If I played a Sprite and a Zhonya's Hourglass, would the Sprite die anyway and the Zhonya's survive, or would the Zhonya's trigger, or do I get to decide which triggers?

To answer your question, we first need to distinguish how Zhonya's Hourglass works compared to a "triggered ability."

According to the Riftbound rules and the provided FAQs, Zhonya's Hourglass is NOT a triggered ability; it is a mandatory replacement effect.

Here is how your situation plays out:

The Interaction

Because Zhonya's Hourglass is a replacement effect, it does not use the chain. Instead, it intercedes the moment a "would die" event occurs.

• Does the Sprite die? No. When the Sprite "would die" (e.g., from combat damage or a card effect), the Zhonya's Hourglass immediately replaces that event. The death never happens.
• Does the Zhonya's survive? No. The card text explicitly states: "kill this instead." The Zhonya's Hourglass is destroyed (sent to your trash) to save the Sprite.
• Do you get to decide? No. Because it is a mandatory replacement effect, you cannot choose to let the unit die to save the Zhonya's for later. As soon as the unit would die, the Zhonya's is consumed.

Summary

If your Sprite is in a situation where it would die (like being dealt lethal damage), the following occurs automatically:

1. The death event is intercepted by the Zhonya's Hourglass.
2. The Zhonya's Hourglass is destroyed (sent to your trash).
3. Your Sprite is healed, exhausted, and recalled to your base (the "save" effect).

Key Takeaway: You do not have a choice to "save" the Zhonya's or let the Sprite die. If you have the Zhonya's on the board, it will always sacrifice itself to save the first friendly unit that would die.

This is based on Rule 370 (Replacement Effects) and the RiftJudge FAQ entries #5836 and #7758, which clarify that Zhonya's is a mandatory passive effect, not a trigger.