Extreme Tourism: Death Run

**EXTREME TOURISM: DEATH RUN**

They called themselves *The Fearless Five*.

Riley, an adrenaline junkie and social media star.

Sonya, a survivalist influencer with a million followers.

Brent, a bored tech millionaire looking for the next high.

Maya, a travel blogger famous for venturing into war zones.

And Liam, the quiet ex-soldier they’d met just two days ago.

They’d all signed up for the **Death Run** — an invitation-only underground experience whispered about in elite travel circles. No one knew who organized it or how they picked their guests. But one thing was certain: if you finished the Death Run, you became **legend**.

---

The five met at a hidden location in a remote part of Croatia. A black van picked them up at midnight, phones confiscated, blindfolds applied. Riley laughed as the van bumped over rough roads.

“Guys, this is gonna break the internet when we post it later.”

Liam stayed silent, jaw clenched.

---

Hours later, the blindfolds came off.

They stood at the edge of a vast underground tunnel, dimly lit, walls dripping with moisture. A masked figure in a sleek black suit faced them, voice distorted through a speaker.

“Welcome to the Death Run,” the figure said. “There are no rules except one: survive. Complete the course, and you will win wealth beyond imagination. Fail, and…”

A steel door slammed behind them.

“…no one will ever find you.”

---

**Stage 1: The Maze**

A loud buzzer blared. Without warning, the ground under their feet shifted — a massive labyrinth emerged, walls reshuffling like a living organism.

“We stick together!” Sonya shouted, pulling a small compass from her pack.

But Riley darted ahead, GoPro strapped to his chest. “Come on! We’re burning time!”

Within minutes, they were separated.

Maya and Brent followed Sonya’s careful path, while Liam jogged silently on his own, eyes sharp, counting steps. Riley, meanwhile, ran straight into a dead end — then froze.

A faint hiss filled the air.

From the cracks in the walls, **gas** began seeping out.

“Crap, crap, crap!” Riley coughed, spinning around, only to find the path behind him sealed.

Suddenly, a small hatch slid open above him, dropping a rebreather mask. Riley fumbled it on, heart hammering, realizing: *they’re watching us.*

---

**Stage 2: The Bridge**

The maze spat them out into a cavernous chamber where a narrow bridge stretched over a bottomless pit.

Brent smirked. “Piece of cake.”

But as they stepped forward, the bridge **shook violently** — and metal panels began sliding away, exposing gaps.

“RUN!” Sonya screamed.

Maya slipped, hanging by her fingers, screaming as Brent and Sonya scrambled to pull her up. Liam, across the bridge already, watched them silently, muscles coiled.

At the last second, Riley burst out of the maze, sprinted across, and **leaped** over a gaping hole — barely landing as the last panels collapsed.

He lay panting, wide-eyed. “Holy crap, this is *real*.”

---

**Stage 3: The Hunt**

They barely had time to catch their breath before sirens blared. A robotic voice echoed through the tunnels:

> “Final stage: survive the hunters.”

From side tunnels, sleek black drones whirred into view — small, fast, armed with dart guns.

Brent cursed. “Are they **armed**?”

Liam pulled a knife from his boot. “Move!”

They sprinted through winding tunnels, ducking and weaving as darts thudded into the walls. Riley slipped again, crying out — one dart hit his shoulder, and he collapsed, eyes wide, gasping.

Sonya grabbed him, yanking the dart free. “Non-lethal, maybe. Paralyzing.”

Brent cursed, panic creeping in. “Why are we still here?! We can’t win this!”

Liam slammed Brent against the wall. “You signed up. Now *run*.”

---

**The Final Challenge**

Sonya, Maya, Liam, and Brent — dragging Riley — burst into the final chamber.

A huge steel door stood ahead, marked with a glowing keypad. The masked figure’s voice filled the space:

> “Only one can enter the winner’s code. Only one will leave.”

They froze.

Brent’s face twisted. “Screw that.” He lunged for the keypad — and Liam tackled him to the ground.

Sonya raised her hands. “STOP! We can —”

But it was too late. Brent pulled a hidden pistol from his waistband, aiming at Liam.

A gunshot rang out.

Brent staggered — and collapsed, blood blooming on his chest. Maya stood behind him, shaking, holding a dropped drone dart gun.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Liam approached the keypad, typed in a code. The steel door hissed open.

“Come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s finish this.”

---

**The Escape**

Outside, a private helicopter waited. Medics rushed Riley away; Sonya, Maya, and Liam stood in the dark, trembling, as the masked figure appeared one final time.

“You survived,” it said. “Congratulations.”

Maya’s voice was hoarse. “Who… who *are* you?”

The figure tilted its head.

“We are what you wanted,” it said softly. “The ultimate thrill. And you… you are our best advertisement.”

The helicopter blades roared. The survivors were whisked away — alive, but forever marked.

---

**Months Later**

Emma Cross, investigative journalist, leaned back from her laptop, staring at the anonymous tip in her inbox.

It was a single line:

> **“The Death Run is real. And they’re recruiting again.”**

Her heart raced.

The game wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.

---

**END**

Ifo