Kayla suddenly woke up from her dream, she didn't know if it was because she had gotten enough rest or because her consciousness was telling her to get up, all she knows that she had a very disturbing feeling creeping into her heart. Because it was dark, she couldn’t really see what was happening around her, which made her feel more alert. When she wanted to call out to Aaron and Steven, a hand suddenly came from behind her and covered her mouth, her heart almost jumped out of her chest and she tried to struggle when she heard a very familiar voice,

  “Sshh, there are people near us”, it is Aaron, he gently moved his hands away, Kayla turned to his direction, and since her eyes had adjusted a little, she could see an outline of a person in front of her and nodded.

  Just like before, they decided to find a better spot that is located deep inside the room, at the very corner of the room to take a rest. Yet in the darkness, Kayla could hear small faint whispers coming from quite a distance from them, from the tone, it sounded like people arguing about something. The three of them decided to sneak out to hear what they were arguing about. They decided to hide beside the entrance door, not wanting to get out of the room and confront those people, the sound they heard was more like an echo, so that meant those people were quite far away from them.

  “Hurry! We need to find the key and get out of here, I don’t want to stay here any longer”

  “Have you seen how that group of people have started to hit other people? They are so screwed up man”

  “I am very curious about that person who has successfully gotten out first. He is seriously sick! Who would be proudly announcing to everyone how to get out like that?”

  “But at least we now know how to get out of this hell place!!”

  The sound is coming from three different people, hearing their conversation, Kayla couldn't help but stand there stunned on the spot, ‘So people indeed have known about that room, and they said that people have gotten out?’, she then suddenly remembered about the sound of the bell, she turns around to look at Aaron, she couldn't see his face but it seems that they are making the same horrified expression. Assuming that the bell is indeed to tell them that someone has successfully passed the examination, then somehow it kind of makes sense to them to hear that bell sound.

  The three of them decided to go back to where the other were sleeping and sit down to have a conversation. Steven lit up one of his candles and put it in the middle, they could have just used one of the clothes to burn it and make it as a source of light, but they were worried that the smoke and fire would get too big, so they decided to stick with just the candle.

  “I have done a quick math, the keys won’t be enough for us all to get out of here, and we still didn't know if there is indeed any requirement to collect a certain amount of keys in exchange for all of us getting out of here. We need a plan”, Kayla said worriedly, her eyebrows knitted together and face full of concern.

  “What plan? Plan to tell them to stay together and hear you out?”, Steven suddenly said with a cold tone, his eyes sharp and staring icily at Kayla. Kayla became quiet and looked at him with her big clear eyes, it was as if someone got her tongue and she couldn't seem to find a reason to refute him. She is not a ludicrous person, she knows clearly that in such a dangerous situation and surging instinct for survival, providing another unknown route that they themselves are not even sure about when they have clearly seen the light is almost impossible, who will want to hear her words, it will only backfire and everyone will see her as someone who is trying to get in the way, and worse, they will even eliminate her.

  A bell suddenly rang again, this time it was also that kind of raspy and old sound, their face turned ugly, seems like many people have started to gain the rhythm, which means a lot of people were brutally searching for the key right now.

  “We have got the upper hand now, we have the cards, we know where the key is located. Protecting yourself is much more important”, Steven stated firmly.

  “He is right”, Diane suddenly said, it seems that she had woken up for quite a while but decided to stay silent and hear what they were about to say. “It is no use to say anything now that they believe they have found a way out”, Kayla still looked worried, but she somehow has also agreed that it was useless now. Diane tap her shoulder in reassurance,

  “You don't need to try to convince them, if they are smart, they won't do anything so recklessly like this. You don't need to care for someone who doesn't have the will to be saved, just make sure you stay alive and that is enough. Not many people will wish for you to be alive and live well either”, she says with a mockery smile in her face, it seems that she has seen so many things that she has lost touch of the kindness of the world. It is kind of weird and surprising for Kayla though, since they are about the same age, yet she has such a stern and fierce heart.

  “I understand, I was just.. not sure we should let them jump into the abyss like this, not all of them seek for death, there might be some people who were just at a loss”, Kayla reasoned, her face looking stressed and bothered.

  “We could just leave a clue before we get out, no fuss”, Diane said easily and without worries, Kayla let out a small sigh, she knew that she couldn't change their belief, and she clearly knew that they wanted her to choose the best option not just for herself, but for all of them. They are not forbidding and scolding her for wanting to save others, they are just telling her to put herself first before others.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Let's not waste any time any longer, we will search for the key while you two boys take a rest first”, Diane announced and pulled Kayla together with her. The both of them walked away and began searching for the keys, the place was quite big and there was much cloth placed around the whole room, some in the wardrobe, some hanging around in the wall and even lining up in the line of rope and some even placed very high up in the sky. They decided to search section by section so they wouldn't miss any corners. Diane suddenly pulled her into a corner,

  “I suggest that you don't mention anything about helping the other anymore”, she whispers, Kayla looks at her with question.

  “Don’t you see his expression when you mention it? It is like he wanted to skin you alive”, Diane said seriously, Kayla looked at her with disbelief, “You are exaggerating it”

  Diane clicked her tongue in annoyance, “Do you think I won't be able to see it? Don't ever get in his way, I think he won't even hesitate to eliminate you right away”

  Kayla is baffled and couldn't help but think that her words are a little too much, “If he wanted to kill one of us, he wouldn't have to join us in the first place”

  “Why don't you think that it is because he wanted to get the card from us”, Diane refuted.

