"I'll form my own team," he said, loud enough for all to hear. "With Lena and Anya. And anyone else who wants to walk a path that isn't just about efficiency or survival."
Silas snorted. "Sentimental nonsense. That's how you get killed."
"Maybe," Kai said. "But it's my choice."
Elias watched him, an unreadable expression on his face. Then he nodded once, almost imperceptibly. "The teams will be finalized by dusk tomorrow. Ten members each. The second arena opens in six days. Use your time well."
As the orientation broke up and survivors moved toward the exits, Lena touched Kai's arm. "Our own team? Are you sure?"
"No," Kai admitted. "But it feels right."
Anya joined them. "I'm in. But we need more than three. And we need a plan."
"We will," Kai said. But his mind was still reeling from the echo. The system's options. A, B, or C.
Termination.
He looked up at the cavern ceiling, at the pulsing roots of the Heart Tree. Somewhere in that vast, ancient intelligence, a decision was being made about him.
And for the first time, Kai Mori wasn't just fighting to survive the game.
He was fighting to survive the game's judgment of him.