The countdown ticked down like the final beats of a war drum, each number tightening the coil of tension winding through the 100 students scattered across the battlefield.
Arthur stood amidst it all, a quiet force bracing for the inevitable storm.
Then, the world shifted.
A flash of light enveloped him, and when it faded, the roar of the crowd in the stadium was gone, replaced by the hush of the wild. He landed in a dense forest, the ground beneath him soft with fallen leaves, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. A breeze rustled through the towering canopy, shafts of filtered sunlight breaking through in patches.
Arthur let out a slow breath, his muscles already coiled in readiness. A battle royale wasn't about being the strongest. It was about being the last one standing.
