Rolling fast on a skateboard, a little girl weaved between cars. One screeched as she barely missed it, the license plate reading Minnesota.
"Get out of the way!" a man yelled from inside the car, his voice tense with rage. "I'm going to kill the King!"
The girl scoffed. "Wow… I hate Mankato," she muttered. "Why did Mom even move me here?"
She pushed off harder, zipping down the sidewalk. "Well… at least there's a bright side," she sighed. "At least the King lives here."
She pulled out her phone and called her mom. The caller ID read: Worst Mother.
Ring. Ring.
"Hey, Mom, did you find the King yet?" she asked.
A woman, dark-skinned with long dreadlocks, stood in the middle of an empty town festival, wiping sauce off her white apron. She wore a red shirt, faded jeans, and flip-flops—tongs in one hand, the phone in the other. She stepped away from the "crowd", frowning.
"No," she said. "No one's around. Everyone must've gone looking for the King already…" Unlike in New York, which she had no clue about. Residents in Minnesota didn't have a map.
As she walked further, the woman asked, "How was school, Merissa?"
Merissa sighed. "It was fine… until the message showed up and scared everyone."
Right on cue, a golden pop-up appeared beside her:
Residents of Minnesota: Your King has been selected.
His game has been chosen.
All residents must survive. Losing results in elimination.
"Yeah," Merissa muttered. "I know already."
Then, a meter appeared beside both mother and daughter.
Adding Interest.
"Ugh. That again?" Merissa groaned. "Mom, what's your meter at?"
Her own meter had only a small amount filled—barely a few drops in a cup.
Her mother smiled faintly. "It's low." Her own meter showed a tiny, almost invisible line.
But then the mother's smile faded. Her eyes sharpened.
"I'll call you back," she said quickly, hanging up.
Across the plaza, seated at a water fountain, was a man staring straight at her.
Golden letters hovered above his head: KING.
He looked exhausted, dark eye bags heavy under his eyes—but the fire in his gaze burned with unnatural energy.
"So," he said calmly, "you're my 100th opponent. Don't disappoint me."
"What's your name?" he asked. "I need to know who I'm facing."
The woman clicked her tongs once, smiling fearlessly. "The name's Angel. And that's the last one you'll learn."
The man smirked. "We'll see."
A pop-up materialized between them:
Game: Broken Bank
Event: Only One
Players will 'revive' each other using bank statements and financial transactions.
Each trick or transaction increases your 'interest.' When your interest is full—you die.
Note: Interest accrues over time, added by the King himself. The only way to stop it is to win.
Final Note: If you die, all residents of Minnesota will receive additional interest on top of their own.
Angel's smile faltered slightly as she thought of Merissa.
The King leaned forward, eyes glowing. "What you scared?"
Angel shrugged, raising her tongs like weapons. "No."
Then she grinned. " I've got excellent credit."