00:08:45
Maya crossed the chamber with measured steps.
Ralf was where he said he'd be, back against the wall, arms relaxed. Two others stood near him, quiet, observant.
Ralf noticed her approach and smiled.
"I accept your proposal," Maya said, looking straight at him.
His smile widened.
"Great. Then le—"
"But."
She cut him off cleanly.
"You should know something first," she continued, voice steady. "There may be situations I can't figure out. Puzzles I can't solve. I'm not some genius. And I might get injured."
Her eyes didn't leave his. "So tell me...what happens when I'm no longer useful to you?"
The room felt a little quieter.
Ralf laughed, a deep, amused sound. "You're cautious. I like that." He shrugged.
"Thinking that far ahead isn't very helpful right now. Survival comes first. Besides…" He paused, then added calmly, "if things go south, you'll probably still find a way."
He stepped forward slightly.
"And I don't go back on my word."
He extended his hand. "So. What do you say, Maya?"
She searched his face for cracks, hesitation, calculation, anything. Found nothing. After a moment, she nodded and took his hand. His grip was firm, overwhelming. Her hand looked small in his palm.
"Great," he said. "We're set. Let me introduce you to the rest of the team."
Maya raised an eyebrow.
"Team?"
"Yes," Ralf replied, gesturing beside him.
"This is Noah."
The man on his left was tall, broad-shouldered, wearing ripped jeans and a biker jacket. A bruise darkened his forehead. A rough beard framed a face that looked like it had seen more fights than it cared to remember. He gave her a single nod.
"And this is Lana."
The girl on his right wore a blue crop top, sweatpants, and a jacket tied around her waist, like a school P.E. uniform thrown into hell. Her brown hair was braided into a ponytail. Dried blood stained her hands, probably from the climb.
"Hey," Lana said simply.
Ralf looked between them, then up at the glowing timer overhead.
00:03:41
"This is our team," he said. "Let's survive as long as we can. And if we're lucky…" His eyes lingered on the ticking numbers. "Let's get out of this place."
Maya followed his gaze to the timer.
Luck hadn't shown its face yet.
--
On the other side of the chamber, a sudden weight crushed down on Linus's hand.
"—gh!"
Pain shot up his arm, ripping him out of sleep. The person didn't even slow down, didn't look back, just kept moving like Linus was part of the floor.
He pulled his hand back, fingers trembling, jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Anger flared hot in his chest, but he swallowed it down.
Getting mad wouldn't help.
Not here.