Chapter 3 : Link or Die

The silence after Zone 1 was cold and heavy.
No one spoke.
No one moved.

Their minds were still trapped in the shadows in the glass—a place where they had faced not just illusions, but pieces of themselves.
Some had seen regrets, others guilt. And some had seen nothing but fear.
Even though they had escaped, those reflections still clung to them like fog that wouldn’t clear.

Rakshit sat on the floor, leaning back on his arms, breathing slowly.
“Did anyone else feel like that zone was looking into us… not just at us?” he muttered.

Sooryanvanshi said nothing. He was staring at his reflection in a piece of broken mirror that had somehow come with him, lodged in his sleeve.
He didn’t throw it away.

The giant screen flickered again.

TIME LEFT: 68:15:48

A new message appeared:

ZONE 2: COORDINATION
ENTRY IN: 05:00 MINUTES
Goal: Work Together. Survive Together. Or Die Alone.

A deep click echoed, and the floor opened.
A circular platform rose, holding five wristbands and a glowing cube that pulsed slowly — red light… like a heartbeat.

New words formed in the air:

Choose your role. One each. No repeats. No swaps.

The roles flashed in front of them:

Strategist

Defender

Tracker

Decoy

Runner

Vijaya took a step forward, her arms crossed, thinking hard.
“I’ll take Strategist,” she said.
“My brain works best when things fall apart. I’ve always been the one planning routes during college treks, solving problems in seconds when others panic. I’m not the fastest, not the strongest, but I know how to lead. Let me guide us.”

She took the band labeled Strategist. It wrapped around her wrist and glowed blue.

Sooryanvanshi moved next. Calm and steady.

“I’ll take Defender,” he said with a low, firm voice.
“I’ve spent my life protecting people. Family. Friends. Even strangers. If there’s danger ahead, I’d rather it hit me than any of you. I can take the pressure — I don’t run from pain. I fight through it.”

He locked on the Defender band. A heavy green light blinked.

Ishar Singh stepped forward, quiet but certain.
“I’ll be the Tracker,” he said.
“When I was young, I could always find the missing ball, the lost wallet, even my cousin’s pet snake. I notice patterns, I sense when paths shift. In any jungle or maze, I won’t let us lose our way.”

He tapped the Tracker band. It glowed golden yellow.

Rakshit looked at the roles left, laughed once, and shrugged.
“Decoy, huh?”
He stepped forward with a half-smile.
“Well, if someone has to be the distraction, I’m your guy. I’ve always been loud, unpredictable, and maybe even a bit reckless. But if it means keeping the rest of you safe… I’ll be the one dancing in front of the gun.”

He slid the band on. A bright red blinked three times.

Vijay walked up slowly, now the last one.
“I guess I’m the Runner,” he said softly.
“I don’t talk much, but I’ve always been fast — not just physically, but in making decisions. I may not know what this role means yet… but I won’t let speed be wasted. I’ll run for all of us if I have to.”

The final band clicked onto his wrist and turned silver.

ROLES LOCKED.
ZONE 2 STARTING…

The ground vibrated under their feet.
Walls shifted around them, forming a large metal chamber. At the center was a giant clock made of gears and wires, slowly ticking backward.
The cube now floated in the air and spoke for the first time:

WELCOME TO ZONE 2: Coordination 
OBJECTIVE: ESCAPE IN 03:00:00. ONLY IF LINKED.
RULES:
— EACH PLAYER MUST STAY CONNECTED BY A DIGITAL CHAIN.
— IF THE CHAIN BREAKS: TIMER SPEEDS UP.
— IF TWO OR MORE PLAYERS STRAY TOO FAR: ONE WILL BE CHOSEN TO DIE.
— ONLY THE STRATEGIST CAN SEE THE FULL MAP.
— ONLY THE TRACKER CAN DETECT TRAPS.
— ONLY THE DEFENDER CAN BLOCK TRAPS.
— ONLY THE DECOY CAN DISABLE CAMERAS.
— ONLY THE RUNNER CAN CARRY THE EXIT KEY.

The floor was covered in square tiles, some glowing faintly.
Ishar Singh’s wristband buzzed.

“I feel… something. The third tile on the right. That one’s a trap. Don’t step on it.”

