Joseph found Jude crouched low behind a thicket of bushes on the southern slope. A flashlight was propped against a rock, and a walkie-talkie lay cracked open in his lap. Wires spilled like veins as his hands moved quickly, his face tight with focus.

“Jude?” Joseph stepped out from the trees.

Jude didn’t look up. “Trying to hijack the signal,” he muttered. “If I can force a backfeed through the antenna, maybe I can bounce something off a satellite. Even static's better than nothing.”

Joseph stepped closer. “You think it’ll work?”

“Doubt it,” Jude said. “But if we’re sitting ducks, I’m not just going to wait to get picked off. Either I get a signal out or learn something about what the hell they’re using.”

He sparked two wires together—nothing happened.

He tried again, and the screen flickered for half a second before dying completely.

Jude cursed. “Goddamn it.”

Then he looked up, his eyes meeting Joseph’s before dropping to his bare neck. He froze.

“…Where’s your collar?” he asked sharply.

Joseph didn’t move. “I took it off.”

Jude stood quickly, backing away a step. “You what?”

“I’ve been removing them—Leo, Amelia, Nina, Max, Celeste—”

“You expect me to believe that?” Jude’s eyes flashed. “After what you pulled with the camera? After everything?”

“I didn’t plant it—”

“Bullshit!” Jude snapped. “You always had your camera with you—every trip, every party—and now suddenly it’s in some freak’s hands? How does that happen, Joseph?”

“I’m not the hunter,” Joseph said, quietly but firmly.

Jude didn’t care. He turned to run.

Joseph lunged, hitting the ground hard. Jude’s shoulder thudded against the dirt, and Joseph pinned him down with one knee.

“Get off me!” Jude struggled, fists flying, but Joseph already had the key.

He shoved it into the collar clasp. 

Click. 

Green light. 

He ripped the collar off and flung it into the trees.

BOOM.

The blast cracked through the woods, sharp and unmistakable. Both of them froze, Jude's chest heaving as he instinctively reached for his now-bare neck.

“…Jesus,” he breathed.

Joseph’s eyes snapped up as flashlight beams moved rapidly through the trees—masked men were approaching.

“I have to go,” Joseph said, backing away. “Stay down. Stay hidden.”

Then he ran, leaves scattering underfoot and his heart in his throat.

Six down. Two more to go. Time was still ticking.

Joseph found Eli near the edge of the clearing, pacing like a storm in a cage. 

“Eli,” Joseph called out, breathless.

Eli turned quickly, the flashlight catching Joseph’s face and neck. No collar.

His whole demeanor changed. Rage lit his eyes. “You.”

Joseph stopped just out of reach, raising his hands. “I’m not the hunter.”

“You’re not wearing a collar.”

“Because I took it off.”

“Exactly,” Eli growled, stepping forward. “You took it off. And now you expect me to let you take mine too? Fuck you.”

Joseph didn’t flinch. “They’re bombs. I’m not lying. I’ve taken off six already. They’ll blow at sunrise—”

“You think I care?” Eli snapped, his voice rising. “You think I will roll over and trust you after everything?”

“I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to live.”

Eli scoffed. “You’re asking me to give you control. You’ve always been good at that.”

Joseph took a step closer. “Please. Just let me take it off.”

“No.”

“Eli—”

“No!” Eli lunged and shoved him hard.

Joseph stumbled back but didn’t fall. “You don’t understand, this isn’t about me—”

“Of course it is!" Eli yelled. “Is this how you want to get our attention? Is that it, Joseph? Are you behind this whole thing?”

Joseph moved in fast, trying to close the distance, trying to talk and connect—but Eli grabbed his shirt and slammed him against a tree.

“You ruined everything,” Eli hissed. “And now you want to be the hero?”

Joseph struggled. “I’m trying to save you, dammit—”

They grappled—Eli fought like he’d been trained, using sharp elbows and solid footing. Every move was quick and deliberate, but Joseph operated on instinct and desperation. He lunged low, caught Eli off balance, and tackled him hard. Dirt flew as they rolled through the underbrush, fists swinging, breaths ragged.

At some point, Joseph got the key in hand and jammed it toward Eli’s collar—

Click.

The green light blinked.

Joseph reached to pull the collar free—

—But Eli shoved him back and grabbed it. “No,” he barked. “You don’t get to decide this for me!”

“Eli—!”

Joseph saw the light flash red, and something in his chest broke.

He kicked hard.

His shoe connected with Eli’s hand, sending the collar flying—

BOOM.

