The Last Heartbreak

The first thing she noticed was the cold. It wasn’t the ordinary kind of cold that came with winter nights. It was the kind that crept beneath the skin and settled deep inside the bones. Ava Hart slowly opened her eyes. For a few seconds, everything was blurry. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar—dark, high, and lined with dim white lights. Her brows furrowed. Where was she? She quickly sat up, only for a sharp pain to shoot through her head. “Ugh…” She pressed a hand against her temple and looked around. She wasn’t alone. People. Dozens of them. No… hundreds. Some were sitting on the floor, some were still unconscious, while others looked around with the same confusion written all over their faces. A young man suddenly stood up. “Where the hell are we?” Nobody answered. A girl beside him began to panic. “I-I was in my room! How did I get here?” “I was literally driving home!” “What is this place?” The voices grew louder. Fear spread through the enormous hall like wildfire. Ava slowly got to her feet. The room looked like an abandoned train station. Concrete walls. Metal pillars. A giant black screen hanging at the front. Everything looked old and eerie. Her heart began to beat faster. She reached for her phone. Nothing. No phone. No bag. No belongings. Her breathing became uneven. What was happening? Suddenly— BOOM! The lights flickered. Everyone screamed. Then the giant screen lit up. Silence immediately filled the hall. White letters slowly appeared. WELCOME, CONTESTANTS. A chill ran down Ava’s spine. Contestants? “What kind of joke is this?” someone shouted. More words appeared. TOTAL PLAYERS: 120 The crowd erupted. “What?!” “This has to be illegal!” “I want to go home!” YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN A SERIES OF GAMES. “The what?” A man laughed nervously. “Okay, funny prank. Cameras, come out now.” Nobody laughed with him. Because deep down… Everyone felt it. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Another line appeared. RULE NUMBER ONE: SURVIVE. Games? Nobody spoke. Nobody even breathed. Another line appeared. SURVIVE UNTIL THE END. Someone laughed nervously. “Okay… this is definitely a prank.” Nobody joined in. Because deep down… Everyone felt it. Something was terribly wrong. Then— A voice echoed through the hall. Calm. Distorted. Impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman. “Good evening, contestants.” The room instantly became silent. “Congratulations on your selection.” “What selection?!” someone shouted. “We didn’t agree to this!” The voice ignored them. “For the next few weeks, this city will become your world.” Ava frowned. City? As if hearing her thoughts, the giant doors at the far end of the hall slowly opened. Everyone gasped. Outside… was an entire city. Towering buildings. Bright lights. Wide streets. Beautiful. Yet strangely empty. No cars. No people. No sound. It looked like a city that had been abandoned. The voice spoke again. “Your first game will begin tomorrow evening.” The crowd erupted. “What happens if we refuse?!” “Send us home!” “Who are you?!” Silence. Then— “If you fail… you will be eliminated.” The word sent chills through the room. Eliminated. Nobody knew exactly what that meant. But nobody wanted to find out. A woman suddenly began sobbing. “This isn’t funny anymore…” The voice continued. “Every midnight, decisions will be made.” A giant digital clock suddenly appeared on the screen. 00:00 Ava felt her stomach drop. “Until then, rest well.” The screen suddenly turned black. For a few moments, nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Then— “So… we’re seriously trapped here?” A nervous laugh came from somewhere. Another person started crying. Some people shouted. Others simply stood there in shock. Ava slowly looked toward the empty city outside. A strange feeling settled in her chest. Fear. Confusion. And something else. A feeling she couldn’t explain. As she stared outside, she suddenly noticed something. On one of the distant skyscrapers— a giant screen flickered to life. Everyone slowly turned toward it. Words appeared. 120 DAYS REMAINING. Silence. Then another sentence appeared beneath it. SURVIVE. A cold breeze entered through the open doors. Nobody said a word. the terrifying reality finally sank in. This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t a dream. As fear slowly settled in their hearts, none of them dared to ask the question they were all thinking… who would be the first to be eliminated?