And then Dan drew his last breath..

Denise made it back to the arena without facing any problems.

And she didn't need to be a genius to work out what had happened to Dan.

Denise was the last one left. The last one of her friends, the last one of her classmates, the only one who hadn't been killed.

She had hoped it wouldn't reach this point. To be alone.

She knew that if it wasn't for Dan, she wouldn't have to be alone, but he sacrificed himself for her, so she couldn't just give up.

She had something for live for.

However, Denise didn't know what to do with herself. Did she look for help? Would she even be safe out in the open?

"Welcome, Denise." She heard a middle age woman say.

She recognized the voice; but she couldn't pinpoint whose it was.

She turned around, and jumped back slightly at the grotesque sight of a woman who had been burnt to a crisp.

"Are you-"

"Yes, Denise. I am Cornelia, the woman who Dan was talking about. And you're just the person I was hoping to survive." The woman; Cornelia said.

"Me? But everyone else- you said that both Dan and I were supposed to die back in that maze." Denise stuttered.

"I lied, Denise. You were always the one who was to survive, heck, I myself made sure of it."

Denise had no idea what to say, "w-why me..?"

"It's you, honey. It's always been you. You had been selected at birth to follow in my footsteps. You are the one to take over this organization." Cornelia said, proudly. 

"What would I even get out of it? I don't want any of this." Denise said, troubled. 

"Oh, not much. You know, unimaginable wealth, vigorous protection over you, a long healthy life, just the small things." Cornelia exclaimed, smug.

"You don't look particularly healthy."

"Yes, fire tends to do that to a person. But with you here, I can show you how to run the company before I die." Cornelia said.

"What would I even have to do? Will I ever see my family again? I just want to go home." Denise said. 

"Denise. There is no more home for you back on Earth. Everyone believes you're dead," Cornelia admitted, "a 'bomb' exploded inside your classroom, killing and destroying any evidence of the students." She made air quotation marks around bomb. 

"S-so it's live the good life or die?"

"Exactly. All you have to do is run the tests like I did with your class, sit back in a chair and enjoy the ride." 

"But I don't want to sentence others to death." Denise whined. 

Cornelia put her hands on Denise's shoulders, "Denise. As your predecessor, I have to admit, I felt the same way as you do when I first started," and then her face turned serious, "but then I grew up. Things have to be done, and denying them won't accomplish anything." 

"I suppose.." 

"Honey, I need you to decide now. What are you going to do?" 

Denise reflected for a minute. And then, she remembered Dan.

I have to live on with his memory. I can't give up. Denise thought to herself.

"Okay. I'll do it." She said, barely above a whisper.

A smile broke out across Cornelia's charred lips. "Fantastic."

She then put her arm around Denise's shoulders, "I can't wait to get started."

Denise cast a fake smile onto her lips, "I think I'm ready."

"I know you are."

Cornelia then began to lead Denise towards her future. 

Soon, Denise thought, I'll escape. I'll make it back home. 

One day..