What a cunning trick, Paul thought. He stood frozen as a dozen theories collided in his mind, but he forced his resolve to harden. I can't afford to panic. Despite his logic, a primal urge screamed at him to bolt. To spin around and face whatever was making that mechanical grinding sound.
It's a trap.Didn't you confirm for yourself that the body was a hologram? He swallowed his fear and took a step forward, refusing to give in to the temptation of looking back.
CRIIIIIIIK
The sound was sharper now, a long, agonizing screech of metal on metal that felt like it was biting into his heels. Don't bite the bait, he commanded himself. Looking back was likely the failure trigger. He had three steps left. He took another.
Total silence followed. The lack of noise was more unnerving than the screeching. Had the thing behind him closed the distance? Was it reaching for him? The sudden stillness made him falter. He almost craved another sound just to break the suffocating anticipation. He forced his leaden legs to take another step
The air shifted. He felt a faint displacement of wind against the back of his neck, as if something massive had just moved into his personal space. He was at the barrier now. The dark glass didn't offer a perfect reflection, but it was enough to show his own silhouette. There was nothing behind him.
He stepped through, feeling a flash of irritation at how easily his instincts had been manipulated. The trick was masterful. He took a breath and scanned the final fifty meters.
Alexia was up ahead, her movements sluggish as if she were wading through deep water. Her face was pale, slicked with sweat. A handful of other students were scattered across the road. Alexia was at the twenty-meter mark. One student had reached ten meters, while the rest were stalled at thirty.
Paul struggled to make sense of the slow-motion scene. If I want answers, I have to step into the fire.
---
The moment he advanced, a crushing weight slammed onto his shoulders. "What the hell is this?" Each step felt like he was carrying an anchor. A cold, hollow ache bloomed in his gut. The unmistakable physical manifestation of terror. He hit the forty-meter mark and stopped, paralyzed by the weight.
A hand clamped onto his shoulder. Instantly, the crushing gravity vanished. He felt weightless, his mind suddenly clear. "Hi, I'm Marcus. We saw each other just a moment ago. I passed the previous test thanks to you.
Paul blinked in confusion. Marcus smirked. "The student from before the one screaming murder? He was an examiner. That's why you wanted to check his number. He was a plant designed to poison the group with panic."
"I suspected as much," Paul admitted, finding his voice. "He was too desperate to be a real candidate. Either an examiner or someone hired to do so"
"I'll leave you to it. I've got a test to finish. My power can temporarily protect your mind, consider it a gift." Marcus strolled forward with his hands in his pockets, his pace casual as he overtook all the struggling students to reach the ten-meter line.
In his turn, Paul caught up to Alexia at the twenty-meter mark. She let out a ragged, exhausted sigh. "I thought I'd have outpaced you by now. You're full of surprises."
"I had a bit of outside help." "Don't get cocky," she warned. "The last twenty meters aren't just a child game. It gets very serious from here on out."
There were now 2 students contesting in the 10 meters. Paul looked at the Great Pentagonal. Five streets, five gates. How many were making it this far? Had anyone actually breached the entrance yet?
He tried to push through the twenty-meter threshold, but his knees buckled and he hit the pavement. "It's not just your mind," Alexia said. "The fear is biological now. Your instincts are overriding your muscles. Your body is simply refusing to move."
It was a bizarre dissonance. His mind was calm under Marcus's protection, but his body was a prisoner to its own survival instinct. Suddenly, shimmering threads of silk lifted him up. "I'll handle the physical movement," Alexia whispered. "But if your mind slips, tell me instantly, or you'll wake up in one of those a psych ward."
They ground out the distance, centimeter by agonizing centimeter, until they reached the ten-meter mark. Marcus was there, shouting back at them. "DON'T GO ANY FURTHER! My power won't shield you from what's next. It's suicide!"
Marcus yelled to warn him. "My power won't help any more, you will meet a certain death if you go any further." But they didn't even need to heed his warning. Because, even before engaging the last 10 meters, They felt it. Nothing was more dangerous in their life than walking those last 10 meters.
They didn't need the warning. Even before they crossed the line, the air itself changed. The atmosphere ahead was toxic with malice. Alexia turned to him, her eyes wide. "What does it feel like to you?"
Paul stared at the abyss ahead. "This is..."
"Absolute fear," Marcus finished.