In a world where survival is broadcast for entertainment, Phoenix Winter must face her darkest chapter yet. As a bestselling thriller author, she thought she knew everything about writing death. Now she's living it.
Trapped in a twisted tournament at an abandoned university, Phoenix and nineteen other contestants face a nightmare where the rules keep changing and the cameras never stop rolling. But something darker lurks beneath the surface-the infected are evolving, alliances shatter, and the mysterious Restoration Initiative's true agenda begins to unravel.
With a military strongman controlling the infected, a phantom saboteur in their midst, and her own daughter's safety hanging in the balance, Phoenix must decide who to trust when every partnership could end in betrayal. In this game, survival isn't just about staying alive-it's about staying human.
The first installment in a haunting series that blends psychological horror with post-apocalyptic survival, DEADLINE asks the ultimate question: how far would you go to live another day when the whole world is watching?