Ivy stood in the center of the stage, the giant screens behind her switching slowly to the first challenge interface, the light from the LEDs reflecting on the metal structure of the arena and lighting the entire valley in cold blue tones.
For a moment, the noise didn't stop.
Thousands of players were still talking, moving, laughing, looking around like they still couldn't believe the place was real.
The obstacle course behind her glowed under the lights.
Water pools.
Suspended platforms.
Chains hanging from the main structure.
Balance plates slowly moving in the air.
Everything looked bigger than it had on the plans.
Everything looked dangerous.
She lifted the microphone slightly closer to her mouth.
Her voice echoed through the entire arena, deep and clear, bouncing against the cliffs surrounding Carnarvon.
"For the first challenge… teams will not fight alone."
The screens changed instantly.
CHALLENGE 1 — BEAR TRAP
5 TEAMS vs 5 TEAMS
A wave of murmurs spread across the arena like wind through a crowd.
Players turned toward each other.
"What does that mean?"
"Five teams?"
"Alliance vs alliance?"
"Wait… ten teams at once?"
Someone laughed nervously.
"This is already insane."
Ivy waited.
She didn't rush.
She let them react.
Let the tension build.
Then she continued.
"For this round… each match will include ten teams."
The screens zoomed out, showing ten empty slots.
A pause.
"Five teams from five different kingdoms…"
The display updated.
KINGDOM 1184 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1393 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1421 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1307 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1502 — TEAM
VS
KINGDOM 1210 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1444 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1378 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1601 — TEAM
KINGDOM 1489 — TEAM
"…against five teams from five other kingdoms."
The reaction was louder this time.
"That's random??"
"No way."
"So we fight with strangers?"
"Bro what kind of event is this?"
"This is not KvK anymore."
Ivy nodded slightly, calm, like the chaos was exactly what she expected.
"Yes."
"No kingdom fights alone in this phase."
She took one slow step forward.
"You fight with strangers."
A second step.
"You survive with strangers."
Another pause.
"You lose with strangers."
The screens changed again.
ELIMINATION RULE
The sound in the arena dropped almost by itself.
People leaned forward.
Reading.
Trying to understand before she even spoke.
"When five teams are eliminated…"
She stopped.
Let the silence grow.
"…the match stops."
A few seconds passed.
Then the noise came back.
"So last five win."
"Half survive."
"That's brutal."
"Ten teams in… five out…"
"Damn."
Ivy continued, voice steady.
"If a player falls… that player is eliminated."
"If an entire team falls… that team is eliminated."
She raised her hand slightly, and the screen updated again.
10 TEAMS START
5 TEAMS ELIMINATED → MATCH END
"And when five teams are eliminated…"
She looked slowly across the arena.
"The challenge ends immediately."
More murmurs.
Some players smiling.
Some looking worried.
Some already calculating.
She continued.
"Each team has seven fighters…"
"…and three reserves."
The screen changed again.
7 FIGHTERS
3 RESERVES
REPLACEMENT ALLOWED
"If one of your fighters falls…"
"You may send one of your reserves."
Someone shouted from the stands.
"So we can switch during the match??"
"Yes."
"You can replace until your reserves are gone."
Another voice.
"And if all reserves fall?"
She didn't hesitate.
"Your team is eliminated."
That made the arena go quiet again.
People understood now.
This wasn't just a game.
This was survival.
She turned slowly toward the obstacle zone.
Lights moved automatically, following her gesture, illuminating the massive structure behind the arena.
The water pools reflected the screens.
Chains creaked slightly under the wind.
Seven metal plates hung above the water, each one moving slowly, unstable, never stopping completely.
"The first challenge is called…"
She let the name appear on the screen.
BEAR TRAP
Some players laughed.
Some didn't.
Zoom on the platforms.
Seven plates.
Hanging from chains.
Moving.
Unstable.
Too small for comfort.
"Seven players at a time."
The screen showed seven silhouettes standing on the plates.
"No pushing."
"No running."
"Balance only."
She paused, then added:
"If you fall…"
The camera zoomed on the water below.
"You swim."
"You're out."
A few laughs.
Some nervous.
Some real.
One player shouted:
"This is TV show stuff!"
Another answered:
"This is worse!"
She kept going.
"If a player falls, the reserve may replace."
"If a reserve falls, he is eliminated."
"If a team loses all fighters and reserves…"
She looked straight at the screen.
"That team is out."
The tension in the arena changed.
People stopped laughing.
This was real now.
Then she added the part she knew everyone was waiting for.
"And before anyone asks…"
She looked straight at the camera.
"I will not fight in this challenge."
Murmurs everywhere.
"She serious?"
"Why?"
"What?"
"I built the terrain."
Her voice stayed calm.
"I know every distance."
"I know every movement."
"If I fight…"
A pause.
"…it would be cheating."
Silence.
Even the players who didn't care stopped talking.
Then she added, softer.
"But if my team needs a reserve…"
Her eyes moved slowly across the arena.
Across the kingdoms.
Across the players.
And stopped, just for a second, in the zone where 1393 stood.
"I will stand as reserve."
In zone 1393, Rex smiled immediately.
"She with us."
Liam laughed.
"Told you she wouldn't disappear."
Peachy crossed her arms.
"Good."
Ghost didn't smile.
Didn't move.
Didn't blink.
He was looking at her like the entire arena wasn't there.
Like the screens weren't there.
Like the crowd didn't exist.
Only her.
Only that moment.
Only the girl who stood on the stage like she belonged there.
He whispered, barely audible.
"I know."
Rex looked at him.
"You know what?"
Ghost didn't look away.
"She never leaves."
Peachy followed his gaze toward the stage.
Then back to him.
"You good?"
He nodded once.
"Yeah."
But his jaw was tight.
His hands closed slowly into fists.
On the stage, Ivy lowered the microphone slightly.
"First match begins in ten minutes."
The screens changed again.
MATCH 1 — PREPARE
Music started low in the background.
Lights moved.
Teams began to gather.
Nervous.
Excited.
Scared.
Ready.
And from the stage, Ivy watched all of them…
while trying not to look at him again.