The sunlight didn't last.
For a few minutes, the survivors basked in it, faces tilted upward, eyes closed, drinking in warmth like starving men at a feast. Ravi lay flat on the stone, every breath stabbing through his ribs, but he didn't care. The light felt like a promise fragile, fleeting, but real.
Then the system stole it away.
The golden rays dimmed, swallowed by a shimmer across the sky. A translucent barrier snapped shut over the crack above, sealing off the light like a curtain.
Darkness returned.
The system voice followed, cold and precise:
[Transitioning to Next Phase.][Scenario Path Selected: Three Currents.]
The survivors stirred uneasily. Their relief curdled into dread.
Ravi groaned, pushing himself up with his pipe. His body screamed at the effort. He spat blood, wiped his mouth, and muttered, "Couldn't even give us five minutes, huh?"
Arjun stood already, calm as ever, eyes sweeping their new surroundings. They were in a cavern still, but different—wider, the ceiling lost in shadows, the walls slick with condensation. A faint rumble echoed through the chamber, like water rushing somewhere unseen.
"Three currents," Arjun murmured.
The words were confirmed by the ground itself.
A shudder rippled beneath their feet. From three points along the cavern floor, fissures split open, gushing black water. It poured into the chamber, filling grooves carved into the rock, forming three twisting streams.
The currents glowed faintly blue, pulsing with unnatural light. They flowed in different directions, each vanishing into a separate tunnel yawning in the cavern walls.
System text flickered across their vision:
[Scenario Objective: Choose a current. Only one leads forward.][Failure Condition: Time Expired - Drowning.][Time Remaining: 20 minutes.]
The water was rising fast.
Panic spread immediately. Survivors scrambled backward, shouting, arguing, eyes wide as the black tide surged around their ankles.
"What if it's a trick?!" someone shouted."They want us to drown!" another yelled."No—no, we pick wrong, we're dead either way!"
The noise swelled, feeding itself. Fear made them louder, more desperate.
Ravi winced. His head pounded. "Perfect. Another game of Russian roulette. Love this system."
Arjun ignored the shouting, stepping close to the first current. He crouched low, studying the water. It pulsed faintly, the glow deep, steady. He touched it with two fingers, then withdrew, sniffing the residue. His brows furrowed.
"What?" Ravi asked, moving closer.
Arjun pointed. "This one smells of iron. Blood, maybe."
"Great. River of death. Next?"
They moved to the second current. Its glow was brighter, pulsing quicker. The water hissed faintly where it touched the stone, leaving behind a white residue.
"Acid," Arjun said simply.
"Even better." Ravi shook his head. "So we've got blood river and acid slip'n'slide. Let me guess the third one's lava?"
They checked the final current. Its glow was softer, less intense. The water was clear, almost normal, though the faint shimmer of light made it look alive. It gurgled steadily, the only one that didn't hiss or stink.
Arjun studied it in silence. Finally, he said, "This one flows true. The others… lead to death."
Ravi eyed the tunnel it poured into. The water rushed quickly, enough to sweep a man off his feet. "So we just… let it carry us?"
Arjun nodded. "It's the only way forward."
The survivors behind them shouted louder, split in argument. Some pointed to the first current, insisting it was the strongest, most direct. Others argued for the second, claiming the brighter glow meant safety.
Ravi turned, pipe slung across his shoulder. His voice cracked through the noise: "You all want to bicker, fine. But the water's still rising. Ten minutes from now, it won't matter which one you like—you'll all be swimming in acid soup."
Silence fell, broken only by the rush of water.
Ravi jabbed his pipe toward the third stream. "That's the one. You want to live, follow us. Otherwise, good luck with the acid spa package."
Without waiting for an answer, he waded into the current. The cold bit into his legs immediately, and the pull nearly swept him off his feet. He gritted his teeth, steadying himself. "Alright… here goes nothing."
He let the current take him.
The water surged, dragging him into the tunnel. The world became a blur of dark stone and glowing blue. He fought to keep his head above water, pipe clutched in one hand, lungs burning.
A splash behind him Arjun. The archer's strokes were controlled, steady, his calm unbroken even as the current tore them forward.
More splashes followed. Survivors, choosing.
The current roared louder. Ravi's body battered against stone, skin tearing, blood mixing into the water. He gasped, forcing himself not to choke. His vision blurred.
Then the tunnel opened.
The current spat them out into a vast underground lake. Ravi crashed to the surface, gasping, dragging himself onto a jagged rock outcrop. His chest heaved, every breath a knife.
Arjun emerged smoothly, climbing beside him, soaked but unharmed. One by one, the others surfaced, coughing, sputtering, but alive.
The cavern around them glowed faintly, massive stalactites hanging like teeth from above. The water lapped quietly now, deceptively calm.
Ravi lay flat on the stone, coughing hard. He spat blood into the lake, then chuckled hoarsely. "Well. Better than drowning in acid."
Arjun's gaze lingered on the dark water. His voice was low. "For now."
Because something moved beneath the surface.
Ripples spread. Shapes stirred in the depths.
The scenario wasn't over.