Sooryanvanshi took the lead. “Let me walk first. If anything triggers, I’ll take it.”

As he stepped onto a plate, a dart shot out of the wall — but it bounced off his shield.
He gritted his teeth, pushing forward.
“Confirmed. That row is dangerous.”

Rakshit scanned the walls. “Camera watching us from the corner. Disabling now.”
A small spark flashed from his wristband. The camera blinked and died.

Vijay was silent, watching, waiting — ready to sprint the second she gave the signal.

Vijaya guided them: “Follow Sooryan’s path. Ishar, double-check the plates ahead.”

They reached the far end. The next door slid open.

Walls moved every 30 seconds.

“Split for a second!” Rakshit shouted, running toward a lever on the wall.
“You can’t!” yelled Vijaya.
“The chains—!”

The chain between Rakshit and Vijay began to stretch, humming louder.

WARNING: MAXIMUM DISTANCE BREACHED.
10… 9…

“Pull him back!” Sooryanvanshi shouted.

Vijay grabbed Rakshit’s wrist and yanked him back just as the timer hit 2.

“I almost got crushed between two walls,” Rakshit panted.

“Don’t go alone again,” said Ishar, “this maze is alive.”

Tracker Mode Activated — Ishar closed his eyes. His wristband blinked.
“Wait. That corridor shifts every 15 steps. We need to count. No one rushes.”

Together, step by step, counting out loud, they passed through the maze.

A hidden dart fired — this time at Vijay.
Sooryanvanshi jumped in the way, absorbing the hit again.

“I’m getting tired of being the shield,” he said, breathing heavily.

The floor was slanted — and slippery. A single narrow beam crossed the room.

If they lost balance, they’d fall into a pit below.

Vijaya warned: “We must cross together, but the chain will pull if one person slips.”

“I’ll go first,” Vijay finally spoke.
“You’ll go last,” said Vijaya firmly. “We need you alive. You’re the key.”

Rakshit stepped onto the beam.
“Guys, I hate heights. Like really. But if I fall and scream, let it sound heroic.”

He moved carefully, the chain pulling behind him as the others followed.

Halfway across —
The beam shook. A trap activated.

A gust of wind from both sides.

Ishar grabbed Rakshit’s shoulder. “Lean left!”

Sooryanvanshi pushed against the chain to stabilize the group.
The chain glowed red — almost at max tension.

With shivering steps, they made it to the other side, collapsing against the wall.

They entered a bright, round room — filled with mirrors.
Each mirror showed a false exit — and fake versions of them walking calmly out.

“It’s not real,” Ishar said.

“But which one is the real door?” Rakshit asked.

“Only the Strategist can see the full map,” the system reminded them.

Vijaya closed her eyes. “None of these mirrors are on my map. But one of them reflects the chain differently…”

She turned.
“That one! Top right corner. Everyone face away from it while I step in.”

She walked through the mirror.
It didn’t shatter. It rippled.
A moment later — the real door opened.

Red lights. Rising heat.
The temperature soared.

“Thirty seconds until this room melts us,” the system announced.

A locked door.
A code panel.

“Runner, check the clues!”

Vijay moved — fast. He dodged flames, rolled past jets of heat, and spotted a timer above a vent.

“5-8-2-1! Try that!”

Vijaya punched it in.
“Wrong code!” she shouted. “One chance left!”

“Reverse it!” Rakshit yelled.

“1-2-8-5!”

The door unlocked.
They all dived through as fire burst behind them.

A long hallway. Turrets aimed at the end.
One final locked door — with a slot for a key.

“Runner — Go!” yelled Vijaya.

Vijay ran like lightning.

He zigzagged.
One turret fired — missed.
Second turret — grazed his leg.
He limped, but didn’t stop.

He jumped, slid under a laser, and slammed the key into the lock.

BOOM.

ZONE 2 COMPLETE.
TIME LEFT: 63:45:18

They fell to the floor, breathing hard.
Burned, bruised, but together.

“Two zones done,” whispered Sooryanvanshi.

“How many more?” Rakshit asked, not really wanting an answer.

The cube blinked softly.

Next Zone Unlocking Soon… Prepare Yourselves.