Liam's hands clenched into fists as he backed away from the puzzle screen. His time kept ticking down.
[7:10]…
[7:09]…
Players around him were still scrambling to solve their own puzzles, but some had already failed. Others, like Ace and Mia, had extra time.
And then, the stealing began.
A sharp scream rang out. Ace spun around just in time to see two players struggling—one desperately clutching the wrist of another. A notification flickered above them:
[Time Transfer Initiated.]
[-2 Minutes from Player]
[+2 Minutes to Next Player]
The weaker player collapsed, his timer plunging closer to zero.
Liam's breathing turned ragged. "I have to steal…"
Ace took a cautious step back. "Liam, wait—"
Liam's eyes darted to other players, all locked in the same silent battle. Some were still trying puzzles, others were running, and some were outright fighting.
A man tackled another player to the ground, forcibly pressing their wrists together. The stolen player screamed as his time drained rapidly.
Ace's stomach twisted. It wasn't just about stealing time. It was about survival.
[6:30]
Liam was running out of time.
He looked at Ace, guilt and desperation flickering in his expression.
But then—BOOM!
A door slammed open down the hall.
Everyone froze.
From the shadows, a massive figure stepped into the corridor.
Its body was humanoid but twisted—its arms unnaturally long, its mouth split into a grotesque grin.
And on its chest, a timer.
[∞]
The air turned cold.
This thing… had unlimited time.
The mechanical voice returned.
"WARNING: THE COLLECTOR HAS ENTERED THE GAME."
"Players below 5 minutes are now considered PREY."
Liam's face went pale. His time: [6:02]… [6:01]…
But others weren't so lucky.
Across the room, a girl screamed as her timer flashed red—[4:59]… [4:58]…
The Collector's grin widened.
And then, it moved.
The Collector lunged.
A blur of unnatural speed, its elongated arms shot forward, grabbing the screaming girl before she could even react. She thrashed, clawing at its grip, but the monster didn't hesitate.
Her timer hit [0:00]—and she vanished into dust.
The entire room erupted into chaos.
Players scattered in every direction, sprinting for safety. Those with less than five minutes were now targets.
Liam stumbled backward, checking his timer frantically. [5:45]… [5:44]… Too close. Way too close.
"Run!" Ace shouted, grabbing Mia's wrist and dragging her toward the nearest exit.
Other players weren't so lucky.
One guy tripped, his timer flashing [3:59]. The Collector's head snapped toward him. It moved instantly.
A wet, sickening crunch. More dust.
The hallway became a battlefield. Those with extra time sprinted away, avoiding the fight entirely. But those running low? They were desperate.
"Help me!" a man yelled, grabbing at another player's wrist.
"No—get off me!" The second player shoved him back, scrambling away.
The mechanical voice boomed again.
"Time Transfer Initiated."
-3 Minutes from Player
+3 Minutes to Next Player
The weaker player gasped, his body trembling as his timer plummeted. [2:05]… [2:04]…
Liam's breath came in ragged gasps. [5:10]… [5:09]… He had minutes left. He needed time.
Ace saw the look in his eyes.
"Liam, don't."
But it was too late.
Liam grabbed the wrist of the nearest player.
"Time Transfer Initiated."
-4 Minutes from Player
+4 Minutes to Next player
The man gasped, stumbling backward. "No! Please—" His timer flashed red. [0:03]… [0:02]…
The Collector's head snapped toward him.
Liam turned and ran.
Ace's stomach twisted. He did what he had to do.
But now? They had to escape.
The Collector wasn't stopping. It wanted more.
And soon? Even those with time wouldn't be safe.
The screams echoed down the halls as more players vanished into dust. The Collector never stopped moving, its unnatural speed and strength making it impossible to fight.
Ace, Mia, and Liam sprinted through the twisting corridors, searching for a way out. But where was out? The maze was shifting, walls sliding and doors disappearing behind them. The entire structure felt alive, forcing them deeper into the game.
[5:02]… [5:01]…
Liam's breathing was ragged. "We need time, Ace. We need more time!"
Ace clenched his fists. They couldn't just steal it from someone else.
A voice shouted behind them. "Over here!"
They turned to see a group of five players pushing open a massive metal door. It looked like a vault, thick and reinforced.
One of them, a tall girl with braided hair, waved them over. "It's a safe room! The Collector can't get in!"
Mia didn't hesitate—she dashed inside.
Ace grabbed Liam's arm and pulled him in next.
The second the last player entered, they slammed the door shut.
Silence.
The only sound was their heavy breathing and the quiet ticking of their timers.
[4:59]… [4:58]…
Liam collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. "I—I thought I was done for."
The tall girl, still catching her breath, looked at them. "I'm Nova. This is Carter, Jin, Evie, and Ryan."
Ace nodded. "I'm Ace. This is Mia and Liam."
Nova checked her timer. [12:30] Still decent. "We have a problem."
Carter, a guy with glasses, pushed his hair back. "More than one. First, we don't know how long this safe room will hold. Second, we're all running out of time."
Jin, a muscular player leaning against the wall, crossed his arms. "There's gotta be another way to earn time besides stealing it or those damn puzzles."
Evie, a quiet girl in a hoodie, hesitated before speaking. "…There is."
They all turned to her.
She pulled out a small, glowing stopwatch from her pocket.
"I found this in a hidden room. It resets a player's timer to 10 minutes if used."
Liam lunged forward. "Give it to me."
Ace grabbed his arm, yanking him back. "Liam, wait."
Nova narrowed her eyes. "We can't just use it without thinking. We only have one."
Liam gritted his teeth. "So what? We wait until someone dies? I—"
A loud bang sounded from outside the door.
The room went dead silent.
Ryan's voice trembled. "…It's here."
Ace's heart pounded. The Collector was right outside.
And they were running out of time.
**********
The banging grew louder. The metal door shook under the force of the Collector's attack. Each impact sent a deep, rattling vibration through the walls, as if the creature was testing the door's durability.
Ace's breath caught. How long would the safe room hold?
Liam's gaze was locked on the stopwatch in Evie's hand. His timer ticked lower. [3:45]… [3:44]…
"Use it." His voice was sharp, desperate.
Nova tightened her grip on the stopwatch. "We need a plan. If we waste it now, someone else dies later."
Liam stepped forward. "That's not your call."
Ace blocked him. "Liam, stop."
"Easy for you to say!" Liam's voice rose. "You've got more time than me! What if you were the one stuck at three minutes?!"
BANG.
The Collector let out a low, guttural snarl.
Everyone froze.