The stolen canister of water sat heavy in Raze's hands, its cool weight pressing against his ribs as he sprinted through the tangled maze of Zone 7's back alleys. Every step sent jolts of pain up his legs, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
Behind him, alarms still blared from the Hydron Corp facility. The Water-Touched bastard he'd electrocuted was probably still twitching on the ground, but Raze wasn't stupid enough to think that would be the end of it. Hydron didn't forgive. They didn't forget. And they sure as hell didn't let a street rat steal from them without consequences.
The stench of sewage and rust filled his nostrils as he cut through a collapsing shanty, ducking past makeshift homes stacked like broken puzzle pieces. The whole district was one missed step away from caving in on itself. But that didn't matter now.
What mattered was getting to The Barrel.
---
The Barrel: Zone 7's Black Market
The Barrel wasn't much to look at—just an abandoned parking complex where the city's outcasts gathered to trade, sell, and gamble away what little they had. But if you needed something illegal, something dangerous, this was where you came.
Raze pushed past the stinking mass of bodies, ignoring the jeers and catcalls thrown his way. Somewhere in the distance, a group of men was huddled around a battered screen, watching a replay of last week's Water Games. The champion—some brute from Zone 3—was drowning his final opponent in a glass tank, his face twisted in savage delight.
"Raze."
The voice was sharp, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
Raze turned, spotting Solana.
Solana wasn't her real name. No one in Zone 7 used their real names. She stood near a stall, her dark, shorn hair barely reaching her jawline, her face sharp and unreadable as ever. The only thing that ever softened about her was her voice—and even that was rare.
"You look like shit," she noted.
"Yeah, well, I feel like it too." He leaned against a stack of old crates, catching his breath. "But look what I got."
He tilted the canister just enough for her to see.
Solana's eyes flickered with something unreadable before she looked around. "Idiot," she muttered. "You stole from them?"
"Relax. I had a plan."
"Oh yeah?" She folded her arms. "How's that working out?"
Raze grinned. "I'm still breathing, aren't I?"
Solana didn't smile back. Instead, she exhaled, rubbing her temple. "You don't get it. If they find you, they won't just kill you, Raze. They'll make an example of you."
"I know."
"Then why—"
He pushed the canister into her hands.
Solana went rigid.
"Take it," Raze said.
Her grip tightened around the cool metal. "Raze, I can't—"
"You can."
The silence stretched between them. Raze wasn't the sentimental type, but he knew what that water meant to her. To her little sister, Nia.
Solana swallowed. Then, slowly, she nodded. "You're an idiot," she murmured.
"Yeah," Raze muttered, glancing at the distant towers of the rich. "I know."
---
Debts Are Never Forgotten
The problem with stealing from the most powerful water syndicate in the city?
They always find you.
It happened faster than Raze expected.
One moment, he was slipping through the Barrel's exit, thinking he had at least a few hours before Hydron's goons caught up. The next?
A thick, calloused hand slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling into the dirt.
Pain exploded through his ribs. He coughed, rolling onto his side just as two massive men loomed over him. They wore the sleek, dark gear of Hydron enforcers—mercenaries who didn't ask questions, just carried out orders.
One of them cracked his knuckles. "Veyar."
Raze groaned, spitting blood onto the pavement. "Yeah?"
"You made a mistake."
"Wouldn't be the first time."
The second enforcer didn't waste time with words. He just kicked Raze straight in the ribs.
A sharp, white-hot crack.
Pain surged through Raze's body like wildfire. He gasped, curling in on himself as his vision blurred.
Somewhere in the haze of agony, he heard the first enforcer chuckle. "Boss wants a word."
That was the last thing Raze heard before a boot came crashing down against his skull.
And then—darkness.
---
Welcome to the Water Games
Pain. That was the first thing Raze felt when he woke up.
A dull, pounding throb at the base of his skull. His arms were bound behind him, the sharp bite of metal cuffs cutting into his wrists.
He tried to move.
Didn't work.
The room was dark, damp, and smelled like mold. A single flickering light buzzed overhead.
Then, a voice.
"You really have a death wish, don't you?"
Raze forced his head up. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out the man sitting across from him.
A sleek, navy-blue suit. Sharp, polished shoes. A face that was too smooth, too calm—like someone who never had to fight for anything in his life.
Hydron Corp's Regional Overseer.
Raze had never met him before, but he'd heard the name.
Lucien Draith.
Draith smiled, tapping his fingers against the table between them. "Do you know how much a single drop of water is worth, Veyar?"
Raze licked his split lip, tasting blood. "Dunno. Thought I'd check the price tags on my way out."
Draith chuckled. "Clever. But not clever enough."
He leaned forward. "You stole from me."
Raze exhaled. "Technically, I stole from your company."
Draith's smile didn't falter. "Same thing."
He stood, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. "Now, normally, I'd have you executed."
"That's sweet."
"But." Draith tilted his head. "You're… interesting."
Raze frowned. "What?"
"You're a survivor," Draith said. "You're quick. Smart. Reckless, but adaptable." He gestured to the dimly lit room. "We need people like that in the Games."
The words sent an immediate chill down Raze's spine.
The Water Games.
The brutal, televised bloodsport where people fought, killed, and died for a chance at a lifetime water supply.
A rigged game.
A death sentence.
Raze clenched his jaw. "No."
Draith smirked. "It wasn't a request."
He nodded toward the guards by the door.
"Prepare him for the Games."
The enforcers moved.
Raze thrashed, but it was useless. They hauled him up, dragging him toward the door. His pulse pounded in his ears.
"No," he gritted out, twisting against their grip. "You think I'm just gonna—"
Draith chuckled. "Oh, Raze."
His smile sharpened.
"You already lost the right to choose."
The doors slammed shut.
And just like that—Raze's fate was sealed.
The Water Games had claimed its newest player.