Contested - O D Abarzua

They think they're being rewarded for winning.

Instead, they're dropped into a hyper-realistic world that doesn't test intelligence - it tests integrity. Every shortcut they've ever taken becomes part of the game, broadcast to millions. The only way out is to earn it honestly.

Isadora has never lost a level in her life. She doesn't know how she's so good - she just sees the answer before her hands move. When a mysterious in-app message flags her as "exceptional" and invites her to compete for a prize the company won't name, she says yes without hesitating.

>As the levels escalate, so does the audience - livestreamed to millions, voted on by strangers, plastered across public billboards on five continents. One finalist smuggles in outside help. One can't stop looking for a backdoor that no longer exists. One has memorized everything except how to trust her own eyes. And one has never needed a shortcut at all - which might be the most dangerous advantage of all.

Only one finalist will walk away with the truth about what they were really playing for. The rest will learn, one devastating level at a time, exactly what an honest answer costs.