The Game

Chapter 19: The Next Games

The cold chilling voice of Mr. Beaufort echoed through the chamber, cutting through the silence like a knife."Congratulations everyone on making it this far you have been quite the bunch of contestants" he announced, his tone dripping with malice "But before you can proceed to the next stage of the game, there's one final requirement you must fulfill before I can let you out of the hunt chamber."

The final 3 contestants exchanged wary glances, their hearts pounding with apprehension as they waited for Mr. Beaufort to reveal the next twist in the deadly game they were trapped in.

"You must surrender any firearms you have acquired during your time in the hunt chamber immediately" Mr. Beaufort continued, his voice carrying a note of finality "Failure to comply will result in not being allowed to leave the chamber."

Gary's brow furrowed in thought as he reluctantly reached for the gun he had acquired, his movements slow and deliberate, With a sigh he dropped the weapon to the ground.
"Fine" he spoke simply and short.

Joe his expression grave, watched silently as Gary complied with the demand, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Rachel however, bristled at the demand, her eyes flashing with defiance "This is bullshit!" she protested, her voice ringing out with anger "You can't expect us to just hand over our only means of defense!"

Mr. Beaufort's smirk widened at Rachel's defiance, clearly relishing the opportunity to exert his control over the contestants "I assure you, Miss Rachel that it's quite necessary after all I can't put myself at risk" he replied, his tone dripping with condescension "Now, if you wish to continue in the game, I suggest you comply, or I can send in guards to help with the situation."

Rachel's gaze flickered between Mr. Beaufort and the gun clutched tightly in her hand, her mind racing with conflicting emotions, but finally with a frustrated sigh she reluctantly dropped the firearm, her fingers lingering on the cold metal for a moment before she let it fall to the ground with a resounding clatter.

With a satisfied smirk Mr. Beaufort nodded in approval "Very good, contestants, guards please get those guns back" he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "You may all proceed to the next stage of The Game now."

As the heavy metal door slid open before them allowing them back in the hallway they spotted Mr. Beaufort smiling with a army of guards around him.

Mr. Beaufort spoke as he looked over the 3 of them
"Now that we've settled that matter" he began his tone icy and authoritative "it's time to move on to the next stage of The Game, You'll find the entrance to the next game down the hall per usual if you'll all follow me."

Gary stepped forward, his brow furrowed in curiosity as he addressed Mr. Beaufort "Well, I know you love sharing your ideas, so what can we expect from the next game?" he inquired, his voice steady despite the underlying tension.

Mr. Beaufort's smile widened at Gary's question, relishing the opportunity to toy with his contestants further "Ah, the next game is a test of wit and nerve, and maybe a little teamwork" he replied cryptically, his tone laced with amusement "You'll find yourselves in a series of chambers that I set up for the final games, each one presenting its own unique challenge i assure you."

He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in before continuing "In the first chamber, you'll need to rely on your intellect to solve a puzzle together" he hinted, his eyes glittering with malicious glee "But beware, time is not on your side, and failure to solve the puzzle quickly may have well you could say unpleasant consequences."

With that tantalizing hint hanging in the air, Mr. Beaufort gestured for the contestants to proceed down the hallway, eager to see how they would fare in the twisted game he had devised for them.

As they made their way down the dimly lit hallway, Gary, Joe, and Rachel huddled together, their minds buzzing with speculation about the upcoming challenge.

"So, a puzzle with a time limit" Gary mused his brow furrowed in thought "Knowing Louis Pierre Beaufort, That sounds like some kind of escape room scenario, We'll need to work together quickly to solve it before time runs out."

Joe nodded in agreement, his expression serious "Yeah, but what kind of puzzle could it be?" he wondered aloud. "And what did he mean by unpleasant consequences is it going to explode or shoot at us or something?"

Rachel's thoughts flowed as she considered Mr. Beaufort's cryptic words Knowing him it could be anything, But I have a feeling it won't be easy, We need to stay focused and be prepared for anything."

As they reached the end of the hallway they spotted A door Etched in bold letters above the entrance, a sign read "The Escape Chamber."

Gary's jaw tightened as he read the words, a sense of foreboding settling over him "Well, I guess this is it," he muttered, his voice tinged with worry.

Joe glanced at the sign "Looks like we're about to find out what Mr. Beaufort has in store for us" he remarked, his voice filled with determination.

Rachel surveyed the entrance, her mind racing with thoughts of what challenges awaited them inside. "Let's get this over with" she said, her voice annoyed yet serious.

They all enter the next chamber to find themselves in a room adorned with opulent French decor, complete with ornate furniture and lavish paintings In the center of the room sits a grand computer terminal, surrounded by shelves filled with books and looking like a very standard rich library room.

As they approach the computer, they notice that it's displaying a message written in French, Gary, Joe, and Rachel exchange puzzled looks, realizing that they'll need to decipher the message to proceed.

Rachel with sarcasm in her tone Rollin her eyes
"Of course he would pull the French language trick again."

Suddenly, Mr. Beaufort's voice booms over the intercom, his voice dripping with arrogance as he shows how smug and self-assured he is "You've stumbled upon the pièce de résistance of my little game, a puzzle designed by none other than me just like every other."

The contestants worry of what this game could bring, but they know they'll need to focus if they want to escape his twisted game.

Gary lowered his brows as he sifted through the myriad of books lining the shelves, each one more ornate and cryptic than the last, Despite his efforts, none of them seemed to hold the key to their predicament. Frustration gnawed at him as he flipped through page after page searching desperately for any clue that could help them, he only found a few key words highlighted.

Meanwhile, Joe approached the grand computer terminal, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he attempted to input various codes and passwords However, his efforts were in vain as the computer remained unresponsive, Suddenly, a low mechanical hum filled the room, and Joe's heart sank as he watched in horror as a wall of spikes began to descend from the ceiling, inching closer and closer towards them.

"Shit!" Joe exclaimed, his eyes widening in panic as he realized the danger they were in, Rachel standing near the wall, let out a scream of pain as one of the spikes grazed her bicep, leaving a shallow cut in its wake.

"The computer set off the timer!" Rachel shouted, her voice strained with pain as she clutched her injured arm.

Gary's mind raced as he connected the dots, his eyes darting around the room in search of a solution. "We have to decode these books and find the password to that terminal computer to stop the spikes and open the door!" he exclaimed, his voice urgent as he realized the gravity of their situation.

As the digital wall clock began its countdown, displaying a timer set at 15:00 minutes, Mr. Beaufort's voice echoed through the chamber once again, his smug tone reverberating through the air. "Well done, Gary," he applauded, his satisfaction evident in his voice "I didn't even have to explain this one."

With time ticking away and their lives hanging in the balance, Gary, Joe, and Rachel knew they had to work quickly to solve the puzzle and escape Mr. Beaufort's deadly trap.