Cold.

That was the first thing Yukian felt.

Not the soft chill of a rainy day, but a deep, unnatural cold that crept into her bones.

Her eyes fluttered open.

Darkness.

There was nothing—no walls, no ground, no sky. Just an infinite void stretching in all directions. She wasn't even sure if she was standing, floating, or simply existing.

Her breathing came out sharp and uneven. Where am I? Am I dead?

Then—

A voice shattered the silence.

"Welcome, Player 135."

Yukian flinched. The voice was robotic, neither male nor female, but something inhuman. It vibrated through the void like an unseen force pressing down on her.

"You have been selected."

A blinding red light flickered to life above her, glitching like a broken screen.

Text appeared, glowing in the air.

A single word pulsed in red:

RULES.

Yukian's stomach twisted.

The robotic voice continued, monotone yet terrifyingly final.

"This world follows a simple set of rules. Failure to comply will result in immediate elimination."

The floating text shifted, revealing a new set of words.

1. You are now a participant in "The Phantom Trials." Survival is the only objective.
2. Each trial is a game. Completing a game earns you time. Failing a game takes it away.
3. Time is your life. When your time reaches zero, you are erased.
4. The difficulty of each trial is random. Some games require strength, some require intelligence, some require sacrifice.
5. You may form alliances. But remember—only one player can escape.
6. Breaking the rules will result in immediate execution.

The moment the final rule appeared, a timer flashed into existence on Yukian's wrist.

02:00:00

Two hours.

Her eyes widened. Wait—does this mean—?!

Before she could finish the thought, a final message appeared.

"Your first trial begins now."

The floor beneath her vanished.

Gravity returned, slamming into her body.

She was falling.

Faster.

Faster.

The last thing she heard was the robotic voice echoing through the void.

"Good luck, Player."

Then—

Impact.

Her body ached as if she had fallen from a hundred stories high, her limbs stiff and sore against the cold, hard ground. A low ringing echoed in her ears, drowning out the muffled voices around her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

She was lying in the middle of a street.

Not a normal street—this one felt wrong. The sky above was an eerie shade of dark purple, with no sun, no clouds, just a massive glowing clock counting down.

01:59:22

Two hours.

Her stomach twisted. The timer... it's real.

She pushed herself up, her breathing shaky. Buildings towered around her, empty convenience stores, shattered glass windows, abandoned cars. It looked like a city—but there were no signs of life. No pedestrians, no distant sirens, no birds. Just silence.

And then—she saw them.

Other players.

Scattered across the street, people were groaning, pushing themselves off the ground, all looking just as disoriented as she felt.

Some were older. Some were her age. Some looked terrified. Others looked... excited.

A few had already grouped together, whispering frantically.

Yukian swallowed hard. She didn't recognize anyone. Who are they? How many of us are here?

A sudden beep echoed through the air.

A large billboard on one of the buildings flickered to life, the same glitching red text appearing on the screen.

"Welcome, Players."
"Your first game is about to begin."
"Trial Name: The Red Gate."
"Objective: Find the exit before time runs out."
"Failure Condition: Time reaches zero."
"Additional Rule: Only five may pass."

Yukian's breath hitched.

Only five may pass?

Her heart pounded. There were at least twenty people here.

Meaning... fifteen of them would die.

Before she could even process it, a new message flashed.

"Trial begins in 30 seconds."

A loud click echoed through the city.

The distant sound of metal doors unlocking.

Something was about to chase them.

Yukian's entire body screamed RUN.