Page 40 of Insanium

We darted through the opening they created, slipping into the elevator just as others started to notice the odd numbers. As the doors were about to close, Juno, Sanjana, and two of her friends managed to squeeze in with us, her giving us a nod as they all went to one side.

The elevator’s descent into darkness was a jolt none of us were prepared for. As it plummeted, an unsettling silence filled the space, punctuated only by the sound of our collective breaths. The abrupt stop nearly had us on the floor, a shaky jerk that suggested we’d dropped more than just a few levels. Whenthe dim overhead lighting flickered on, the doors slid open to reveal a round stone room, its walls scrawled with writing. But one message in the center caught everyone’s eye.

“Are you ready to play?”

A small timer clicked on in the corner, its red digits ticking down ominously. As soon as we registered it, the lights snapped off, plunging us back into darkness briefly before flickering back on.

A screen illuminated with the same question—“Are you ready to play?”—surrounded by walls that seemed to close in, covered in letters and words that made no sense at first glance.

“What’s happening?” Maya asked. “I thought we beat it? We passed, right?”

I shook my head, understanding dawning as cold as the stone beneath our feet. “We passed all right,” I said, my voice steady despite the churn of adrenaline. “Straight into the real deal.”

“You don’t mean …” Juno began, her voice trailing off.

“That’s exactly what she means,” Rafe interjected, his tone bored.

Eryx’s eyes met mine, a spark of resolve flickering in them as he announced, “Welcome to Devil’s Playground.”

The game wasn’t over; it was just beginning.