Minutes passed in silence. Alonso sat motionless, seemingly asleep, in the middle of the arena, his body slumped but still upright. The dried blood covering his body was a reminder of the battle that had just taken place.

No one moved. No one dared speak.

It was Chiara who finally stepped forward.

Her heart pounded as she made her way to the center of the arena, but she kept her steps steady, deliberate.

She stopped a few feet away from Alonso, glancing at his face—there was no tension, no awareness. He looked peaceful, asleep amidst the chaos.

Chiara swallowed hard and turned to face the crowd. She could feel the weight of their anger, their disbelief. The air was thick with resentment. She had never been in a situation this tense, but she had no choice. She had to speak. There was no one else but her.

"Why did I ever take this role?" she thought with a sigh, her mind running through the script she had rehearsed. Every word was chosen carefully, meant to ease the tension without feeding the fire. She had to acknowledge their pain, but not let it consume them. The focus needed to shift—toward survival, toward the future, without lingering on the loss.

Siddharth… the thought alone nearly made her stumble, but she pushed it down.

Don't lose focus.

He was gone, but she was still here. She had a responsibility now to guide them, just like Siddharth had. She could not mess this up.

The script was clear: don't glorify Siddharth, not yet. Instead, focus on the path forward. Remind them of the trials ahead. Remind them of the fight for survival that was bigger than one man. Bigger than all of them.

Her eyes scanned the crowd as she prepared to speak. She could feel them, waiting for her to crumble, to break. They wanted a reason to turn this grief into rage. But she wouldn't give them one. She would control this, she would lead them.

She took a deep breath.

"We are here because of the rules we all agreed upon. This duel, this outcome—it's not what any of us wanted, but it is the consequence of those very rules."

Her eyes swept across the crowd.

"We knew the stakes. We knew that when two stepped into that ring, only one would walk out. Alonso won. Not by trickery, not by accident, but by the same rules that Siddharth himself put forward. And we must respect that."

The crowd stirred, but no one interrupted. Chiara's heart pounded, but she kept her voice firm.

The tension was palpable, but as long as they allowed her to continue, the worst scenario could be avoided. Chiara's mind raced, formulating her next move. She needed to ease the crowd, to let the fire of their rage simmer down. A farewell ceremony for Siddharth tomorrow—that was the plan. It could give her time to gain more control, to bring them together. She just had to—

"Chiara," a voice broke through the silence. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze snapped toward the source. Arjun.

"I respect you, Chiara." His voice was calm, but laced with something darker. "You're one of the founding members of this small society, the strongest woman I've ever known. You're one of the leaders who freed us from Hughes' tyranny, the vanguard of so many tunnel expeditions. And I acknowledge your right to lead, but... we are not your faction."

Chiara's pulse quickened, sweat forming at her temple. Dammit. She could feel control slipping. I have to say something. I have to—

"For all I know," Arjun continued, "we are now a lawless group here in the Oasis. Our leader has just been killed by a murderer who also took the lives of three of our brothers. I understand your words, I understand why you say them, but… I will never be able to settle my heart with Alonso alive."

"Arjun!" Chiara's voice sharpened. "Don't go too far. These are the rules of this place. And you, better than most, know we cannot afford more losses. This is not about us. This is about—"

"I know." His interruption was steady but firm. "I understand your perspective. But in the end, Chiara, we are humans, not robots. Alonso killed the man who saved my life—and the lives of many others here. Siddharth was our pillar in this unforgiving world. He was like a father to us."

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The crowd began murmuring, tension thickening.

Arjun's eyes locked with hers, cold and unyielding. "Letting him live will leave a burden on our souls that we won't be able to bear." His voice quieted, but each word felt like a blow. "So tell me, Chiara... is Alonso worth more than all of us?"

Her breath hitched. The silence that followed was suffocating.

As the tension in the arena boiled, the crowd fixated on Chiara and Arjun's exchange, a few faces stood out with different expressions. One of them, a tall, blonde young man, reclined by a tree, squinted and sighed quietly to himself. Lukas.

"I guess I can't skip this one."

He glanced toward the simp standing stiffly by the edge of the crowd, his posture rigid with indecision. Lukas sent a message telepathically, his voice sliding into Wang's thoughts.

