Cherreads

DEADHEADING

CatsDontLikeCoffee
7
chs / week
The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 7 chs / week.
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Synopsis
In Avereth, an underground city beneath an artificial sky, students awaken as participants for Project True Bloom—a brutal series of games that demand willpower, teamwork, cunning, survival, and strategy. Divided into rival Divisions, they must outmaneuver one another for a single wish granted to every member of the victorious team. In a world where only the rich can afford the future. Bonds will form… and be weaponized. Trust will fracture… and be betrayed. Some will use bonds for strength And others will use it to make weakness. Amari Sorell, a quiet strategist, soon discovers that each game is as much about breaking spirits as testing skill. In a place built to prune the weak, will he destroy his enemy’s to claim the wish—or will h- Other tags: Light Sci-Fi, Social science fiction, psychological, mind games
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Chapter 1 - Prologue

She dropped to her knees in utter defeat, her hands trembling as tears streamed down her face. She struggled to form words.

Watching the scene I'd created, part of me felt something—maybe guilt. But the rest of me knew this was necessary.

"You lied—you tricked me… I thought you were on my side. How long weren't you?!"

Her voice cracked between sobs. She wasn't angry at me, not really. She was angry at herself—for trusting me.

She gripped her hair, shaking with frustration. She already knew the truth: there was nothing she could do now.

Betraying your division and getting caught is one of the worst things that can happen.

And I'd pushed her into it—gently, indirectly—even though she initially didn't want to.

But keeping her around had become too risky.

As I turned to leave, I felt her hand grip my arm. A burst of panic, maybe desperation.

When I looked into her eyes, I expected rage. Instead, I saw something else—regret. Sadness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Please… don't."

No excuses. No lies. No mental gymnastics.

She knew none of it would work on me.

I pulled my arm away.

"Sorry," I said flatly.

Before I walked out, she said something that stuck with me.