Lucas POV 
As I helped Noah get back on his feet, dragging him away from the dark corner he had been standing in. His body felt heavy, and I could feel the weight of everything he’d just gone through pressing down on him. It was like the room had swallowed him whole, the pain too much to bear. He didn’t say a word—just nodded numbly, his eyes empty.
As soon as he was steady enough to stand on his own, Abigail got up and walked over. She didn’t say anything either, but the look on her face said everything. She wrapped her arms around Noah, pulling him into a warm hug. He needed that. After everything... after all the questions, all the pain, all the things they’d been forced to face, Noah needed that more than anything.
I glanced away for a moment, feeling this strange weight settle over me. It didn’t feel right. None of it did. It shouldn’t be them—the kids—who had to carry this pain. It should be the parents. They’re the ones who should be here, fixing this mess, facing these truths, not us. But here we were, trapped in this twisted game, left to clean up the mess they made.
Before I could think too much about it, Alex’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Lucas. Clock’s back on.”
I turned to look at him. His face was pale, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and urgency. “We’ve got one more level to play,” he said. “Time’s still moving.”
My heart skipped a beat. One more level. One last level, and we were out of time.
“Five minutes,” Alex muttered, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Five damn minutes, and if we don’t finish this in time, we’re screwed.”
I felt a rush of adrenaline hit me, but it did nothing to clear my head. The pressure was unbearable now. Noah’s pain, the clock ticking down, this final level... it was all crashing into me at once.
Abigail’s voice cut through the tension. “You need to finish the game,” she said, her eyes locking with mine. “Stop wasting time and finish it.”
She was right. We didn’t have time for anything else. We needed to move, and fast.
Alex and I exchanged a glance. There was no time for words, no time for hesitation. We both nodded, and then we were off, rushing down the hall toward the final room. The Black Glass Room. The place where the last piece of this nightmare was waiting for us.
We burst through the doors, and instantly I felt a chill run down my spine. The room was dark, the air thick with something I couldn’t quite name—fear, maybe. Dread. I wasn’t sure anymore. All I knew was that we didn’t have much time.
Suddenly, the door behind us creaked, then slammed shut with a strange noise. Alex turned, his hand on the knob. “It’s locked,” he said, his voice flat.
I nodded. It didn’t matter. Locked or not, we had three minutes left, and we needed to figure this out. Fast.
“Look for something!” I shouted, my voice hoarse. “Anything that can help us clear this level.”
Alex nodded and darted to one side of the room while I went the other way, my eyes scanning every inch of the space. There had to be something. Some clue. Something that would tell us how to finish this.
Then, I saw it. A black envelope, stuck to the wall. My heart raced as I grabbed it, ripping it open.
“Alex!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “I found something!”
I knelt down on the ground, pulling out the contents of the envelope. It was an old photograph, covered in dust, ripped into several pieces. My hands trembled as I began to piece it together.
Each fragment of the photo brought a sinking feeling into my chest. And then, when the last piece fell into place, I froze.
It was a picture of Noah and Emery’s father. With their mother. And standing next to them was Abigail’s father. And... my parents. They were all smiling, like they didn’t have a care in the world.
I stared at it, my mind spinning. What does this mean? Why is this here? What the hell does this have to do with the game?
Before I could make sense of it, Alex’s voice cut through the haze. “Two minutes, Lucas,” he said, his voice tight with fear. “We’re running out of time.”
I didn’t know what to say. My throat felt dry, and all I could manage was a quiet, “I don’t know, Alex. I don’t know anymore.”
Alex cursed under his breath, frustration clear on his face. He knelt beside me, handing me another black envelope. “I found this,” he said. “Maybe it’ll help.”
I tore it open, my hands shaking. Inside was a small letter, written in white ink. I frowned, the words sending a chill down my spine.
“When the moon drops and the sun begins to rise, fate will find its way. The end is close, but only those who understand will see it through. Hurry, for the sands of time run thin.”
It was the same poem. The same damn poem Emery had given us before the game started.
What does this mean?
I stared at the words, trying to make sense of them, but nothing was clicking. Nothing was making sense. We had one minute left. One minute to figure out this puzzle, and we were nowhere close to understanding it.
Alex slammed his fist against the wall. “We’re screwed!” he shouted, his voice trembling with anger and fear. “We’re not gonna make it.”
Suddenly, the glass walls around the room turned clear, revealing the others outside. Abigail was standing there, her hands covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Finn and Noah were beside her, watching us with fear in their eyes.
Then, the clock inside the room flashed on. Forty seconds. That’s all we had left.
Before I could process what was happening, something dropped from the ceiling. A gun. It hit the ground with a loud thud, landing right between Alex and me.
I flinched, a curse slipping from my lips. 
What the hell is going on?
Alex kept pacing the room, his frustration boiling over. “What the hell are we supposed to do, Lucas?” he snapped, his voice trembling with panic. “Do we need to read the damn poem out loud to clear the round?”
His words echoed in my head, and suddenly, it hit me. Maybe he was right. Maybe that’s what we needed to do all along—just say it out loud. Could it be that simple?