"If you want to score some points, now's your best chance."

Wang shot him an irritated look, clearly unimpressed by the intrusion. Lukas, however, simply grinned, knowing all too well why Wang was hesitant. A little push was all it would take to tip the balance.

Wang hesitated for a moment longer, then, with a resigned sigh, put on his serious face and started moving toward the center.

Lukas turned his gaze toward Ayu, whose face had been tense since the start of the duel. He reached out to her mind as well, his words shifting into perfect Mandarin.

"The two people who matter most to you in this shithole are in a dangerous situation. I know how you feel, but if you don't step up now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Ayu, caught off guard, blinked and turned toward him. He saw the slight redness around her eyes, the internal struggle she'd been fighting.

After a brief pause, she gritted her teeth, nodded, and rushed toward the confrontation.

Such an emotional girl.

Lukas scratched his head, lazily making his way toward the center, his eyes drifting to Alonso, still soundlessly asleep in the middle of the mess he had left behind.

Before today, Lukas hadn't given the guy much thought—just another fool who'd probably end up dead soon. But after watching that duel, the way Alonso fought, that monstrous talent… and now, sleeping like nothing happened, leaving others to clean up the mess?

That was style.

Before Arjun could speak again, Wang Jun stepped forward with purpose, his movements deliberate as he positioned himself closer to Chiara, his gaze locking onto Arjun.

"We've heard enough, Arjun." His voice was cold and sharp, with a precise English accent. "Siddharth is gone, and yes, we mourn him. But we cannot let our emotions lead us into making more reckless decisions. The rules were clear, and Alonso won. If we can't honor that, what does that say about us?"

Arjun's eyes narrowed as he glared at Wang.

Wang took a step closer, his posture unwavering. "We live by the laws we established. If we start picking and choosing when they apply, we might as well descend into chaos. It's not about who we liked more, who was our hero, or who we think should've won. The truth is, even the mighty can fall."

The words stung like a sharp slap to the crowd. Chiara knew it was risky, but it was the truth. She could see some faces in the crowd wavering, unsure, but others remained fixed, their grief twisting into hatred.

Arjun shook his head, the muscle in his jaw tightening. "And what happens when we let him live, Wang? What happens when he becomes a reminder of everything we've lost?"

Wang's gaze didn't falter. "He's a reminder of the cost of survival, Arjun. Of the choices we make. Siddharth may have been the strongest, but he fell. And now Alonso stands." He turned to the crowd. "That's the reality. We don't have to like it, but we must accept it."

Chiara felt a flicker of hope as the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. She glanced briefly at Wang, a hint of disbelief in her eyes. Why was she, a former introverted scientist, going through all of this when this guy was so good with his words? She would be sure to make some changes.

Wang stepped closer to Arjun, his tone steady but laced with conviction. "Survival is a bitter road, Arjun. The strong may fall, but the path forward never stops." He glanced around the crowd, meeting their eyes one by one. "As the old saying goes, 'When the wind blows, the grass bends'—we must bend, not break, or we'll be swept away."

Wang took a breath, allowing his words to settle before continuing.

"Siddharth was a great man, but he knew the rules as well as any of us. To stand here now and demand vengeance—what does that do? Will it bring Siddharth back? Will it honor his memory? Or will it drag us all down, destroy everything he worked so hard to build? Do you think that's what he would want? Killing Alonso, especially when he is weak and vulnerable after the duel... do you think that would make Siddharth proud? I think not."

Arjun clenched his fists, his body trembling with barely contained emotion. "I can't live like this. Every night I'll question it, wonder if justice was truly served. I'll never sleep. Not with this heart burdened by the weight of it all." He paused, his eyes growing red, a mix of anger, hatred, and grief flashing through them. "Either he lives, or I do."

Wang Jun's eyes narrowed slightly, and though his face remained calm, he felt a flicker of satisfaction inside. Got you exactly where I wanted.

His voice remained cool and measured.

"Fine. It's either you or him? Then what about this... how about a duel between you two? A duel to decide who lives and who dies." His tone sharpened. "Tomorrow, at this time. Are you up for it?"

The crowd fell silent. Arjun's breath hitched, and for a moment, he was left speechless.

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