The air outside the Phoenix outpost was thick with tension as Elias, Sophia, and Callum fled into the back alleys of the crumbling city.
Sophia had stolen a beaten-up motorcycle for them — black smoke puffed from the exhaust as Callum struggled to keep it steady with three people piled on.
Elias sat at the back, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds, his muscles tense.
They were being hunted now — officially.
And the hunters weren't amateurs.
They were the best killers money could buy.
---
Across the city, wanted posters had started appearing — holographic ones, broadcasted over street corners, inside cafés, on people's wristphones.
"WANTED: Elias Grey.
Age: 19.
Height: 6'0.
Status: Extremely Dangerous.
Reward: 5 Million Credits — Dead or Alive."
Callum whistled when he saw the first hologram flicker to life over a fruit stand.
"You know," he said, grinning, "most people gotta live a whole lifetime to be worth five million."
Sophia glared at him.
"This isn't a joke, Cal. Half the city's mercenaries will come for us."
Elias stayed silent.
Inside, he was calm.
Almost too calm.
They want to play? I'll play.
He glanced at his watch.
New tasks had appeared — more complicated ones.
---
[Infiltrate Safehouse Sigma: Reward - Stealth Mastery I]
[Evade All Pursuers for 24 Hours: Reward - Shadow Cloak Ability]
[Acquire New Identity Papers: Reward - Digital Forgery Skill]
Finally, Elias thought, something useful.
The tasks were no longer just about fighting.
They were about outsmarting, outmaneuvering, and surviving.
---
It wasn't all easy.
Callum, despite being a tech genius, was terrible under pressure.
At one point, he dropped his device in the middle of cloning a keycard — nearly costing them a two-minute delay.
Sophia, though strong and fierce, had a hot temper that made her snap at the wrong times.
And Elias?
He still struggled with trust.
Part of him wondered if Sophia and Callum would sell him out if things got too rough.
It was a lonely thought, but one he couldn't shake.
--
Name: Callum Reed
Age: 24
Profession: Hacker and Engineer
Attitude: Playful, sarcastic, but deeply insecure when things get real
Flaws: Impulsive under pressure, needs validation
Appearance: Wiry frame, messy brown hair, pale skin, glasses often hanging off his nose
Name: Sophia Vale
Age: 23
Profession: Former Special Ops Agent
Attitude: Tough, no-nonsense, fiercely loyal once her trust is earned
Flaws: Quick temper, difficulty following orders
Appearance: Athletic build, medium brown skin, tightly braided black hair, sharp green eyes
---
In the middle of the chaos, real life kept creeping in.
At a tiny roadside diner, Sophia caught an old man cheating at chess — she ended up playing him for food.
In a marketplace, Callum tripped over a street performer's guitar, causing a huge commotion.
And Elias... Elias sat on a crumbling bench, watching a young couple argue over rent, laughing and crying at the same time.
Even when the world burns, he thought, people just... live.
It made him sad in a way he couldn't explain.
Maybe he never really lived at all.
---
Later that night, as they hid in an abandoned metro tunnel, Elias checked the watch again.
Without warning, a soft ding sounded.
> [Bonus Task Completed: Survive the First 12 Hours Without Capture.]
> Reward: +5 Charisma Points.
Immediately, he felt a strange shift.
When he spoke now, people seemed to listen more easily.
When he smiled, they trusted him just a little quicker.
It wasn't magic.
It was subtle.
But it would matter.
It would save lives — maybe even his own.
---