**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 68: Face to Face**

  January 3rd, 6:14 p.m. – Dorm Block (Intermission)

  The screen in the common room lit up again — cold white numbers on black background, no fanfare, just facts.

  **Current Kill Count**

  **Total Matches Completed: 5 (all 1v1)**

  **Players Remaining: 1902**

  Sky stared at the number for a long second — 1907 minus 5. Five people who’d been breathing this morning, now just stats. He looked around the room at the others — Frosty leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, still wincing every time she breathed too deep; Max sitting on the floor with his head in his hands, shadows curled tight around him like they were trying to hold him together; Hiro curled up on the couch hugging her knees, eyes red; Mira standing by the window with one crow on her shoulder; Aoi in the corner, knees up, quiet as always; Kira sitting on the arm of the couch, katana across her lap like a security blanket; Rita next to Hiro, hand on her back.

  Sky spoke — voice low, rough from not using it much.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Everyone looked at him.

  “They’re gonna try to blow this place up after Mara vs Jane anyway.”

  Frosty nodded once — slow — like she’d already come to the same conclusion.

  Max lifted his head — eyes still red.

  “So what do we do?”

  Sky stood up — slow, tired.

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  “We survive the day. Then we find a way out. Or we take them with us.”

  No one answered. They didn’t need to.

  Sky looked toward the hallway — Kira had just walked out a minute ago, fast, after her and Max got into it about Cam. Max had snapped — “You don’t get to tell me how to feel about my brother!” — and Kira had left without another word. Sky felt it like a pull in his chest. He followed.

  He found her outside — not in the snow this time, but on one of the upper observation decks that overlooked the dome’s outer ring. Night had fallen hard — the Upper World goo above glowing faint pink-red, casting everything in soft, eerie light. The stadium lights below twinkled like stars that had fallen too low. It was pretty in a broken way — like looking at a city after a fire, beautiful and sad at the same time.

  Kira stood at the railing — arms crossed, katana leaning against it — staring out at the lights.

  Sky walked up slow — hands in his hoodie pockets.

  She didn’t turn.

  “What do you want?”

  Sky stopped a few feet away — leaned against the railing next to her.

  “I know it’s hard. He was my friend for a very, very, very long time. I don’t know if this is because you like him, but… it’s not okay.”

  His voice cracked on the last word.

  Kira finally looked at him — eyes wet, but not crying.

  Sky’s own eyes started to build — hot, stinging. He blinked hard.

  “People are gonna keep dying.”

  Kira leaned her head on his arm — slow, careful — like she was testing if he’d pull away.

  “That’s the point of this,” she whispered.

  Sky looked down at her — hair falling across her face, lights reflecting in her eyes.

  She kept going — voice small.

  “We’re in the middle. Good and bad. We’re neither.”

  Sky swallowed — throat tight.

  “I don’t want people at a young age to die. Or at a good age. They have so much to live for.”

  Kira lifted her head — looked at him for a long second.

  “Sky.”

  He met her eyes.

  “Don’t worry about others too much. You’re gonna die doing that.”

  Sky exhaled — shaky — and nodded once.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  They stood there — quiet — lights flickering below them, snow starting to fall again in slow, lazy flakes.

  Then they walked back inside together — shoulder to shoulder — no more words needed.

  Sky saw the dudes Mara had introduced earlier — Tray and Troy — leaning against the wall near the dorm entrance. Hood up, faces half-shadowed. They didn’t look up when Sky passed. Something felt off — like they were watching too close. Sky filed it away. Later.

  The intercom buzzed.

  “Sky vs Josh. Arena 1. Report in five minutes.”

  Sky stopped.

  Looked at the group.

  “I’ll see you guys.”

  Frosty grabbed his hand — squeezed once.

  “Come back.”

  Sky nodded — small smile.

  “I will.”

  He walked toward the tunnel that led to his assigned gate — the cave-like entrance players came out of. The crowd noise grew louder the closer he got — 20,000 voices turning into a wall of sound. Over 500 million tickets sold today alone. The stands were packed — from half-empty to overflowing — people crammed shoulder-to-shoulder, demons roaring, normals crying or cheering or both.

  Josh was already on his platform — blond hair messy, academy jacket slung over his shoulder, grin wide but nervous under the lights.

  Sky stepped out of his gate.

  They faced each other — four feet apart.

  Josh looked at him — really looked — and the grin faded a little.

  Sky didn’t speak.

  Just stared — eyes hard, no fear left.

  The announcer’s voice rolled out.

  “Final match of the day before the main event: Sky vs Josh. Begin.”

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…