The Final Guest

5

The Hunter’s Trap

Sky’s mind was clouded with confusion, struggling to grasp what she was experiencing as the floor trembled beneath her feet. The walls around her shifted, revealing an open doorway that beckoned her forward. Every instinct told her to turn back, to find some way out of this twisted ordeal. But she knew she was in too deep now, that whatever lay beyond the door was part of the game she had willingly stepped into. Ben’s ominous words echoed in her mind: "Every choice has a reaction. Every wrong move... consequences."

With a steadying breath, she stepped through the doorway and found herself in a dimly lit hall. Massive crystal chandeliers dangled above, casting an eerie glow across the room. And then, she noticed them—the other guests, all nine of them, waiting in a loose circle. Each one held a glass of wine, their eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and predatory curiosity. She realized then that she wasn’t in a new room; this was an arena. And the game was about to begin.

Ben stood at the center, his silhouette cast in sharp relief. His voice was smooth as ever, but there was a dangerous edge to it now. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, raising his glass. "Tonight, we celebrate in the grandest tradition of our gatherings—a test of skill, wit, and survival. And our honored guest, Ms. Black, will join us in the hunt."

A ripple of murmurs and faint laughter spread through the group, each guest's gaze locking onto Sky with a hunger that sent a shiver down her spine.

She took a step back, her pulse racing. "A hunt? What kind of game is this?"

Ben's smile widened, his teeth glinting in the dim light. "The rules are simple. You, Ms. Black, will have a head start. Your task is to survive as long as you can. For each hour you endure, you’ll earn a token. Gather enough tokens, and you’ll be granted a chance to escape."

Sky’s heart pounded. She glanced around, noting the way the other guests were eyeing her with thinly veiled amusement, as if she were some sort of prey. They weren’t ordinary people; their presence was too poised, too calculating. She could sense that they relished the thrill of the hunt, and that meant she was up against seasoned predators.

"How much time do I have?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended, though she couldn’t hide the tremor in it.

Ben checked a silver watch that glinted under the chandelier. "You have ten minutes. After that, the hunt begins." He raised his glass in a mock toast. "Good luck, Ms. Black."

Sky didn’t wait for further instructions. She turned on her heel and bolted down the hall, her footsteps echoing against the polished marble floors. The whispers and laughter faded behind her as she moved through a doorway and into the unknown depths of the mansion. The dim lighting cast long shadows across her path, but she pressed forward, her mind racing with questions and calculations.

Into the Maze

She passed through a series of corridors, each one twisting and turning with no clear pattern. The air grew colder, and the decor became darker, the luxurious trappings giving way to something more primal, almost dungeon-like. She knew she had to keep moving, but every corner she turned felt like another trap. Each doorway seemed to taunt her, each echo in the silence making her jump.

In a desperate bid to stay hidden, she ducked into a small room and took a moment to catch her breath. Her skin prickled as she heard faint footsteps down the corridor. Her mind raced with the knowledge that they were coming for her, and each one of them likely had their own strategy to find her. She couldn’t allow herself to panic. Not yet.

She studied the room—a storage closet with high shelves stacked with old, dust-covered boxes and strange antique items. She grabbed a heavy brass candlestick, gripping it tightly. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.