Ultimate Countdown

ift, horrifying motion, it bit down hard on the young man's shoulder. "Ahhhhh

shoulder clean from the body. Blood sprayed into the air, splattering against the tree bark and staining the lea

ing. Pushing. Fleeing. Kyle stood frozen for a moment. His instincts screamed at him to run as well, and his feet even twitche

s was supposed to be a game, it felt too real. The pain. The blood. The terror. Everything screamed real. The boy c

resumed biting, this time sinking its fangs into the young man's side. Kyle looked around again. There had to be something-anything-he could do. That was when his eyes landed on the artifact. It glowed softly, almost beck

moment his fingers touched it, it vanished into thin air. DING. A translucent screen flashed before his eyes: [Artifact +1] [+1000$] [+10hrs] [Balance: $1000] [Time remaining: 33:53:36] Kyle barely had time to blink. The creature's snarl echoed behind him.

ike a freight train. Kyle didn't dare look back. He could feel it. The hot breath, the thunderous steps. Every nerve in his body screamed in pani

f's edge. If he could grab it, swing across... maybe he could trick the beast. It was a stupid plan. Suicidal. But it was the only one he had. He closed his eyes just for a second, drew in one long breath, and when they opened again, he was already at the edge. He leapt. His hand clo

m. Kyle's breath caught in his throat. He made it. He swung back toward the cliff. His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum, a mix of adrenaline and relief washing over him. He actually did it. He beat the beast. He was alive. And then,

t might explode. Silence. Suddenly, a hand shot out from the edge of the cliff, slamming into the jagged wall just beneath the ridge. Then the other followed. With grit teeth and burning arms, Kyle hauled himself up, drag

ying on the ground, the weight of what had just happened pressed down on him. He had absorbed the artifact. It wasn't a dream. A thousand dollars. Just like that. He opened his palm and stared at the glowing numbers on his ski

dn't afford to become a target. Still catching his breath, he sat up slowly and scanned the tree line behind him. The forest was quiet again, eerily so, as if nothing had happened. B

, it was far ahead of anything he had seen. It felt too real. He decided to head back. He had to check on the young man. The idiot who sc

The scene was grim. The young man lay in a puddle of blood, his eyes wide open and lifeless, mouth slightly parted as if stuck in a final breath. A couple of players, maybe no older than Kyle himself, were kn

like in a regular game. There was no flash of light, no log-out animation. Just blo

really... dead." Kyle swallowed and looked away. Stupid. The boy had been stupid. Too excited. Too loud. Too cocky. And

he body. The scent of it, coppery and thick, hung in the air like

loud enough for anyone to hear. Nobody responded. Either they didn't hear or didn't want to. Fine by him. He didn't come h

spered as he looked down at the boy one last time. He walked away without another word. The sound o

n standing around a bleeding corpse. He melted into the trees again, leaving the small crowd behind, disappearing into the vast unknow