"What are the odds of us not being selected? I think they're high, guys," said a boy in the front row, standing with an air of mock importance. "I just want to back up the person who said we're all doomed ! because it doesn't take a genius to know this test is too simple. Honestly, I think the real test isn't even on these papers." He sat down after his little speech, satisfied with himself.
"I'm not entirely convinced by what he said," whispered a girl to her neighbor at the back. The room pulsed with uneasy laughter and forced bravado, but beneath it all was the same dread: this test is too easy.
One boy groaned, pressing his forehead to the desk. "We're doomed. You know that, right? This isn't real. They must want us to doubt ourselves or it's bait. It has to be."
A girl near him smirked. "Relax. Maybe the trick is that there's no trick. Maybe they're testing who cracks first."
"Then I'm already failing," he muttered, drawing a few nervous chuckles.
The laughter was sharper this time, edged with nerves. Liam stood, uncertain, and walked slowly toward the wall clock. Behind him, Kyra rose as well, slipping into step beside him. Together they stared at the clock's face: it read three minutes.
"Are you seeing this too?" Liam whispered. "It says three minutes… but we've been here at least three hours."
"Who knows? Maybe the clock's from Cuba," a boy in the front row called out, earning a ripple of laughter that barely hid the tension.
"We can't even be sure how long we've been here," Kyra said quietly to Liam. "They took our watches and phones. Maybe it's just broken."
Liam pulled the clock down and set it on the teacher's desk. The act drew the attention of the rest of the students, who began crowding forward, curiosity overtaking caution. Kyra pressed one of the buttons to adjust the hands, trying to reset it to three hours instead of three minutes. But before she could finish, a faint breeze stirred from nowhere ,soft at first, then strong enough to brush against their skin. The clock rang once, sharply.
The door opened. Mr. Pidas entered, catching them off guard.
"Don't panic," he said smoothly. "It's alright. I'm only here to say congratulations , you've all passed the test."
A stunned silence followed. Then, from the middle of the group: "And if you don't mind me asking… what was the test?"
Pidas' smile didn't falter. "If I told you, I'd ruin the surprise. For now, stay put and wait for the four hours to finish. It is strict that no one enters the hallway, or else you'll experience dizziness."
"Dizziness?" a girl asked, frowning. "Why dizziness? What's going on?"
Pidas shook his head gently. "When you return to your parents, you'll notice something different. Some won't notice at all and that will be for the better. But if you choose to enroll here, you'll keep the secret of what you currently don't understand. Insight comes later, when you leave this room. That's all, and I'm not taking any more questions."
"I suppose we touched the truth without even realizing it," muttered a boy. The remark drew uneasy laughter.
Time passed. At last, a bell rang. Mr. Pidas gestured to the door. "You may now return to your parents."
Chairs scraped, whispers stirred, and slowly the students filed out. Liam walked stiffly, his mother's warning echoing in his mind. Kyra fell into step beside him, her expression unreadable. Other students from different classrooms joined them as they pushed through the heavy doors into the reception hall, where parents looked up in surprise.
"You're finished already?" Liam's mother gasped, glancing at her phone. "That was only five minutes."
Five minutes. The words struck Liam like a wave. He clenched his jaw, saying nothing. Behind him, Pidas' voice echoed quietly in memory:
The clock never lies.