The explosion was too close. They both hit the ground hard. Joseph’s ears rang as dirt rained down, and something sliced his shoulder. Eli rolled over, coughing, blood trailing from a shallow cut above his eyebrow.

Silence settled, broken only by the wheezing of two boys still breathing.

Still alive. Barely.

Joseph lay on his back, blinking at the leaves above with his pulse racing.

Eli groaned from the dirt. “You fucking maniac.”

Joseph coughed. “You’re welcome.”

Eli sat up slowly, wincing as he wiped blood from his temple. “What the hell was that?” 

Joseph pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly. “I told you,” he said, his breath ragged. “It was a bomb.”

Eli looked over at the smoldering patch of earth where the collar had landed, his eyes wide. “That was—”

“We need to move,” Joseph said, scanning the trees. “That blast definitely gave us away.”

“You knew it’d go off that close?” Eli asked, his voice sharp.

“I didn’t have a choice.”

Boots crunched in the distance—fast and closing in.

Joseph grabbed Eli by the sleeve. “Hide. Now. Don’t get caught.”

“What about you?”

“There’s still one left.”

He didn’t wait for a reply. He was already running—limping slightly, his shoulder burning, but still going. Into the trees. Toward the final collar. Time was ticking.

The sky was fading from black to gray.

Joseph ran.

Branches clawed at his arms, thorns tore at his sleeves, but he didn’t stop. His lungs burned. His legs ached. Time was slipping away too fast now.

He hadn’t seen Leo. Or Nina. Or even Max’s loud flashlight signals. Everyone had scattered again and gone quiet.

It was just him.

And Preston.

The last collar.

And no matter how far Joseph searched, he couldn’t find him.

He stopped at the edge of a dry creek bed, heart hammering, and dragged a shaking hand through his hair.

“What if I am the hunter?” he muttered to himself.

The thought had crept in before, but now it twisted deep, poisonous.

What if the mastermind lied?

What if the key was never meant to save anyone?

What if they were all supposed to die, and he was just too deep inside it to see the truth?

But then he pictured Preston’s collar flashing red.

He pictured it exploding.

And that was enough.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “PRESTON!”

Silence.

The sky shifted another shade lighter.

He screamed again, his throat raw. “PRESTON!”

And this time—finally—

A shape emerged from the woods, cautious and hesitant.

Preston.

He looked exhausted, his hoodie torn, his face streaked with dirt, but his collar was still intact and glowing.

Joseph took a step forward. “Preston—thank God—”

But Preston stepped back. “Stay away from me.”

Joseph froze. “Please, just let me—”

“You think I don’t notice?” Preston’s voice cracked. “You show up like some hero? With your collar off, that damn key in your hand—like you’re the only one who knows what’s going on. If you’re not the hunter… then where are the others, huh? Why are you the only one still standing?”

Joseph shook his head. “That’s not what this is—”

“I don’t believe you!” Preston shouted. “What if this is what you wanted, huh? So that you could win alone—and leave the rest of us to die?”

Joseph flinched.

And Preston ran.

Joseph ran after him.

They crashed through the trees—Joseph stumbling, ducking under low branches, sprinting as fast as he could.

Then, behind them.

Another sound.

Boots.

Joseph’s heart twisted.

The masked men were chasing them, too.

“PRESTON!” he screamed. “STOP!”

But Preston didn’t. He veered left, jumped over a log, and disappeared behind a cluster of boulders.

Joseph followed mindlessly—barely catching a flash of Preston’s sleeve—then dove.

He caught Preston’s ankle.

Both of them fell hard.

Joseph slammed into the dirt. Preston twisted beneath him, yelling and trying to kick free—but Joseph grabbed the collar, yanked the key from his pocket, and jammed it in.

Click.

Green light.

The sunrise hit the trees.

Joseph ripped the collar off and flung it with every ounce of strength he had—straight toward the masked men in the clearing.

BOOM.

The blast cracked like thunder. The heat blew past them, and dirt and smoke curled into the air.

The masked men dodged it, staggered, but didn’t fall.

Joseph grabbed Preston, trying to run, but they didn’t get far.

Rough hands slammed them both to the ground.

Joseph hit face-first. Preston groaned somewhere beside him. Blood dripped from Joseph’s eyebrow. One of the masked men kicked the key away.

Another boot pressed into Joseph’s spine.

He heard Preston coughing beside him. “So… was it worth it?” he gasped. “You lied to us. Lied about the camera. Lied about everything. Just to get attention?”

Joseph didn’t answer.

Not because he didn’t want to.

But because, for the first time—

He didn’t know the answer anymore.