But before anyone could respond to the boy's offer, another voice cut through the silence. "No." It was one of the older contestants, a man who had mostly kept to himself throughout the trials. His face was lined with age and experience, his eyes holding a depth that spoke of a lifetime of hard choices.
"We're not sacrificing the boy," he continued, his voice firm but tinged with a weariness that seemed to go beyond physical exhaustion. "If anyone's staying behind, it should be someone who's lived their life. Someone who's had their chance."
The group fell silent, processing his words. I watched the interplay of emotions across their faces – relief, guilt, hope, fear. It was a maelstrom of human weakness, and I knew I could use it to my advantage.
"That's noble of you," I said, keeping
