The Million Duvat Endeavor *OPEN*

Final FINAL Results

I offer my sincere thanks to everyone who participated in this contest! Judging your entries was so fun- they were all extremely well written and each had a different take on the prompt. Now, I'm sure you'd like to see the results, so here they are!

Contestant 6, Celynne Varr:

FORFEITED

Contestant 17, Blayze Lesatia:

The clear glass allowed shadows to seep in, darkness engulfing her like a woolen blanket. As soon as Blayze stepped through the door, it mended itself, almost like the entrance was a mere puncture instead of a rectangular structure. In front of her stood a table, once again embracing the inky night mixed with splashes of light. She took a tentative step forward, wiping her perspiration-coated palms on her leather pants.

The closer the table loomed, the swifter her heart thumped against her ribcage. Each footstep bounced off the walls, which felt more like an invisible barrier, like a force field. On top of the table stood a bright object, the only vibrant shade in the cube. The sky blue coated in dainty sparkles contrasted the malicious and seemingly perpetual darkness, almost like a glimmer of hope at the end of a tunnel.

After gulping in a deep breath, her palms rested against the rugged surface. She knew she had to win. She'd come this far. She felt she could be classified as a skilled swordsman, a weapons master, perhaps. However, she never excelled in simple logic. Now, Blayze couldn't be mocked as a imbecile. No, she possessed more than average smarts. Alas, merely a step up from average would never compare to the incredible minds inhabiting the planet. Especially Cascadia who, technically, didn't inhabit the planet anymore.

The girl jumped back in fright, a hand flying over her rapidly beating heart. The box stood propped open, an eery message inscribed upon the lid's interior. The shade of the letters surpassed that of the box on the darkness scale. In loopy, delicate handwriting, it read 'Solve the puzzle.'

Her head cocked to the side, bewilderment flashing through her widened icy eyes. Puzzle? She understood no blood would be shed, but she never expected to solve a puzzle. Maybe a jigsaw? In her already shattered heart, hope lingered and dug roots. Alas, the logical part of her knew the task wouldn't be so simple.

For a moment, Blayze stared at the box's contents. Her head spun as her fingers gripped the clear table. Pinches of light reflected off about a hundred cubes. Their colors matched that of the message's letters, which had long since disappeared. Cubes? Puzzle? Blayze couldn't stomach this information. This was it; her final, epic task? In order to obtain a million duvats and add meaning to her existence, someone expected her to decode a hundred identical cubes?

A gasp escaped her lips as her eyes met the floor. Ice cold liquid engulfed her angles, hundred of tiny jets streaming water into her cube. She felt her demise neared. If she couldn't solve this so called puzzle in time, the water would surely drain the life from her. In this moment, she reflected upon her life. If it ended here, what had she accomplished?

Guilt seeped into her heart, yet she fought to push it away. She murdered her own sister for money she'd probably never hold in her grasp. All she ever accomplished included pushing people away, locking up her heart, and throwing away the key. That's all she had to show for her whole existence.

Violently shaking her head back and forth, Blayze forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. She had to win. She was going to. No obstacle could restrain her from her goal. Slowly, her fingers traced the face of a cube. Smooth. The next cube held the same texture on each side, as did the next.

She didn't need to glance down to know the water danced just above her ankles, chilling her to the bone. Time ticked by, and each second counted. She ran her fingers along the smooth glass of the ceiling. At this rate, she'd drown in mere hours.