I glanced at the clock. The seconds were ticking down, and the pressure was mounting. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. Nothing else was working, so why not give it a shot?
“Read it!” I shouted, pointing to the poem on the paper. “Read it out loud, Alex! As loud as you can!”
Alex didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the paper and started shouting the poem, his voice echoing through the room.
“When the moon drops and the sun begins to rise, fate will find its way. The end is close, but only those who understand will see it through. Hurry, for the sands of time run thin.”
We waited. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. The clock was still ticking down—eighteen seconds left.
Alex’s face twisted with frustration, and he shook his head, not satisfied. He shouted the poem again, louder this time, his voice almost breaking. 
“When the moon drops and the sun begins to rise, fate will find its way! The end is close, but only those who understand will see it through. Hurry, for the sands of time run thin!”
Still, nothing.
“Alex, stop!” I shouted, my voice cracking under the pressure. “It’s no use!”
He ignored me, his voice growing hoarse as he kept repeating the poem over and over, desperate for something, anything, to change. The words felt like they were bouncing off the walls, mocking us with their emptiness.
“Stop!” I yelled, stepping forward, grabbing his arm. “It’s not working, Alex. It’s no use!”
We both stood there, staring at each other, the weight of everything pressing down on us. Ten seconds left, and silence wrapped around us like a suffocating blanket.
“It’s no use…” I muttered again, feeling the last bit of hope slip away. 
For a moment, Alex just stood there, then he laughed bitterly, his hands dropping to his sides, arms akimbo, a hollow chuckle escaping his lips. “I get it now,” he said, his voice flat, defeated. “I finally understand.”
I looked at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”
He glanced around the room, then at the floor, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s not about us. It never was. It’s all about the game, Lucas. The choices we make, the levels we play, they decide who gets to live and who doesn’t. Just like Noah and his father in that last game. Finn and Abigail—hell, they survived because of some twist of fate. We don’t have that kind of luck.”
I stared at him, feeling a pit form in my stomach. Alex was right. It was all about fate. The game was deciding who would make it out, who would live, who would die. And now, it was our turn.
He ruffled his hair again, pulling at it, like he couldn’t believe how we ended up here. “This is what fate brought us to, huh?” His laugh was bitter, dark. “I never thought I’d be stuck in a room, trying to figure out if I’m gonna live or die.”
Suddenly, the clock hit zero, and the floor lit up with a harsh, red glow around the corners. My heart dropped as a loud beep echoed through the room, and the glass wall flashed with a new message.
‘One of you will survive. One of you will not.’
My blood turned cold as the words filled the screen. Alex stood beside me, his face pale, his hands trembling.
‘The players have a chance to throw the bullet at the other. Once the bullet has been fired, the remaining player will exit the room and complete the final game.’
I felt like the air had been punched out of me. The screen’s words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Alex took a step back, his eyes wide, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are they... are they saying what I think they’re saying?”
I couldn’t speak. My throat was dry, my thoughts racing. I didn’t want to believe it, but the message was clear. Only one of us was getting out of this room alive.
Alex swallowed hard, his eyes flicking to the gun that had fallen between us earlier. It was still there, lying on the floor, waiting.
“No…” I whispered, taking a step back. “This can’t be real. We’re not seriously supposed to—”
But before I could finish, Alex let out another bitter laugh. “This is it, Lucas. This is how the game works. One of us has to make the choice.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. We’d been through so much already, survived so many levels. And now, it was all going to come down to this? A bullet?
Alex crouched down, staring at the gun. “So, what do we do?” His voice was calm, too calm. “Do we throw it? Do we wait? Do we—”
“I don’t know, Alex,” I cut him off, my voice trembling. “I don’t know what we’re supposed to do.”
The red lights on the floor pulsed, growing brighter, as if urging us to make a decision. But how could we? How could either of us choose?
Alex’s eyes flicked to mine, something dark and unreadable in them. “Maybe... maybe this is the only way.”
“No!” I snapped, shaking my head violently. “There has to be another way. We don’t have to—”
“There isn’t,” Alex said softly. “Look at the screen, Lucas. It’s either you or me. That’s how it’s always been.”
The silence in the room was unbearable, suffocating us. I looked at the gun lying there on the floor, my heart pounding in my chest.
This couldn’t be happening. Not after everything we’d been through.
And yet, the reality of it pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t escape.
One of us had to make the choice.
The sun was almost gone now, the last rays slipping beneath the horizon. Soon, it would rise again, and we still had one last game to play. It felt like time was slipping through our fingers. Like we were running out of it. Fast.
I glanced at Alex, who had gone quiet, his eyes staring blankly ahead. Then, without saying a word, he started walking toward the gun.
“Alex, what are you doing?” I frowned, my voice thick with confusion. 
He didn’t respond. His face was cold, unreadable, as he picked up the gun and held it in his hand, his fingers curling tightly around it. I took a step back, my chest tightening.
“Alex,” I said again, my voice rising in panic. “What the hell are you doing?!”
He didn’t answer, just turned the gun in my direction, pointing it straight at me. His expression didn’t change. He just stared, like he was already gone, like he’d already decided.
