The doors seal shut with a metallic hiss.

For a moment, there is silence—then the lights flare on, revealing the faces of people who should never have met again. Zoey Davis stands rigid, fists clenched, eyes already scanning the room for patterns. She never wanted to play again. She came back for one reason only: to end this. Beside her, Ben Miller exhales slowly, forcing calm into his voice even as his hands tremble. "This place… it’s wrong,” he mutters. “And if we’re here, it means the game never stopped.”

They didn’t return by accident. Zoey and Ben followed the trail—bank accounts, disappearances, whispers of a shadow organization. They knew stepping inside again might mean death. But if stopping the games meant sacrificing themselves, they were willing. Around them stand the other “champions.”...

Rachel Ellis crosses her arms, jaw tight. “So this is it,” she says coldly. “Another room. Another war.” Nathan lets out a sharp laugh, pacing. “Nah. I don’t do encores. Whoever dragged us back is dead.”

In the corner, Brianna watches silently, eyes flicking to every camera, every reflection. Theo tries to smile, but his voice cracks. “Please tell me someone else hears that ticking.”

Somewhere far beyond the walls, unseen screens glow. The Mastermind watches. Not a machine. Not just a voice. A person who has studied every survivor, every weakness, every choice they ever made.

The floor begins to shift. Numbers light up. The first puzzle activates. Zoey meets Ben’s eyes. “No matter what happens,” she whispers, “we don’t play by their rules.” Ben nods. “We break the game.”

The timer starts. And the Mastermind smiles—because this round was designed especially for them.

The tournament begins.