Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
"I'm not sure," Hayven chimed in, looking wary.
"We can use them for now and then continue on foot," Brody suggested.
Ciaran nodded in agreement. "Let's do that."
We hopped onto the vehicles and drove off, heading back to the city. As we rode along in the carts, the steady hum of the engines brought a strange sense of calm amidst our chaotic situation. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a soft golden light over everything - a tranquil contrast to the turmoil surrounding us.
We piled into the vehicles, and whoever was driving took off, heading back towards the city. We were riding the golf carts, the rhythmic hum of the engines oddly soothing against the backdrop of our frayed nerves. The sun was beginning to rise, casting the world in a soft, golden light that felt almost out of place in our current reality.
The terrain grew steeper, and we decided it was time to leave the carts behind. They had served their purpose, but now we needed to navigate the rugged path with our own two feet. We hopped off the carts one by one and began our descent down a steep hill.
The ground was rough and uneven, and I found myself needing to lean on Ky for support several times. He held onto me tightly, his grip steady and reassuring. The rest of the group moved ahead cautiously, carefully picking their way through the treacherous slope. Lana and Ciaran led the way, setting a quick but cautious pace.
At last, we reached the bottom of the hill and found ourselves facing a shallow creek. The water was crystal clear and offered a brief respite from the rising heat. On the other side, we began our ascent up another hill. This one was less steep but covered in thick underbrush that slowed our progress. As the sun rose higher in the sky, its warm rays cut through the morning mist and lit up our path ahead. We reached the top, and the sprawling city lay below us. We’d wound up on what looked like the outskirts.
"Back in civilization," Brody said with a sigh.
"This isn’t any kind of civilization I’ve seen before," Dion replied.
The guys knew where to go, navigating through the city with ease. We stuck close to the buildings, using shadows and narrow alleys to our advantage. Every so often, screams pierced through the streets or mechanical traps whirred in the distance, reminding me that other participants were facing their own struggles.
"How do they decide who to watch?" Mel asked.
"Well, those in the control room have access to everything," Brody explained. "They report directly to the people pulling the strings."
"The game makers can see certain feeds," Maverick added. "They make sure their little experiments run smoothly, triggering and shutting them down as needed."
"And as for the viewers," Charon continued, "some bet on specific individuals and have access to the cameras anywhere they go. Others flip through different streams and watch whatever catches their attention. Remember the event-like room you passed through? It's connected to a casino of sorts where all the screens display various feeds."
"Those with the most viewers are turning the highest profit," Ciaran said. "They either pay to watch or buy a pass for exclusive access. And betting? That's a whole other level of wealth."
"But what’s the real purpose behind this? I get rich people have fucked up hobbies, but there has to be more to this that, surely,” Hayven thought aloud.
“There is. This whole setup… it’s ancient. Our families—and others—have been playing this game for centuries, long before it became a spectator sport."
I looked away from the vinyl record store I had spotted. “Centuries?”
"It’s for Power. Control,” Ky replied, moving me away from the street and to his other side.
“Back then, it was about proving whose bloodline was strongest, who deserved to lead. Now? Now it’s evolved into something more… sophisticated. But the core remains the same,” Ciaran continued.
“It goes much, much deeper than that but we don’t really have time to give a whole history lesson,” Maverick added. “This is how they maintain order among the elite and get richer while doing it."
We finally reached a fence with a small hole in it. We squeezed through one by one, entering an alleyway. Once all of us had made it through, we walked a few steps down to where there was a dumpster.
"Are we supposed to go in there?" Hayven asked, sounding skeptical.
Charon laughed. "Why the hell would we go into a trash can?"
"I don't know. But given our current situation, it wouldn't be that surprising," Hayven responded.
"She makes a valid point," I chimed in. "Digging through garbage may be the most normal thing to happen here."
"Except we'd probably be searching for organs or something," Lana stated flatly.
Ciaran and Maverick pushed the dumpster aside, revealing a vent cover underneath. Ky stepped forward and flipped the cover-up, retrieving a key from inside. He then moved towards the wall, running his hands along it in search of something.