instantly.
A sharp mechanical arm swung, hitting her shin with a sickening snap.
She dropped screaming.
"Rule Violation: Attempted Sabotage."
"Penalty: Compound Fracture + Disqualification."
"Player 083: ELIMINATED."
By the end of the game, the bridge was stained with sweat, tears, and blood.
PLAYER COUNT: 267 → 148
119 fell. Some by fear. Some by stupidity. Some by broken rules.
Rest Area – Hours Later
Silence dominated the room.
Those who survived were too exhausted to speak.
Rhea nursed a twisted ankle. Lyra sat with her hands trembling, adrenaline finally wearing off.
Kyro appeared beside her — silent — then dropped two energy bars in front of her.
"Payment," he said.
"For what?"
"For not dying."
Somewhere far above, a pair of unseen eyes watched the camera feeds.
"They're getting stronger," a voice muttered.
Another one responded:
"Which means we turn up the pressure."
"The next game... breaks more than bones."
And the system began preparing.
"PLAYER COUNT: 148"