The Game

Chapter 20: Just In Time

Gary's eyes brightened with realization as he scanned through the highlighted words in the books.

"Guys, I think I've got something!" he exclaimed "these highlighted words and phrases in the books might be part of the password, I'm going to give you some key words and phrases I think it might be and I need you to try them in the computer."

Joe nodded in agreement "Got it. Let's see if we can crack this code."

Gary began to list off the highlighted words and phrases he had found in the books, each one more cryptic than the last. "La clé du succès, Le secret du pouvoir, L'énigme de la vie."

Joe, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he input each word and phrase into the terminal, However, despite their efforts, none of them seemed to unlock the computer, his brow furrowed in concentration, But as he hit the enter key again and again, the screen remained unchanged, displaying only a blinking cursor tauntingly.

"None of them work," Joe admitted, his voice tinged with frustration.

As frustration threatened to overwhelm them, Meanwhile, Rachel had been scouring the room, searching for any hidden clues that might aid their escape, As she studied the ornate paintings lining the walls, she noticed something peculiar: small words and symbols hidden within the intricate designs.

"Hey, check this out," she called out while gesturing towards the paintings adorning the walls "I found a few words hidden in the paintings but that's not all look here" she pointed to the furniture "they're all branded with Beaufort's company name which seems to link up with the paintings."

Gary and Joe rushed to her side, their eyes widening in surprise as they examined the paintings more closely. Sure enough, there were words and symbols woven into the fabric of the artwork, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Gary spoke "maybe there's a connection between the words in the books, paintings and the branding on the furniture Let's keep searching for clues to connect and we'll try them all."

"Look at this though" Rachel said, pointing to a small inscription hidden in the corner of one painting "It says 'Beaufort Industries' the very same company name that's branded on all the furniture in this room and on the cover of each book."

Gary's mind raced as he made the connection "So Beaufort is using his own company branding as part of the puzzle, he probably thought we wouldn't use anything too obvious, the rest of the complex clues might just be to throw us off" he mused, his voice tinged with disdain "Typical egomaniac."

Joe then asked
"Should I try Beaufort Industries as the code?"

Gary nodded
"Nothing we try can make it worse and after all we only have 6 minutes left before those spikes close in on us."

As Joe typed in "Beaufort Industries" as the code, the tension in the room was palpable, All eyes were glued to the computer screen, waiting with bated breath for a response.

With a click of the enter key, the screen flickered for a moment before a message flashed across it in bold letters: "Access Granted."

A collective sigh of relief escaped from Gary, Joe, and Rachel as they exchanged triumphant looks, They had cracked the code just in the nick of time, averting the deadly trap that awaited them.

But their victory was short-lived as a new challenge emerged, As they turned to leave the room, they found the door sealed shut, a digital wall clock ticking down from six minutes displayed above it still.

"We have to get out of here fast, why didn't the code work? It said access granted" Gary urged, "Those spikes will be closing in on us any second now."

Mr. Beaufort voice cut through the room again
"Well you didn't expect it to be so easy did you? Why would I make it so obvious?"

Gary yelled out
"It said access granted!"

Mr. Beaufort then spoke
"Yes look across the room Garold."

Gary and the others turned to see a thin door open on the other side.

With no time to spare, they hurried through the doorway, emerging into a narrow corridor that stretched out before them.

As they raced down the corridor, their footsteps echoing off the walls, the digital clock continued its relentless countdown, Each passing second felt like an eternity as they pushed forward, driven by the fear of what lay behind them.

Finally, they reached the end of the corridor and burst through another door, stumbling into the next chamber just as the digital clock reached zero and spikes pierced through the room and hall.

Mr. Beaufort clapped and spoke up again
"Bravo! Bravo! You all survived the first escape room of 3, 2 more to go and you'll all go home richer than you could ever imagine!"

Breathless and shaken, the three of them collapsed onto the floor, their hearts still racing from the adrenaline rush of their narrow escape.

But even as they caught their breath, they knew that their ordeal was far from over, With each passing challenge, Mr. Beaufort's twisted game grew more perilous, testing their wits and pushing them to their limits.

But no matter what obstacles lay ahead, Gary, Joe, and Rachel were determined to persevere. United against their common enemy, they would stop at nothing to break free from his deadly game.

As the adrenaline began to ebb away, Gary, Joe and Rachel rose to their feet, their eyes still wide with the lingering shock of their narrow escape.

Rachel let out a sarcastic laugh, her voice tinged with bitter amusement. "Well, look at us" she remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm "Just two to go, I guess Today isn't the day to die yet."

Her words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the deadly game they were trapped in, But despite the gravity of their situation, a flicker of determination burned in their eyes as they prepared to face the challenges that lay ahead.

Before they could gather their thoughts, Mr. Beaufort's voice echoed through the chamber once again, his tone oozing with arrogance and malice.

"Congratulations on surviving the first stage of The Final Game" he began, his voice laced with contempt, "But don't get too comfortable, The next challenge awaits, and it promises to be even more exhilarating."

With a dramatic flourish, he revealed the details of the second escape room, describing in vivid detail the elaborate traps and puzzles that awaited them.

Mr. Beaufort's voice cut through the air like a knife, his tone dripping with malice as he outlined the harrowing trial that awaited the contestants.

"So, my dear contestants, you've proven to be quite resilient and entertaining" he began his voice laced with arrogance "But your journey is far from over as I said, The next challenge you face is one of sacrifice and survival."

Gary, Joe, and Rachel 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.

"In the next chamber, you will encounter a closed door that can only be opened when a single person enters a sacrifice chamber, I like to call it 'The sacrifice chamber' it's a perilous trap that will subject the individual who enters it to a series of deadly trials, including freezing, flames and other treacherous obstacles."

Gary's brow furrowed in concern as he processed the implications of Mr. Beaufort's words, his mind racing with the grim possibilities that lay ahead.

"The individual who braves the sacrifice chamber," Mr. Beaufort continued, his voice dripping with malice "will have the opportunity to unlock the door for the rest of you and lead you all to safety."

Joe's eyes widened in horror at the thought of the dangers that awaited them, while Rachel's jaw clenched with determination, her resolve unyielding in the face of adversity.

"But be warned" Mr. Beaufort cautioned with a wicked gleam in his eye "failure to navigate the sacrifice chamber successfully will result in certain death for the one inside it, but will open the door for the others regardless of result, and again the choice for who enters is yours, my dears" he taunted.

Rachel asked
"And if we refuse?"

Mr. Beaufort response was simply
"Then you'll all die in that room without ever leaving."