The excitement in the city had started to die down.
People who had once been revving engines and laughing over games were now staring at the glowing blue barrier, realization sinking in.
There was no escape.
Ace could feel the tension in the air. Some players still tried to act unfazed, joking about how they'd just play along, but others…
They were starting to panic.
A girl near the barrier was shaking her head. "No, no, no—there has to be a way out! We can't just be stuck here!"
A guy beside her clenched his fists. "Maybe it's a trick! Maybe there's a hidden exit somewhere!"
Mia muttered, "Denial stage."
Ace nodded. First, everyone thought this was just another game. Now that they saw the truth, they were desperate to deny it.
A group of guys in expensive-looking jackets stood near the wrecked cars, arms crossed. One of them scoffed, "Guess that means we only have one way forward."
Ace glanced at him. "The next game."
The guy grinned. "Exactly."
That was the only rule they couldn't break.
No skipping. No hiding. Everyone had to play.
Ace exhaled. So this was it.
They were locked in, thousands of players thrown together in a city-sized arena with only one objective:
Survive.
Mia looked around. "So what now?"
Ace glanced at the massive holographic timer floating in the sky.
[NEXT GAME STARTS IN: 22 HOURS.]
"Now?" He turned back to Mia.
"We get ready."
Ace and Mia made their way back to the Players' Dormitory, passing groups of people who were still trying to make sense of everything.
Some were panicking.
Some were strategizing.
Some were just wasting time.
But Ace? He had a plan.
"If we're trapped in a game," he said, "then we train the only way we know how—by playing more games."
Mia raised an eyebrow. "That's your big idea?"
"Think about it," Ace said. "The Eclipse Arena has everything we had in the real world, right? That includes video games. And if this is still following some kind of 'game logic,' then that means…"
Mia's eyes widened. "We can train."
Ace smirked. "Exactly."
–––––––––––
They stopped by one of the arcade centers inside the Players' District.
Inside, hundreds of gaming setups lined the walls—PCs, consoles, VR stations, even old-school arcade machines. It was like a dream for any gamer.
But this wasn't for fun.
Ace scanned the options. "We need games that train reflexes, problem-solving, and endurance. Anything that could match what the Eclipse Arena might throw at us."
Mia nodded. "Shooters for reaction time. Puzzle games for quick thinking. Rhythm games for precision."
Ace smirked. "And racing games… just in case they give us cars again."
They grabbed a console and took it back to their dorm.
–––––––––––
Back in their room, they hooked up the system and dived in.
The first game?
A battle royale shooter.
Ace and Mia sat side by side, controllers in hand, focused like never before.
Every movement, every decision mattered.
They weren't just playing to win a match anymore.
They were training to survive.
Ace clutched the controller, his character ducking behind cover as enemy shots whizzed past.
"We need to train fast reactions. The games here won't give us time to think."
Mia nodded, locking onto a target and landing a perfect headshot. "Got it. No hesitation."
Hours passed as they cycled through different games—puzzles, strategy simulators, and rhythm-based reflex tests.
They weren't just playing.
They were sharpening their minds.
Because tomorrow…
The real game would begin.
–––––––––––
While some players were training their minds, others were preparing in a different way.
In a darker part of the Eclipse Arena, far from the flashing lights of the Players' District, a group of players had already made their decision.
They wouldn't wait for the next game.
They wouldn't rely on luck.
They would take control.
A man sat in the center of a dimly lit warehouse, surrounded by crates of weapons.
He ran a hand over the cold metal of a blade, his eyes narrowed in thought.
His name was Orion.
And in this world, strength would decide everything.
Around Orion, his men were gearing up.
Some held makeshift weapons—pipes, crowbars, and knives they had found scattered across the city. Others had managed to get their hands on actual firearms from the Eclipse Arena's mysterious supply caches.
A large man with a scar over his lip tested the weight of a metal bat. "You sure about this, Orion? We don't even know what the next game is."
Orion smirked. "And that's exactly why we need to be ready."
Another man, smaller but with sharp eyes, scoffed. "You think the game masters will let us use these? There are rules."
Orion turned to him, a chilling grin on his face.
"And what happens when those rules change?"
The room fell silent.
They all knew the truth—this wasn't just some random tournament.
This was a battle for survival.
And Orion?
He wasn't planning on playing fair.
"We're already seeing it," Orion continued, pacing the room. "Most of these idiots still think this is some kind of challenge show. They're too busy laughing, making friends, and treating this like a game."
He grabbed a rifle from the table and inspected it.
"But when the real bloodshed starts? When do people realize there are no second chances?"
He loaded a round into the chamber, the click echoing through the warehouse.
"That's when they'll come crawling for protection."
A man with a buzz cut smirked. "And we'll be the ones in charge."
Orion nodded. "Exactly."
The Eclipse Arena was still in its early stages, but Orion knew how games like this worked. He had seen it in the movies.
Sooner or later, the rules would shift.
And when they did…
It would be survival of the fittest. The strongest would survive; the weak ones would fall.
And Orion wanted to be there to witness it happen.