The Recall Trials
Chapter 94: The Magalodon Trial

"Vincent," he whispered. "Come on, man. Let them... Let them take her."

But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. The smell of metal and antiseptic seemed to close in around me.

The guards stepped forward in silence. They bent and lifted Jojo’s body. Her head lolled sideways, limp and pale, a smear of blood dried at the corner of her mouth.

I reached out, grabbing her hand one last time before they could pull her away. My fingers curled around hers under the thin sheet. She felt cold. So impossibly cold.

"Goodbye, Jojo," I whispered.

One of the guards gently tugged her hand from mine. They laid her inside a black, box-like case and pulled the cover over her face.

Zaara let out a noise. She dropped onto the edge of her cot, burying her face in trembling hands. Her shoulders heaved as she wept silently.

The guards lifted the box and carried Jojo away. Every contestant stood frozen, watching as they disappeared through the heavy steel doors.

I kept staring at Jojo’s empty bed, at the impression her body had left on the mattress. My vision blurred with tears.

Carter was still standing beside me, one hand on my shoulder now, squeezing like he was trying to anchor me to reality. His breath hitched in his chest.

"Vincent..." he said softly. "She wouldn’t want you... broken like this."

But I couldn’t answer.

The speakers overhead sputtered, then crackled to life.

"Contestant 066 has been eliminated. Remaining contestants, prepare for the ninth trial."

A collective shudder passed through the room.

Zaara wiped at her tear-streaked face, eyes bloodshot, and stared at me across the space between our beds. Her lips moved silently before she whispered.

"She didn’t deserve this... any of this..."

Her voice trailed off as tears spilled down her cheeks.

Contestants shifted uneasily. Someone coughed. Another let out a choked sob.

Dinesh sat down heavily, running both hands over his face. Theo paced in tight circles, muttering curses under his breath. Nomi leaned against the far wall, arms crossed over her chest, staring at the ceiling as if trying to pretend she wasn’t crying too.

Carter let out a long, shaky exhale. "We have to... we have to survive, man. For Jojo. For all of them."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, even though every part of me wanted to scream.

Zaara pushed herself to her feet, wavering slightly. She crossed to me and grabbed my shirt with trembling fingers, pressing her forehead to my chest.

"Promise me," she whispered. "Promise me we’ll make it out. For Jojo. For all of us."

I hesitated, because the truth was... I wasn’t sure we would. But I wrapped my arms around her anyway, holding her tight.

"I promise," I murmured, even though the word felt like a lie.

Somewhere deep inside me, I could still hear Jojo’s voice. Telling me not to let the Aetherions win. Telling me to keep going.

"Ninth trial begins in thirty minutes. Contestants, prepare yourselves."

Zaara pulled back, wiping her eyes.

People scrambled for their lockers, rummaging through jumpsuits and supplies. I stood there for a moment longer, staring at Jojo’s empty bed... then turned away, swallowing my grief, because there was no time left to mourn.

And because the trials weren’t done with us yet.

The Ninth Trial

As we made our way to the arena, I saw it.....

An ocean.

A man-made ocean. The arena roof soared hundreds of feet overhead.

Below, dozens of floating metal platforms scattered across the water like stepping stones.

And beyond it all....at the far end of the ocean, a massive gate glowed red. The finish line. The only way out.

"Contestants," the voice boomed over hidden speakers,

"Welcome to Trial Nine: BLOOD IN THE BLUE. Your task is simple....contestants will travel by floating platforms and swim lanes, reach the gate before your time runs out. The first twenty to arrive survive. The rest..."

A long pause.

"...become prey."

A shudder ran through me.

Zaara’s hand found mine. She whispered, "Vincent... look."

The Shadows Beneath

My eyes snapped down to the water.

Beneath the surface, shadows glided back and forth.

A ripple of panic surged through the contestants. People backed away from the edge.

Someone hissed, "Holy shit... That’s a megalodon."

Nomi cursed under her breath. "You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. Sharks?"

The voice spoke again:

"Be warned: our arena contains genetically enhanced predators.. Carcharodon megalodon. White sharks. Bull sharks. All modified for heightened aggression. Proceed at your own risk."

A low growl echoed under the water.

Someone screamed.

The Buzzer

"BEGIN."

A thunderous clang rolled across the arena as the platforms started shifting.

