Chapter 4
As the red door finally opens after the timer counts down to zero, the group hesitates for a moment. However, Marlene summons the courage to step forward first, followed closely by Remus. Lily and John exchange a glance before steeling themselves and following suit, trailing behind the first two.
Upon stepping into the room after the others, Lilly takes in the unusual sight of a photobooth positioned centrally within the space. Her attention is immediately drawn to a door located at the back end of the so-called photobooth.
Lilly reads the sign placed above the photobooth, which reads “enter here, one person." She stays in place, feeling lost and unsure of what to do next.
.
Remus steps up and declares that he will be the first to enter the booth. The others watch as he disappears into the booth, which resembles a makeshift photography setup. After a few moments, Remus emerges from the booth, a perplexed and bothered expression on his face.
"what is in the inside? " john ask
"it's better if you will see it on your own" remus reply firmly.
Without wasting any time, Marlene steps up and enters the booth next. After a much longer duration than Remus' time in the booth, Marlene emerges, her face etched with a mix of anger and unease. She immediately distances herself from the group, standing a few steps away with caution.
The mysterious little both intrigues Lilly, and her curiosity gets the better of her. She steps inside after Marlene, taking in the interior. There's a solitary chair facing a small screen in the center of the booth.
As Lilly takes her seat on the chair, her face is captured on the screen in front of her for the first time since she arrived at this place. She examines her reflection, seeing her own face for the first time in this strange environment.
Looking at her reflection on the screen, Lilly realizes the state of her appearance. She notices her red hair is tousled, her demeanor visibly tense. There's also a small bead of blood on her neck where the broken glass left its mark when she impulsively smashed against it. A pang of self-beratement flashes through her mind - it was a rash and reckless action.
The screen suddenly turns black before a single word materializes: "welcome."
Lilly raises her eyebrows in confusion, waiting for more information.
The screen continues, announcing, "we are now choosing what your role is." It's a perplexing statement, leaving her wondering what they mean by choosing her role.
As Lilly reads the words on the screen, she mumbles, "role..."
The screen's options appear on the screen, repeatedly cycling between the words "INNOCENT," "HERO," and "EVIL." This leaves Lilly utterly baffled. "What on earth does it mean?" she ponders, completely bewildered.
The screen displays a passage in response to Lilly's silent question:
"While the world is filled with darkness, heroes are the beacons of hope. They are the ones who take up the challenge of facing evil and protecting the innocent. Their courage, resilience, and selflessness in the face of adversity inspire us all to be better."
In a dismissive tone, Lilly remarks, "So, I'm supposed to fight evil now?" She scoffs at the statement before directing her irritation towards the screen. "This is bullshit. I just want to get out of here," she speaks to the machine.
As Lily expresses her frustration, pulling at her hair in anger, the screen flashes a message: "The game will start in 3 hours. Please call the next person."
Frustration and anger well up within her, and she can't help but direct her fury towards the machine. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" she cries out. "Let me out of here, you stupid machine!"
Lilly storms out of the booth, her anger palpable. She brushes past John, who had attempted to approach her and ask something, and ignores him completely. Her frustration is evident in her manner, and she refuses to interact with anyone.
After a brief period, John emerges from the booth, his features betraying a mix of befuddlement and contemplation.
As Lily sits on the cold floor, awaiting the arrival of the next door, a gnawing hunger and exhaustion settled in. The weight of her current circumstances seemed to finally catch up with her, leaving her feeling weary and vulnerable.
As Lily observes the room, she notices Marlene lying on the floor, seemingly uncaring about the chilliness of the stones beneath her. Remus stands nearby, engaged in conversation with John about something, though the specific subject of their discussion was unclear from Lily's vantage point.
Lily, feeling the weight of her exhaustion, decides to give in to her fatigue. Closing her eyes, she allows herself to nap for a brief respite.
Lily jolts awake due to the unexpected and jarring sound. Her mind remains hazy from sleep, but the disturbance has fully snatched her back to consciousness. Her heart races as her mind quickly tries to process her surroundings.
Lily, fed up with the constant noise, places both of her hands firmly over her ears in an attempt to muffle the irritating sound. She winces, trying to block it out and find some respite from its persistence.
After a few minutes, the irritating sound finally ceases, and another door opens. Lily slowly lowers her hands, allowing them to fall from her ears, and looks around the room, observing her surroundings and her companions.
Remus rises from his spot on the floor, striding towards the newly opened door. John and Marlene follow him, and Lily, seeing the others moving forward, also gathers her energy to stand up and head after them.
The single word "room" was insufficient to describe the sheer enormity of the place. There were four doors strategically placed in each wall, forming a circular pattern around the room.
All eyes turn towards the source of the voice, a small speaker situated within the room. As it speaks, the words seem to reverberate off the walls, filling the space with an echoing resonance.
"Welcome, players," the voice begins. "Your challenge is to exit this building within the time limit."
The disembodied voice continues its instructions, "Enter through the door and make your way downstairs where you will find your first puzzle."
The sudden outburst from the random man breaks the momentary silence, his voice laced with irritation and frustration.
"This is stupid," he exclaims. "I'm not gonna do that sh*t."
Lily's gaze shifts towards the man, her eyes narrow as she observes his agitated demeanor.
The man's voice becomes more demanding, his frustration mounting.
"Why do I need to listen to some random guy?" he hollers. "Stop playing with us, you f*cker! Let us out. Do you want money? I'll give you money!"
His agitated tone attracts the attention of the others in the group, but Lily's expression remains guarded, her focus shifting between the man and the doors.
The woman's voice joins in, her words filled with frustration and entitlement.
"That's true," she chimes in. "What is this place anyway? If you want money, just tell me, my father is rich. He can give you whatever you want."
Lily continues to remain where she stands, silently observing the growing tension within the group as more voices rise in agreement with the angry man.
The voices around Lily grow louder, a chorus of frustration and protest filling the room.
"What did we even do wrong?!" the voices chorus. "Let us out!"
The once-calm atmosphere is replaced by a palpable tension, as the anger and confusion of the group's members seem to reach a boiling point.
Amidst the growing chaos, Lily and the others are suddenly diverted by the sound of a door opening. They turn their focus towards the source of the noise, their eyes fixating on the figure of a man standing in the doorway leading to the stairs.
The man's dark hair falls just below his shoulders, framing his somewhat bored expression. As he speaks, his voice carries a note of weariness, as though he has seen and heard it all before.
"Your all screaming won't lead to anything," the man declares, his tone level and matter-of-fact.