Alexandre was running out of options.
He tried again to communicate with Marlon, calling his name, splashing his face with icy water—anything to snap him out of it—but nothing had any effect. Alexandre even tried slapping Marlon across the cheek, hoping for some reaction, but nothing worked.
No matter what Alexandre tried, it was useless. Panic had shut Marlon down completely.
Long seconds passed. Alexandre's anxiety rose and rose as he glanced over his shoulder. The rescue rafts were still plowing steadily in their direction, and they'd be there before long.
A grim sense of inevitability settled over Alexandre. He had only minutes left to start swimming again toward Jack Blades if he wanted to be sure he'd avoid disqualification himself. With his own body still refusing to respond as well as he needed, trying to drag Marlon along with him was out of the question.
Alexandre was starting to feel foolish. Was it just weak emotion that had led him to go against what he logically knew was the best option in the first place? He should never have tried to snap Marlon out of it… Now all he'd done was waste time.
But even as he had these thoughts, Alexandre knew he was just trying to convince himself. Given the choice again, he knew that he would very well try to save a companion, even against the odds.
Nonetheless, he drew in a shaky breath and braced himself to leave…
"You need to show him his own blood!"
Startled, Alexandre spun in the water to see who'd spoken. It was Claire, the same blonde young woman who'd attacked him back during the second trial. Unlike the others floundering in panic, Claire was composed, her gaze focused and completely self-controlled.
Alexandre barely paused to process this odd suggestion. "His own blood? What are you talking about?"
Claire shot a quick look back at the rescue boats, now dangerously close. "No time! Trust me, if you want to snap your friend out of this, you need to make him bleed. Right now!"
There was such a surety in her voice, and the situation was so desperate, that Alexandre didn't give it another thought. He took a deep breath, seized Marlon's arm, and didn't give it a moment of hesitation before sinking his teeth in.
At first, nothing happened. Marlon's glassy stare remained locked on the void beneath them, his mind still trapped.
Then, as the red cloud spread imperceptibly in the black water, something seemed to shift in him. The vacancy in his eyes faded, replaced by a new alertness.
Marlon's panic finally began to ease and his breathing grew steadier. The terror draining from his face revealed a flicker of his old self. He was still ashy pale, but he was clearly waking up.
Alexandre bent closer and asked urgently, "Marlon… you with me?"
His friend didn't speak, but only gave a tired and shaky nod.
A wave of relief hit Alexandre that he hadn't expected to feel. He gave a triumphant laugh as he turned to Claire. "Thanks," he said, trying to sound more casual than he felt.
But before she could reply, a metallic whistle echoed overhead. One of the drones made an announcement. "Student 14532, Sophie Demarque, eliminated."
Sure enough, Alexandre caught sight of a raft reaching another swimmer just meters away. As it pulled up to one of the slower swimmers, one of the "rescuers" reached down to swiftly inject her with some kind of serum.
Just like that, the swimmer went limp, ending her attempt at the trial.
Claire's jaw clenched. Their time had all but run out. "No more talking. If we want to stay in this, we move. Now."
Alexandre rolled his eyes, but got back to swimming away. Behind him, Marlon was slowly beginning to swim again himself, though it seemed that it was taking him a long time to come back to himself. The three of them moved steadily on… while Alexandre tried to ignore the intrusive thoughts urging him to just leave Marlon behind now that he'd come to his senses.
And ahead, Jack Blades waltzed his way over the water without a care in the world, completely oblivious to the students whose bodies were betraying them at his back. The cries of those being eliminated mingled with the cold announcements of the drones above and the gentle lapping of the waves below.
And the professor smiled blissfully as he continued his stroll, as though he were listening to nothing more than a beautiful orchestra.