"Vincent, what do we do?!" Zaara cried.

My pulse thundered. "We jump. Now."

I leapt for the nearest platform, holding Zaara behind me. It rocked violently under our weight.

All around us, contestants jumped on the platforms too .

Someone missed their jump and splashed into the water.

The water splashed upwards.

A shark burst out of the ocean....massive, gray, eyes black as obsidian. Its jaws snapped shut over the contestant’s waist.

Blood sprayed across the nearest platform. The shark’s tail whipped as it dragged the screaming man under.

Zaara sobbed, covering her mouth. "Oh my god, oh my god—"

We kept moving.

My legs burned as I jumped from one slick platform to the next. Gaps grew wider the farther we went. The metal wobbled.

Ahead, a rotating ring of platforms spun slowly in a circle. Metal beams jutted up. Contestants clung to them, trying not to fall.

Carter was gripping one edge, shouting, "MOVE! GO!"

A woman in front of him slipped. Her body fell through the rotating gap.

A bull shark streaked upward, slamming into her. Teeth tore into her side.

Zaara was shaking. "I can’t. Vincent, I can’t—"

I grabbed her shoulders. "Yes, you can. Listen to me. We go together. Don’t stop moving. Look at me, Zaara!"

We jumped into the rotating ring. Platforms swung past, spinning just fast enough to be disorienting. I felt sick as we balanced, hopping to the next piece of steel.

Each jump felt like a suicide attempt. My feet nearly slipped off the slick metal.

Beneath us, shadows circled faster.

A dorsal fin slammed into the platform, jolting us off balance. Zaara screamed as her foot dangled inches from the water.

I yanked her back up, grunting. "We’re not dying here!"

A girl screamed. She was inches away from the next platform when a smaller shark leapt from the water, snatching her by the leg. She disappeared in a whirlpool.

The taste of salt and blood filled my mouth.

About halfway across, the platforms ended. Ahead stretched two wide lanes of water marked by glowing ropes.

Zaara stared at it, shaking. "We have to swim?! No. No, Vincent—"

"Zaara... we don’t have a choice."

"Swimming lanes activated," the speaker announced. "Remember: predators are attracted to motion and blood."

Zaara’s eyes darted to the blood trailing from a wound on her hand. She wrapped it in a scrap of her jumpsuit.

I clenched my jaw. "On three. We swim fast. No stopping."

We dove in.

The water was freezing, swallowing us in darkness. I kicked furiously, dragging Zaara alongside me.

The moment we hit the water, the shadows shifted. Shapes darted toward us, drawn to the vibrations.

A fin sliced past my face. I felt the turbulence of a body surging by.

Zaara let out a choked sob. "Vincent, it’s right under us!"

Suddenly, the lights flickered underwater.

And I saw them....three megalodons circling beneath us, their massive eyes reflecting the glow. Their teeth like a wall of white knives.

One lunged upward, jaws snapping. I grabbed Zaara and yanked her away just in time.

Ahead, the water churned violently. Waves surged as if something enormous was rising from the depths.

"FASTER!" I screamed.

Zaara and I broke into a final desperate sprint-swim.

Behind us, a shark burst from the water. It crashed down, sending a tidal wave over us. I swallowed saltwater, choking.

I saw Nomi clinging to the glowing rope, shrieking as a smaller shark rammed her side. She kicked it away, her blood blooming around her.

"Ten minutes remaining," the voice warned.

The edge was close.

I threw myself up. My arms screamed with exhaustion.

Zaara collapsed on the metal floor, sobbing, saltwater pouring off her.

I turned, breathless, to see the water roiling with blood and foam. One last shark lunged at the ramp, teeth snapping inches from my boot, before sliding back under the surface.

The moment our feet touched the final platform, lights strobed red and white.

"Contestants 001 and 040— SAFE."

Zaara collapsed against me, trembling. Her face was pale, eyes wide and wild.

I held her close, staring back at the blood-churned water.

Carter made it up next, gasping for air, clutching a gash on his arm.

Nomi staggered up moments later, collapsing in a pool of blood and seawater. More Contestants started to make it.

Beneath the surface, sharks still circled, waiting for the next drop of blood.

The voice boomed once more:

"Trial complete. Remaining contestants, return to the main room. Those who failed... are now part of the next trial— The Magalodon Trial."