The Cleanup Crew

The Sport keeps the world balanced.
The desperate enter.
The strong survive.
The dead are forgotten.

Every summer, Vanessa does the same job-cleaning up the bodies The Sport leaves behind. It's a brutal cycle, but it's kept her out of the arena.

But this summer feels different.

The government's latest announcement wasn't a law. Not yet. But the moment it echoed through the cafeteria, everyone understood.

Something is shifting. Fewer volunteers. More open slots.

And when the system needs bodies, it always finds them.

Participation has always been a choice.

This summer, that choice might disappear.

And just when Vanessa thinks her only options are to fight or to die, something-or someone-leaves a message in her path.

A warning. A summons. A test.

Because The Sport isn't the only game being played.

And for the first time, Vanessa isn't just a spectator.