Chain Reaction

Time Remaining: 63:00:26

The room they had entered was dimly lit, the silence almost eerie. Strange metallic walls surrounded them, and the soft humming of unseen machines buzzed in the air. A digital timer blinked quietly in red.

63:00:26

After the last challenge, this moment of stillness felt surreal. They had survived two zones already, their hearts tested, their minds pushed. Now, with only moments to breathe, the silence weighed on them like a thick blanket.

They sat in a circle. Not out of strategy — but comfort. The cold steel floor beneath them didn’t matter. For once, they weren’t just players in a game. They were people. Friends. Survivors.

Rakshit broke the silence.

“You know, for a place built to kill us, this room is oddly peaceful,” he said, leaning back against a thick steel pipe.

Vijaya smiled faintly. “Maybe it’s giving us a break. Or maybe it's the calm before the storm.”

Sooryanvanshi laughed lightly. “We’ve had enough storms already.”

There was a pause. Then Vijaya spoke again, more softly.

“Can I ask something? When was the last time any of us… felt normal?”

That one sentence silenced everyone again — but this time, it was different. Not the silence of fear. It was the silence of memory.

“Before all this,” Ishar said slowly, “I used to deliver groceries. Just a scooter and a big delivery bag. It wasn't fancy, but I felt free on the road. Like I had control.”

Sooryanvanshi nodded. “I was in the army for a few years. Left because of family issues. It was tough, but the uniform made me feel like I had a purpose. Funny how this place brings that back.”

Vijaya hugged her knees. “I was in med school. Final year. Surgery was my passion. I wanted to save lives. Now I’m scared I won’t even remember how to hold a scalpel.”

Rakshit looked down, fiddling with a loose thread on his shoe. “I was a tech freelancer. Never stayed in one place. Small gigs, coding, little hacks. But for once, in here, I feel needed.”

Everyone turned to Vijay.

“I was preparing for civil services,” he said. “Wanted to help the people who felt invisible. Now I feel like I’ve become one of them.”

No one replied. The silence was heavy — but not hopeless.

Rakshit nudged Vijay with a grin. “You know what I think? Life didn’t take us away from our dreams. It just... rerouted us.”

Sooryanvanshi chuckled. “Says the guy who hacked a restaurant menu once.”

Vijaya gasped. “He did?”

Rakshit groaned. “Just once. And hey, we got free dessert.”

Ishar laughed. “Now that’s the kind of rebellion I like!”

They all burst into quiet, genuine laughter.

In that cold room filled with danger and silence, they felt warm. Connected. Like a team. Like friends.

The laughter faded into a long, peaceful quiet.

“You know what scares me?” Rakshit said.

“What?” asked Ishar.

“That I’m starting to like this. The adrenaline. The puzzles. It’s addicting.”

Sooryanvanshi nodded. “We adapt. Maybe this is how we learn who we really are.”

Vijaya leaned back. “Crazy, right? We were strangers. Now we’re like a team.”

Vijay smirked. “Shared trauma builds fast friendships.”

“Let’s make a pact,” Rakshit said.

“About what?” asked Ishar.

“No matter what, we get out of this together. All five of us.”

They all nodded.

“Deal,” they echoed together.

Mission Briefing

A loud beep echoed through the room. A screen lit up:

ZONE 3: CHAIN REACTION

Mission: Disarm the cascading core. One mistake resets all.

Time Limit: 45 minutes

Players Required: All 5

A metallic door slid open. A tunnel with flickering lights stretched ahead.

Sooryanvanshi stood. “Break’s over.”

“Let’s go be legends,” Rakshit grinned.

They entered a massive chamber with five floating orbs linked by energy lines. Pressure plates pulsed beneath.

A screen flashed:

Each orb is connected. A wrong step resets all. One chance.

“Whoa,” Vijay whispered. “This is next level.”

“Like a sci-fi escape room,” Rakshit said. “Only deadlier.”

“We need a plan,” Vijaya said, pulling everyone in a huddle.

Ishar pointed. “Orb A pulses faster. Maybe it’s the first.”

“I’ll test Plate A,” Sooryanvanshi offered.

He stepped on it. Orb A glowed, B dimmed.

“Progress!” Rakshit grinned.

“I’ll do Plate B,” said Vijay. Both orbs synchronized. C’s color shifted.

“Wait,” Vijaya said. “Look — if we do this too fast, the system might interpret it as unstable.”

They paused.

“Let’s slow down. One at a time, with 10-second intervals,” Rakshit suggested.

“Agreed,” said Sooryanvanshi. “We can’t afford a reset.”

C’s plate was tricky. It had two small pressure sensors.

“I’ll go,” said Vijaya. “But someone guide me — the floor’s marked.”

Ishar knelt down. “You need to avoid the red lines. They're traps.”

“Great,” Vijaya whispered. “A landmine floor too.”

She stepped, slow and steady. C glowed blue.

They all sighed in relief.

Then D’s orb flickered red.

“Wait — we’re missing something,” Rakshit said. “The energy is jumping between B and D. We need to synchronize their charges.”

“How?” Vijay asked.

“We trigger B again — then D within 3 seconds.”

“I’ll count,” said Ishar. “On three!”

B glowed. Then D. Both synchronized. The room trembled, but held.

“Last one,” Rakshit whispered.

Plate E was the farthest. Narrow beams crossed the floor.

Sooryanvanshi grinned. “I’m ex-army. I’ve crawled worse.”

He dropped down and crawled under the beams.

“Almost…”

One beam flickered.

“Don’t move!” Rakshit shouted.

Sooryanvanshi froze.

“Wait for the flicker… now go!”

He rolled forward and hit Plate E.

All orbs turned gold.

A long beep echoed.

After this intense challenge they all take a deep breath

Challenge Complete.
Time Remaining: 61:30:26

“I can’t believe we did that,” Ishar said, awed.

“That was insane,” Rakshit laughed. “We’re practically superheroes.”

They erupted into celebration — cheering, hugging, high-fiving like crazy. For a few minutes, it wasn’t about survival. It was pure joy.

Vijaya grabbed Rakshit’s shoulders. “We did it! Like, actually did it!”

“Did you see Sooryanvanshi dodging those lasers?” Vijay laughed. “Man’s got moves!”

Sooryanvanshi grinned. “Old reflexes die hard.”

Ishar mock-bowed. “To the chain reaction masters!”

Rakshit gave a mock salute. “I’d play with you all in any death game. Anytime.”

They sat down again, still smiling.

“You know what?” Vijay said. “This might be hell. But at least I got stuck here with you guys.”

Vijaya smiled. “Agreed. If we keep going like this, nothing can stop us.”

And with that, they stepped into the unknown.

Together.