After Earth's Fall | ✔ UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION

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Nila wakes up a sweaty mess and screams her head off, waving her arms around like a madman to get the lions off of her body. She rips the device off of her head and chucks it across the other side of the room. Gianna rushes over immediately and tries to get Nila to relax.

"Nila, Nila! You're safe...they aren't real. You're not hurt," the lady cooes and rubs Nila's back in soothing circles.

Nila quickly realises where she is and her breathing slows down. She feels no pain. Nor does she have gruesome, bloody gashes all down her body. She's back in the room with the rest of the group, though no one else seems to be awake. A part of her cannot help but feel betrayed but she shakes it off, reminding herself that maybe she would've done the same if she were in their shoes at the time. But one look over at Anna, lying still as death in the simulation, who is she kidding? Of course, she feels betrayed.

"Can I get you anything? A glass of water?" Gianna asks in a concerned voice.

Nila nods and gives a faint smile.

Abruptly, Anna awakes with a frightened look in her eyes, gasping for air. Eventually, she realises where she is and one of the male helpers squats by her side and asks her if she needs anything.

Nila just stares and Anna stares back with no emotion, no remorse for just leaving Nila there to be mauled by that creature. Would her ex-best friend really...do that to her in real life? If push came to shove, would she really leave her to die? Nila can't help but wonder and her respect for Anna diminishes all the way to negative one-hundred. So much for teamwork.

Nila breaks the gaze between the them when Gianna hands her a glass of water. Nila clears her throat to speak.

"So, Gianna, does this mean I'm eliminated?"

"Oh no! You've still got four more trials to go. I'll clear everything up in just a moment," answers Gianna and she walks off to attend to Riley and Kaitlyn, both of which awoke screaming with fear.

"Welcome back guys," Gianna greets them cheerfully as she walks past Nila. "Did I forget to mention that if one member dies, everyone dies? The simulation automatically ensures that you all fail if a member passes away. I'm a little disappointed but this is only your first trial." She hands Riley a glass of water. "You guys have to stick together," Gianna adds sternly, directing her gaze specifically to both Nila and Anna.

"Why didn't you tell us that beforehand?!" Riley exclaims with a bewildered expression, throwing his glassless hand up in the air.

"I am actually prohibited to. If I did that trial would not have been a genuine representation of your groups dynamic and performance. Its okay, though. The only trial that matters is the fourth but that's also the hardest. Each trial will increase in difficulty for you. As you may have noticed, this was one was pretty simple. Just a tip for you all: it is the groups that sort out their problems early that succeed." One of Gianna's helpers enters the room, handing Gianna a cup of tea and with that and her insightful speech, the woman casually walks out sipping on her mug.

Nila inhales a deep breath, closing her eyes before eventually exhaling. Each of the teenagers give each other a once over. Well, at least there's tomorrow?

Round Two. Here they go again.

The beginning was just the same as yesterday, like a blur in Nila's eyes. They awoke on the same desolated road, gathered their equipment, followed the instructions on the GPS and commenced their mission. When the lions make their appearance Nila, Anna, Kaitlyn and Riley try the same method as yesterday's failed attempt and run for their lives. Amongst all the fear and the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion beginning to take over her legs, she wonders 'Are we just redoing our mistakes?' Nila slows down and examines the distance between the group and the lions and the group and the alleyway, things are clearly not going to work out. They will all just die like last time. They will all just fail like last time.