JMYork
There's a system in place. One that decides who gets a chance... and who doesn't. They call it The Dome. It's sold as opportunity, as a way out, as something people should be grateful for. But everyone knows better... you don't walk into The Dome unless you have nothing left to lose.
Alina wasn't supposed to get in. She signs up anyway. Quietly. Desperate enough to take the risk, stubborn enough to believe she can outwork whatever waits inside. When she's denied, it almost feels like relief... like maybe she dodged something she didn't fully understand. That feeling doesn't last long. Within 24 hours, she's pulled back in. Selected. No time to prepare. No time to change her mind.
Then she sees her mother.
Saphira didn't sign up to win. She signed up because someone has to make sure her daughters survive... even if that means she doesn't. She's spent her life holding things together with nothing but grit and sacrifice. The Dome just gives that sacrifice a deadline.
Inside, the rules aren't fully explained. They're revealed in pieces. Events that test strength, yes... but more than that, they test loyalty, instinct, and how far someone is willing to go when survival isn't guaranteed. Alliances form fast. Trust breaks faster. And every choice has a cost... sometimes one you don't even see until it's too late.
Alina and Saphira enter the same game... but they're not playing it the same way. One is learning how to adapt, to think ahead, to survive. The other is trying to protect, to hold on, to make sure her girls make it through... even if she doesn't.
The Dome doesn't care about either of those things.
Because in the end... not everyone walks out. And sometimes, winning looks a lot like losing everything that mattered.