The next weekly challenge was a Team Memory Maze — a VR-based simulation where teammates had to rely on each other's memory to escape an ever-shifting labyrinth.
For once, Ren decided to play dumb — literally. "You lead," he said to Aya. "I'll follow."
Aya blinked. "Me? Why? You're the secret genius."
Ren shrugged. "Maybe I want to see what happens when someone else shines."
Flustered but determined, Aya took charge. What followed was a chaotic, hilarious run through the maze involving:
A room that reset every ten seconds unless they remembered every object inside.
A puzzle that required them to spell "Genius" backward while being chased by floating Latin equations.
A fake-out exit door that screamed insults if touched.
Aya, surprisingly, crushed it. She memorized the patterns, solved the logic riddles, and even saved Ren from a gravity trap by yelling, "DUCK!" right before a ceiling tile dropped.
When they exited, Ren gave her a rare thumbs-up. "Nice work, Leader."
Aya smiled, a little red in the cheeks. "Maybe you're not the only genius."
He winked. "I never said I was."