Both teams finally met again in the long, broken hallway. Relief showed on their faces for a moment. But before anyone could speak, the huge dark door at the end began to open. Slowly. The sound was deep and heavy, like stone grinding on stone.
From the gap, a voice crawled out."I… seeee you…"
Everyone froze. The air grew colder, and their bodies shook without knowing why.
Steve stepped forward. His face looked calm, but his fists were tight."Liam," he said, "you guys should rescue the students. I'll check what's inside."
Tom grabbed his arm. "What are you saying, man? It's dangerous!"
Steve shook his head. "I can't back down. The voice… it said 'save us.' If that's true, maybe I'm the only one who can finish it."
The others stared at him, not sure what to say. Silence pressed down on them. Steve took a deep breath."Go. Find the others. Get them out fast. Don't wait for me."
One by one, they turned away. Only Tom and Alissa stayed.
"You can't do this alone," Alissa said, her voice cracking.
Steve forced a small smile. "Trust me. Nothing's gonna go wrong."
At last, they left too, their steps heavy.
Steve walked closer to the door. His heart pounded, but he didn't stop. He put his hand on the cold surface and pushed himself inside.
The moment he stepped through, everything changed.
The hallway was gone. Instead, he stood in a place filled with broken visions. Flashes of the past. He saw shadows of children crying, chains rattling, hands reaching from the dark. He saw how this door was built, not by people, but by something old and cruel. The air carried screams that never faded.
Steve's head hurt as if the visions were forcing themselves into him. He stumbled forward, trying to understand what this door really was.
Scene shifted.
Liam and the others rushed down another hallway. They had rescued most of the students, but all were injured and weak."Move quickly!" Liam shouted. "We need to leave this place now before it's too late!"
Scene shifted again.
Tom and Alissa were still searching for a few missing students. Their footsteps echoed in the silent hall.
"Do you think Steve is okay?" Alissa whispered.
Tom shook his head. "I don't know. But he told us to trust him. We don't have a choice."
Before she could answer, a door creaked open ahead. Two figures stepped out.
Tom froze. His eyes went wide."Raiyan…? And… him?" He pointed to the bully beside Raiyan.
It didn't make sense. They shouldn't be here. But there they stood.
Alissa noticed first—their skin was pale, almost white, and their eyes were black, like holes in their faces.
Her voice trembled. "Raiyan…"
Raiyan and the bully smiled. Not normal smiles. Twisted, stretched, almost breaking their faces.
Then, at the same time, their voices came out low and broken.
"Do you… want to play?"
The words hung in the air, like they were carved into it.