The game had begun. Everything happened quickly, I couldn’t focus on the people around me. Rather, I ran, and ran, and ran—my feet colliding into each other. The ground was damp, my once clean hands now soiled along with my pants. I forced myself to get up, shouting was in the distance. I needed to go. I rested on a tree for a brief moment as I caught my breath.

The masked games have begun, teenagers from each family—chosen to prove themselves in strength, resourcefulness, and ambition. There was only one way to win this game, and it’s to survive.