They scrambled higher, just as the water level rose ominously below. Outside the game, Jane's voice, laced with relief, came through. "You all okay?"
"Yes!" Suzanne called back, her voice breathless.
"Suzi, my daughter, are you okay?" her father's voice boomed from the external comms, thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry for what I've done to you for all these years."
"Suzi, are you fine?" Lisa asked, her voice softer.
"Yes, Mom and Dad, I'm totally fine," Suzanne replied, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm just sorry that you all have to come into this danger for me."
A.D. produced a long, thin strip, and a box of food materialized, which David quickly secured. "I can't store much, but this is all we have," A.D. explained.
Kyle, one of the girls from George's group, looked at him with newfound respect. "Not bad. You're much better than I thought."
They ate in silence, the meager rations a stark reminder of their predicament. As night fell, sleep began to pull at them. Suzanne, however, couldn't rest. "I can't sleep," she whispered to A.D. "Tell me about this game."
A.D. simply replied, "You don't have to," and turned away.
Sharleen then moved, settling her head on A.D.'s arm. "What is this?" A.D. asked, startled.
"It's a fee," Sharleen murmured. "Jane is paying me for my help." With that, she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter : The True Beginning
Outside the game, Lisa gently urged Jane. "Go to sleep, it's night and they're okay."
"I'm okay, Mom," Jane insisted, her eyes fixed on the screen.
Suddenly, Suzanne's voice came through the comms. "Jane, you tell me. I want to know your story, please."
"Okay," Jane began. "When I first got into the game, A.D. was already there. I met him on a construction site."
"No, that's not the start," David interrupted, his voice firm. "I'll tell you the real story, from start to end. The first level was called 'Survive in the World of Z.'"
As David spoke, a dangerous, bloodcurdling scream sounded through the comms, followed by the guttural roars of zombies...