Twisted Revenge

Chapter 5: Second Round

The second round was a test of endurance, but this time it wasn't just physical; it was mental. Rain led Jennie, who was now visibly shaking, to the center of the room where a series of mentally grueling challenges awaited. The dim light cast long shadows on the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere that added to Jennie's growing sense of dread.

"You have fifteen minutes," Rain said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Start."Jennie glanced around, taking in the various stations set up for her. Each one seemed designed to push her mind to its limits. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the ordeal.The first station was a complex puzzle box. Its surface was covered in intricate patterns and hidden compartments. Jennie's hands trembled as she picked it up, her fingers searching for the first mechanism. She twisted and turned pieces, her mind racing to remember the strategies she had read about. Each click of a moving part echoed in the silent room, a reminder of the time ticking away.

"Focus, Jennie," Rain's voice cut through the tension. "You don't have much time."Jennie finally unlocked the puzzle box, revealing a key inside. She grabbed it and moved to the next station: a riddle inscribed on a metal plate. The words seemed to blur together as she read:

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"

Jennie closed her eyes, forcing herself to think. The answer came to her like a whisper in the dark. "An echo," she murmured. She pressed the key into the corresponding slot, and a panel slid open, revealing a small vial of liquid.

"Good," Rain said, her tone offering no praise. "Keep going."The third station was a memory game. A grid of cards lay before her, each one depicting a different symbol. Jennie had to find matching pairs, but the cards flipped over after only a few seconds of viewing. She flipped card after card, her frustration mounting as she struggled to remember their positions. Her previous mental exhaustion from the puzzle box and the riddle made it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she finally matched the last pair. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Glancing at the clock, she saw she had only six minutes left.

The next challenge was a series of logic puzzles displayed on a screen. Each puzzle required her to connect dots, create patterns, or find sequences. Jennie's mind felt like it was on fire as she worked through each problem. The timer on the screen ticked down mercilessly, each second slipping away faster than she could solve the puzzles.

"Three minutes," Rain's voice announced, sending a spike of panic through Jennie.The final challenge was a cipher. A jumble of letters filled the screen, hiding a secret message. Jennie's vision blurred as she stared at the code, trying to decipher the pattern. Her mind raced through different possibilities, each incorrect guess eating away at her remaining time. She scribbled notes furiously, her brain struggling to keep up with her hands.

"One minute," Rain's voice was a cold reminder of how close she was to failure.Jennie took a deep breath and tried a different approach. She shifted the letters in her mind, aligning them in new ways until the message slowly revealed itself. With a final burst of clarity, she decoded the message and entered it into the screen. The words flashed green, indicating her success. She dropped the pen, her body trembling with exhaustion. The room seemed to spin around her as she tried to steady her breathing.

"Well done," Rain said, her voice icy and indifferent. "You've made it to the final round."

Jennie looked up at Rain, her vision still blurry. She had survived the second round, but she knew the final round would be even more challenging. Her mind was exhausted, but she had no choice but to continue. The end was near, but the hardest part was yet to come.