  Kayla turned to look at her, somehow Kayla was confused about her deep distrust towards other people, as if.. she had gotten betrayed a lot, so much that she had a certain trauma in engaging with other people. Kayla could somehow understand her worries, yet she was also doubtful about her worries, since Steven hadn't shown them any sign that he wanted to betray them.

  “Don't think too much, we have held two keys with us right now, if he wanted to use us and get out of here alone, he would have done so, or he could do it when he got ahold of the card”

  Diane looks unsatisfied with her answer, “Up to you”, she answers coldly, it seems that she is really angry or she doesn't want to care about her anymore. Kayla suddenly felt a little bad and scratched her cheeks with her index finger in regret, “I will listen to your warning to heart, you don't need to worry”

  Diane didn't reply, and she knows that this time she had done it bad, so she only tapped her shoulder lightly and went on her way to find the key, she thought that it would be a good idea to give her some time to calm down. After searching for the key here and there, Kayla couldn't seem to find the key, so the both of them came to a tacit understanding and looked up at the same time.

  “They.. won't put it above us right?”, Kayla asked with uncertainty.

  “Given how nasty their tricks were, I won’t be surprised”, she replied. Kayla suddenly felt helpless, and let out a big sighed. Diane who hears it suddenly laugh at her, “Why? Feeling tired already?”, she asked playfully, Kayla didn't answer her immediately and pondered for quite a moment, seeing her unusual behavior, Diane added, “What? You are really feeling unwell?”, her tone a little startled. Kayla immediately shakes her head, “No, I just wondering if the key really was up there”

  Diane feels a little skeptical, “You are not feeling offended by my words are you?”, she seems a little upset, or more like disappointed when she said that.

  “No”, Kayla laughed, “I know you are saying it for my own good, I should be the one worrying that you will feel upset about it”, she said. The both of them look at each other eyes for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.

  “Alright, you wait for me here”, Diane said. Kayla originally thought that she was going to call for the boys, so she nodded her head, but who knows that she suddenly shoved the candle she was holding to Kayla and immediately leaped up and grabbed one of the cloths hanging above, Kayla couldn't help but gasp in shock, she is literally hanging in the air. Diane keeps on climbing and moving from one part of the room to the other, she makes it feels like it is very easy to do so, Kayla's jaws almost drop to the floor when she sees it. For someone to hang on to merely a cloth, how many years of training are needed for the core strength to be able to do so?

  But it seems that it is not in vain for Diane to go up to take a look since it seems that she found something around the area in the middle of the room. Kayla quickly ran in her direction, to see if there was anything that she could help with.

  “Here, catch it”, Diane said while aiming towards Kayla who was standing below her, carefully not to hit her. Kayla successfully catches it and it is indeed a box, Diane also swiftly climbs down and jumps down when she sees that it is in her range of height.

  Kayla dumbly stares at Diane who is standing beside her, clasping her hand to clean the dust off her hand. When she notices Kayla's gaze directed at her, Diane's lips curled up into a smile, “What? Is it that shocking?”

  Kayla blinked out of it and smiled, “No, I just thought that you were really cool”

  Diane proudly smiled at her compliment, “I will teach you when we get out of here”, Kayla's face immediately went pale, “No, I don't think I would be able to do it”

  Diane let out an interested laugh, “How could you know when you haven't even tried, I know that you..”, before she could even finish her words, another sound of a bell ringing again, this time it was also the same raspy, old sound. The more Kayla heard it, the more she felt creeped out about it, ‘Is it my imagination? Why do I feel like the first bell sounded much clearer and soothing’

  “Have you found it?”, a sound suddenly come from behind them, the both of them were startled by the sound, when they turned around, they found Aaron and Steven, Clara and Jeremy also standing behind them, looks like they were awake. Kayla lifted up the box she was holding for them to see, and Aaron nodded his head.

  “Let's eat dinner first and then get out of here, the frequency of the bell ringing has gotten faster”, Aaron said with a worried tone. They all nodded their head in agreement, Kayla had never thought that they had slept until dinner time had passed, so they immediately ate it and set off to another place, but before that, Steven suggested they exchange the key with the coin first so that they didn't have to take such a big and noticeable box like that, to which they immediately agreed.

  “Here, it is this corridor”, Kayla said, they have been following the arrows that were crafted from the box and it is pointing to another empty corridor,

  “It is a tiny small keyhole, let's find it”, he pulled out a candle for each of them to keep, this made Kayla look at him baffled, “How many candles are you carrying?”

  Without saying anything, Steven opens up his outer sleeveless jacket for her to see, it is full of pockets that are bulging, Kayla stands there stupidly, ‘He is indeed something’

  They began searching for it all over the place, Steven suddenly called out for them, he has found the key hole. Kayla has to kneel down to see the hole clearly, it is a very simple keyhole that is around the height of their knees,

  “You inserted it and twisted it”, Steven instructed.

  Kayla take the key out of the box and do as she was told, not long after, the key was swallowed and a small crispy *clank* sound could be heard at the very bottom of the wall, below the keyhole, a coin had fallen out from there, ‘This process.. is like a vending machine?’, Kayla taken the key out of it and it is indeed the golden coins that Steven had showed her before, also with a different number crafted at the back of the coin.

  “You could exchange the rest here”, Steven said, Kayla was a little surprised, she thought that they could only exchange one coins in one place, but it turned out that they could exchange multiple coins in one place, Kayla unknowingly let out a sigh of relief, ‘That makes it much more easier’

  After they were done, they decided to continue their journey to find another room, to find a safe place and really take a good night's rest to be able to continue their journey tomorrow.

  TO BE CONTINUED…