THE LAST ONE STANDING

PROLOGUE

People always claimed that life is a game. I couldn't understand it until it came crashing down on me like a hurricane.

Around the age of fifteen, I lost my parents in a car crash. The devastating event left me with a small sum of money and a younger sister. With our house taken away from us, we began living in a dingy street. Even completing everyday chores seemed like stepping into the battlefield without our parent's protection. Nonetheless, I didn't give up.

While I kept attending the school, I couldn't pay the tuition. During school, I was made the butt of the ridicule for my ragged uniform and somewhat shabby backpack. I couldn't afford to buy another one. The bullying and an inability to pay made it hard for me to attend school anymore. Thus, I had to quit.

The little inheritance left by our parents soon ended, and I began working in a café to provide for my sister. Molestation and arguments were a constant recurring pattern in the café. Anyways, I bore it as it allowed me to provide meals to my sister. Even though life was hard without the supervision of the adults, I never let it reflect on my face for the sake of the young child that I needed to take care of.

Things, however, took an ugly turn when my sister came down with a degenerating disease and required urgent medical attention. The doctor clarified to me that she wouldn't last more than two months without the treatment and an amount of eight million dollars was required urgently. Impecunious, I visited our relatives in the hopes of monetary support. I was only foolish to believe that the people who didn't aid us after our parent's death would provide for such a huge sum.

After being rejected and humiliated by each and everyone, I sat in a dark alley with tears filled in my eyes. The tears soon trickled down my cheeks as I began agonising over my ill fate.

Although life had given up on me, I couldn't give up on my sister. Hence, I commenced looking all around me. Several unpleasant answers came to me. I considered going into the nightclubs. That seemed like an undesirable job, and I also knew that I wouldn't be able to get eight million dollars from it. The required amount put a halt to every possibility of employment. The only other method to extract that amount was theft. That thought took me to the casinos in the posh area of the city. That also didn't work out. I failed in my attempts and escaped the blood-thirsty crowd with a broken nose.

After the retreat, I crept back to the same street like a rat. While sitting among the dirt and rubbish, I began weeping for my ill-fate. It was at that moment that I begged God for one more chance. I was willing to do anything, even when it meant losing my life for it.

God answered my prayers as I soon received the invitation to a game in the form of a letter. I found it lying on my lap when I woke up after a brief nap.

The letter detailed a game of battle royale that offered ten million dollars to the winner. Battle Royale is a game that ensures the participation of several participants with the end goal of survival of one. It did sound threatening, but I couldn't worry about something as meagre as elimination. The required amount was of much importance for me.

The envelope also contained a contact number that I was required to use to get acquainted with the organisers to participate. Without thinking much about the consequences or the source of the letter, I rushed to the nearest payphone and got connected with the organisers. After confirming the details of the letter, I got to know that the game was organised by the WIC company. I had never heard of it, but the contents about them didn’t matter as I was in a hurry. So, I sought their permission to let me enter the game.

Around midnight, they picked me up while keeping my eyes covered with a cloth and mouth taped. When I was allowed to open my eyes, I found myself on an abandoned island with a hundred other players. The dense forests served as our arena. Initially, I had thought that I would be easily able to survive a month in that wilderness for the sake of my sister. The confidence soon depleted when they detailed us about the ten rounds and elimination. All the details shared were threatening enough to make anybody quit, but I couldn't succumb to the fear.

Since my sister's life was on the line, I was willing to do anything.

As for the rules, there was only one - survival. We were required to escape the challenges that every round would put forth and reach the top of the mountain. It was located in the heart of the forest. The one who would get to the top after crossing all the hurdles would be considered a winner.

It all seemed easy until the game began. The dead bodies and life-threatening traps made me forget about the money and forced me to consider the possibility of me leaving the place alive. The place had several people that were defeated in life like me. All of them had no method to survive the real world and suffered from a shortage of money. Unexpectedly, the strange atmosphere did provide a few friends, enemies and a lover. That couldn't last for long.

This new place also served as a real hell as we began exploring the darkest sides of humanity. With betrayal and revenge being one of the many emotions cultivated in the game, we ended up on the verge of death with every impending round.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

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It's a humble request for you to add this book to your library. It would mean a lot to me.

Thank You.