This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

The notification arrived at 3:47 AM, cutting through the silence of Marcus Chen's cramped studio apartment like a digital blade. The soft ping of his phone was enough to jolt him awake, his body still trained from years of military service to respond to any unexpected sound. He fumbled for the device in the darkness, squinting as the harsh blue light assaulted his eyes.

"Congratulations! You have been selected for participation in The Survival Game. Report to Pier 19 at 0800 hours. Failure to comply will result in immediate consequences for your family."

Marcus read the message three times before the words truly sank in. The Survival Game—everyone had heard whispers about it, urban legends shared in hushed tones in the city's underground. A twisted form of entertainment for the ultra-wealthy, where desperate people were forced to compete in deadly challenges for the amusement of those who could afford to bet on human lives. Most dismissed it as fiction, a conspiracy theory born from the growing desperation of the lower classes.

But Marcus knew better. He had seen things during his deployment that the government would never acknowledge, witnessed the lengths to which powerful people would go for their entertainment. The message's threat about his family made his blood run cold. His younger sister Elena was battling leukemia, and his elderly parents had already mortgaged their small house twice to pay for her treatments.

He sat on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his short black hair. The digital clock on his nightstand glowed 3:52 AM. In four hours and eight minutes, his life would change forever.