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“Remember when we landed on the platform? That’s just the beginning. It’ll keep happening until…” I trailed off, not wanting to voice the chilling possibilities.
“Until what?” she pressed.
“Until the Malquarans’ requirements are met,” I said, exhaling heavily.
She blinked at me, her mouth forming a silent ‘O’. “Requirements? What kind of sick game is this?”
I shook my head. “One where we’re the pawns, and our survival, the prize. But there’s a pattern, Riley. Every time we land, it’s a fresh loop.”
“Loop?” she questioned, still trying to piece together the chaotic jigsaw of our ordeal.
“Yes,” I responded, a newfound determination building within me. “Each time we are sent down, and if we don’t survive or succeed in the twisted challenge they set for us, we’re… reset. Brought back here. It’s like being stuck in an endless cycle.”
Riley’s eyes went wide, and her grip on my arm tightened. “So, you’re saying, every time we don’t… win, we’ll just end up back here? Over and over again?”
“Yes. But here’s the thing, Riley,” I said, lowering my voice and leaning in closer, so she could hear me clearly above the subtle hum of the pod and the loud countdown. “We have an advantage now. We’ve seen the platform, we’ve seen the jungle they wish us to operate in.”
The myriad of emotions playing across her face was almost heart-wrenching.
She looked lost, afraid, and yet, behind those glimmering azure eyes, there was a spark of determination.
“How do we beat them, Talan? What do they want from us?”
Dare I tell her?
Dare I reveal the full truth of our situation?
No, I decided. Not yet.
Soon, but not yet.
I sighed. “They want a show. A twisted entertainment.”
She took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Okay. What’s the plan?”
“First, when we get back down there, you need to trust me. No matter what happens, stay close. Listen to my every instruction. And above all, be silent. Understand?”
She looked like she was about to protest, but then she nodded, her lips pressing together in a thin line of determination. “I understand.”
The familiar digitized voice continued its countdown, echoing eerily inside our glass chamber.“One…”
I tightened my grip on her hand, giving it an assuring squeeze. “Hold on, Riley. We’re in this together.”
“Launch…”
And with that, the countdown ended, and once again, the pod launched, hurtling us toward another round in the Malquarans’ twisted game.
* * *
The swirling sea of stars was mesmerizing.
But that wasn’t what captured my attention as the pod spiraled through the vast void.
It was Riley.
Her eyes, previously filled with fear and panic, now held a glint of resolve.
And maybe…trust?
