Only 10 hours were left now. The clock kept ticking, and the pressure was growing on everyone. Out of all the groups, only one had managed to reach the centre of their chamber so far. That group stood quietly in front of a huge, ancient-looking door. The door was massive, towering over them, and it had strange patterns carved into it. But no matter how much they looked at it, the door wouldn't open. It seemed like the door was waiting for something. Maybe it would only open once all the groups had reached the centres of their chambers.
Junith, Doran, and Nira stood in front of this door, realizing that rushing wouldn't help now. There was nothing they could do except wait. So, they decided to take a break. They sat down near the door, resting their tired bodies and preparing themselves for what challenges might come next. After all, who knew what would happen when the door finally opened?
---
In another chamber, Orin and Drakar kept moving. They had been following Orin's instinct the entire time. He said that he can feel when they were going in the right direction, and Drakar had no choice but to trust him, even if he didn't always understand how Orin knew these things.
Orin suddenly stopped and turned to look at Drakar. His calm eyes met Drakar's confused and slightly annoyed face.
"Okay," Orin said with a small smile, "I feel like we are very close to the centre. Let's rest up here for a bit."
Drakar blinked. "What? Now?"
"Yes," Orin said, his voice steady. "Let's rest."
Drakar stared at him, his eyes wide. "Are you serious? Time is ticking away and you want to rest?"
"Don't worry," Orin said again. His voice was so calm that it made Drakar even more irritated. "We'll reach the centre soon. Let's take this chance to rest."
Drakar crossed his arms, shaking his head. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I know you're full of energy," Orin said, his tone gentle, "but rest is just as important. What if we reach the centre and monsters attack us right away? What good will it do if we're too tired to fight back?"
Drakar frowned. "Cut your crap. We've got to reach the centre first before anything happens."
Orin chuckled softly. "About that, don't worry so much. My instincts don't miss. Just rest for a bit."
Drakar let out a deep sigh. "Fine… but let's not waste too much time."
"Of course," Orin said with a grin. "You too, rest easy."
And so, the two of them sat down for a moment, letting their bodies relax. Drakar kept glancing around, still feeling restless, but Orin seemed completely at peace.
---
Now there were only 9 hours remaining.
In a different chamber, Sera, Ruvan, and Zerik were still trapped. They had ended up in what seemed like a dangerous trap, though they also hoped this trap would somehow lead them to the centre. But the situation was becoming worse. Zerik and Ruvan noticed something alarming the walls of the room they were in were slowly moving inward. At first, it wasn't very noticeable, but after some time, it became clear that the space was getting smaller and smaller. The room was shrinking.
They had to act quickly. Zerik and Ruvan exchanged a glance. There was no time for words. Both of them understood what needed to be done. Since the walls were moving, it didn't seem likely that the exit would be hidden within them. That left only two options, up or down.
Without wasting a second, Ruvan started digging downwards with all his strength, his hands tearing into the ground like a wild animal. He moved fast, like a dog digging for a bone. At the same time, Zerik summoned his magical cards, using them like blades to carve into the ceiling above, searching for a way out. Sera stood back, watching them work, her heart racing. She didn't know how to help, but she trusted them.
Zerik soon spotted an opening above. But just as he did, the ground beneath them gave way. The floor cracked and began to fall into a dark, endless pit. Without thinking, Ruvan grabbed Sera and leapt upward toward the opening that Zerik had made. Zerik followed right after them, pulling himself up with his cards.
The three of them made it safely to the upper level. They looked around and saw only one path forward. They took it without hesitation. After a short walk, they found themselves standing in front of another huge door. Ruvan, still full of energy, tried punching the door, but it didn't move at all. Zerik shook his head. "It won't open now," he said calmly.
Next to the door, they saw the words "3 - Done" written on the wall. That confirmed it. Their group had reached the centre. Now, they had to wait for the other groups.
---
Another hour passed, leaving only 8 hours remaining.
Elsewhere, Adrian and Vaela found themselves stuck. They had been walking for what felt like forever when they reached a dead end. It was like there had once been a bridge there, but now it was gone. There was no way to cross to the other side. Vaela sat down and decided to rest, while Adrian paced around, trying to figure out how they could get across.
---
Meanwhile, in another chamber, Sylra continued using her notes and detection magic to try and guide her group toward the centre. Lila, Fizzle, and Cyrus followed behind her. But something was wrong. Sylra's magic wasn't working properly anymore. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't get a clear reading.
While Sylra was focused on her notes, Cyrus noticed something strange. The ground beneath them felt odd. Then he realized, they were caught in some kind of quicksand. But this wasn't normal quicksand. Instead of pulling them down, the ground seemed to be rising up around them.
Lila reacted quickly, using her water and fire magic to try and keep the sand away. Sylra used her sound magic, sending vibrations through the ground in an attempt to push the sand back. Fizzle flew above them, grabbing Lila's hand and pulling as hard as she could. But none of it seemed to help.
Then, to their shock, Cyrus disappeared beneath the sand. Lila froze in place, unable to believe what she just saw. Sylra followed next, the sand swallowing her up as well. Fizzle tried even harder to lift Lila, but suddenly both of them were pulled into the sand too. Lila closed her eyes tightly, holding her breath.
But when she opened them, she was standing on solid ground again. So were Sylra, Cyrus, and Fizzle. They were all safe. Cyrus looked around and laughed softly. "It was a trap, or maybe a prank," he said. "It was just meant to make us waste our magic and get tired."
They saw the huge door in front of them, with the words "4 - Done" written next to it. Like the others, they had reached the centre. Now, they waited for the door to open.
---
Only 7 hours remained. Three groups had reached the centre. But two groups were still out there, searching, struggling, and hoping to make it in time. Would they succeed before time ran out? Only time would tell.