By the next morning—or what everyone had begun calling the third day inside that artificial wilderness—the atmosphere had become far heavier than before.
No one trusted sleep anymore.
No one trusted quiet.
And after two false votes, everyone understood that the game had already entered the stage where hesitation itself could become fatal.
The emergency meeting happened exactly where Tansy had announced it would: near the campfire clearing, now under pale artificial daylight instead of night fire.
People arrived earlier than expected.
Some came openly because curiosity pulled them.
Some came because refusing to appear might itself look suspicious.
Others came because fear had grown large enough that even weak hope was worth listening to.
By the time Tyler arrived, nearly everyone still alive had gathered.
They formed an uneven circle again, leaving the center clear.
Tansy stood there.