“Stop!” I yelled, stepping back, my heart pounding in my ears. “There’s still a way. We just need more time! We can—”
“There is no other way, Lucas!” Alex shouted, cutting me off, his voice trembling with anger and frustration. He stepped closer, the gun still aimed at me. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
I wanted to scream at him, beg him to stop, but the words stuck in my throat. There was nothing I could say to convince him. I knew that. But I had to try. “We can figure this out, man. Please, don’t do this. We’ve made it this far! We just need to think, to—”
“It’s over!” Alex yelled again, his voice breaking. His hand shook, but the gun stayed pointed at me. His eyes were wild, desperate. “It’s over, Lucas! This is the game! One of us has to make it out, and one of us doesn’t. That’s how it works.”
Before I could respond, Alex's grip on the gun faltered, his hand trembling as it dropped slightly. For a moment, he stood there, his breath ragged, then he loosened his grip, letting the gun swing downward. He held it out, pushing it toward me.
“Finish the game, Lucas,” he whispered, his voice flat, empty.
“No!” I shouted, shaking my head violently. “I’m not doing this. I can’t!”
Alex gave me a sad smile, his eyes full of a pain I couldn’t describe. “You have to. You have a reason to leave this room. I don’t.”
Tears burned in my eyes as I looked at him, shaking my head, my hands trembling. “Don’t say that. We can both—”
“No,” Alex cut me off, his voice soft now. “One of us has to go. That’s the rule. And I’m not making it out of here, Lucas. You are.”
He stepped closer, grabbed my hand, and shoved the gun into it, his fingers cold against mine. “You need to make the decision. Or Abigail... the others… they’ll never get out. The sun’s rising, Lucas. Time’s running out.”
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face as I tried to pull my hand away, but Alex held on tight. “I can’t do it,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I can’t.”
Alex took a step back, his hands up, surrendering to fate. “You have to, Lucas.” His smile was small, weak. “It’s okay. I’m ready.”
“No…” I whimpered, my voice barely audible. My hands were shaking, and I couldn’t bring myself to lift the gun.
Alex chuckled lightly, a sound that was more sad than anything. “Hey… It’s okay, Lucas. You’ll be okay. You need to end this. You need to finish the game.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. It didn’t feel real. My whole body was shaking as I held the gun in my hands, unable to move, unable to think.
Alex sighed, his eyes softening as he looked at me. “You’re going to make it out, okay? Make sure you get out of this damn room and finish the Garden of Life. Get the others out, too. You’re the one who can do it. I’m just glad I got to spend this time with you guys. Even if it was a mess.”
Tears blurred my vision, and I wiped at them furiously, trying to stop myself from breaking down. I couldn’t let him go. I couldn’t lose him like this.
“It’s so unfair,” I choked out, the words thick in my throat. “You don’t deserve this. None of us do.”
Alex smiled again, weak but genuine this time. “Yeah, life’s unfair. But this… this is just how it goes. I don’t regret any of it.”
My heart shattered as I heard him speak, every word hitting me like a knife to the chest. This couldn’t be happening.
He looked at me, his eyes glistening. “Promise me something, Lucas. Promise me you’ll survive this. You’ll get out of this game, live a long, happy life. Take care of Abigail, Finn, everyone. You’re their hope now. And when the time comes, we’ll meet again, okay? Like fate.”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears flowed freely as I nodded, my whole body shaking. “I promise,” I whispered, barely able to speak.
Alex smiled one last time, closing his eyes. “I’m ready.”
I raised the gun, my hands trembling uncontrollably, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, and I could barely see through the tears. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice cracking. 
Alex chuckled softly, still with his eyes closed. “You better be, man. And stop crying… It’s not like you.”
The room exploded with the deafening sound of the gunshot. Alex stumbled, then collapsed to the floor, the sound of his body hitting the ground echoing in my ears.
The door swung open, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My body felt frozen in place, my mind reeling. The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering to the ground, as I dropped to my knees, a scream tearing from my throat.
I didn’t care who heard me. I didn’t care about the game, about the next round, about anything. All I could see was Alex’s lifeless body on the floor, his small smile still etched on his face.
I slammed my fists into the ground, over and over, feeling the skin split, my hands bleeding, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. I had just lost the one person who had stuck by me through all of this chaos.
My screams echoed through the room, filling the silence with my pain, my anger, my heartbreak.
Suddenly, someone grabbed me, pulling me away. “Lucas! Stop! There’s no time!” It was Finn, his voice strained as he yanked me to my feet.
“No!” I screamed, trying to pull away from him, but he held on tight, dragging me toward the door. “I can’t leave him! I can’t!”
“We have to go!” Finn shouted, his voice cracking with urgency. “There’s no time, Lucas! The sun’s almost up! We have to finish this!”
I fought against him, my heart breaking into pieces. “Why?! Why does this keep happening?! It doesn’t make any sense!” 
But Finn didn’t let go, pulling me out of the room as I struggled to hold onto the last piece of my broken world.
Nothing would ever be the same again.