A girl with shaking hands slid a card from the pile.

  Fifth loss.

  She had just lost the last lifeline needed to advance.

  After this, she was no longer considered...a player but property owned by them.

  Breaking her deep thoughts, a piercing voice said,

  “Do you have anything else?"

  These words shook her.

  A memory hit her.

  Four days earlier, Sofie had been brought to the island.

  The journey had been peaceful…

  yet one thing still disturbed her.

  The zone.

  The zone stretched five hundred meters ahead.

  Everyone was told not to overthink.

  Vision and hearing had to be blocked with blinders and earplugs.

  Those who struggled with intrusive thoughts were advised to take sleeping pills.

  Sofie followed the instructions…

  yet a small, unexplainable disturbance lingered in her mind.

  The captain wanted to check his watch, but fear of the unknown held him back.

  When the zone ended, he let out a long, relieved breath.

  The passengers disembarked at the port.

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  The island’s rules appeared before their eyes— stark, unyielding, impossible to ignore.

  1. Two teams, sixteen players each. Every player is assigned a keycard — the main lifeline of the island. Lose it, and you’re disqualified.

  2. Bets are organized between players at their discretion. You can wager money, expenses, or even your keycard.

  3. Losers are sent to the mines to work as labor.

  4. Money dominates everything. The more you have, the more information you can... buy

  .

  5. The price of the game equals 35× the money each player earns in the gambles...plus a fresh background... a new identity - a golden chance for criminals.

  6. Violence is prohibited unless explicitly stated in the game.

  7. Anything can be gambled — anything, with anyone.

  8. Initially, every player starts with 25,000 rims (island currency).

  The girl stood there, half scared, half confused, wondering... what to do next .On her fourth day, a thief snatched her keycard.

  He grinned, challenging her to a gamble duel.

  Sofie froze. What would she do now?

  Now?