Enchanted University of Magemenos

chapter 46:4 minutes yet to go!

"Oh Lord, thank you," I gasped, barely able to catch my breath. The pain from the vibrations had eased, and I could finally think clearly again.

At least the vibrations gave me a warning about Marco's presence. 

I shuddered at the close call I'd just had. If it hadn't been for the vibrations, I might have walked straight into him without realizing it. The thought of how narrowly I'd escaped made my heart race even faster. The proximity of Marco had nearly been fatal, and I was shaken by the close encounter.

"Are you okay?"asked the boy

"Maybe," I replied, still struggling to regain my composure. My mind was racing, and I found it hard to reconnect with the present moment.

Suddenly, Marco's voice rang out with a commanding shout, "Marco!"

In response, someone else called out, "Polo!" The sound echoed through the area, and as soon as we heard it, we instinctively joined in, shouting "Polo!" in unison. The urgency of the moment almost made us forget the need to stay alert and revert back polo.

Tiana, who was just behind Marco, hesitated to shout "Polo." Even though she was blindfolded, she could sense the vibrations signaling Marco's proximity. In a desperate attempt to avoid detection, she remained silent. However, it was too late—her failure in reverting back to Marco,  with a sudden, grim impact, her head fell to the ground.

As the horrifying scene unfolded, I quickly clamped my hand tightly over my mouth, stifling any noise that might attract attention. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the tragedy unfold.

Pity her for leaving so early, she just came into the game.

"This game is insane," I muttered under my breath. "Who designed these ridiculous challenges? I swear I'll make their life a living hell."

My mind raced with frustration and helplessness. "I wish I could use my special card to revive her," I thought, knowing it could only be used at the final level.

I glanced at the timer and saw that only 2 minutes had passed out of the grueling 7 minutes—each second felt like an eternity.

"Marco!" Marco shouted again, his voice piercing through the tension.

We responded almost immediately with a hushed "Polo." This time, we were more mindful of the rules; shouting wasn't necessary, and whispering was just as effective, as long as we followed the rule.

"Freeze!" Marco's command echoed, adding to the sense of urgency.

I scrambled to find a hiding spot and stumbled upon the worst possible place—right next to a Cicada that was buzzing loudly. The constant, irritating noise only added to the stress of the situation.

Desperate to silence the Cicada, I grabbed it from the tree and held it in my hand. The buzzing stopped, but so did my sense of comfort. I had to fight through my fear of creepy-crawlies to keep the noise down. My skin crawled at the thought of the insect in my hand, but I focused on staying quiet and hidden.

"I found you!" Marco declared, tagging the boy. His head jerked around as if it were on a spring.

I quickly realized Marco's strategy. He had called out "Polo" to determine our locations. Once he pinpointed the source of the sound, his command to "freeze" had immobilized us completely. Even if we had wanted to move, our legs felt as heavy as rocks, refusing to cooperate.

After what felt like an eternity, the freezing effect wore off. The ten seconds passed, and we were finally free to move again. As soon as we could, we started spreading out, each of us trying to find a better hiding spot and stay out of Marco's reach.

Two of the blindfolded players and one open eyed were out of the game,  leaving only one blindfolded player still in the game. The chances of the remaining blindfolded player being caught were clearly high.

With three minutes done on the clock, the bell rang, signaling a new phase of the game. We quickly regrouped and arranged ourselves within the inner boundary. Only four of us remained, each of us trying to position ourselves strategically. Marco, now in the center, took his position with an air of authority, ready for the next move.