18 And So it Begins

On this day of feuding, the students jeered louder than ever before. As they waited for a coordinator, they had all gathered in a hall. Everyone was looking forward to the challenge while also eagerly anticipating how it would start.

Soon after, the event's organizer—who was none other than Mr. Modred—arrived. He showed up this time in a pinstripe suit and leather shoes, more acceptable for a professional environment.

"Good morning, everyone. Please give the esteemed teachers a warm greeting. I'm incredibly happy to welcome our pupils to the competition's opening ceremony for Beginner's Class only. I am honored to be the one to start this event from this location where many successful people that I liked and looked up to once sat. The competition may now begin.

All of the children were given number tags, and some teachers distributed them to a total of 70 students. The tags were scattered, and Mr. Modred got to his feet to explain how the first stage would go.

He stated, "With you folks sitting like you are in an exam hall, this challenge is not like any other school exam which you have participated in".

He continued by saying that in addition to testing their intelligence, the exam would place them in a situation where they would have to make important choices at a crucial time. He encouraged them repeatedly before telling them to proceed to the exam room since they would be utilizing badges to take the test.

The pupils were placed into ten groups totaling seven individuals. Unfortunately, Scott and his friends weren't in the same groups because their badges were divided up.

Students started entering a specific room one badge at a time. There were individuals leaving the room laughing, afraid, and really sad, but nobody realized what was going on.

It was so terrible that not every person in the group survived, and some of them even suffered injuries.

P.S. They weren't killed, but the majority of them were shot with a sleeping pill, which caused them to fall asleep until the game's end.

Eunice's group was shortly called in, and they entered the room where it was chosen who would advance to the next round. When they entered the room, they noticed various cellphones and each member grabbed their own.

"Welcome, the game shall now begin," echoed a voice as the screen turned on. "The rules of the game are: Select the appropriate door within the allocated time, and leave the building within the time limits," the voice continued.

Eunice and the other members of her party entered the room after hearing the game's regulations and noticed that there were two doors. The speaker said again, "You have two minutes to open the appropriate door."

The setting, which had the words "right" and "incorrect" printed on each door, stunned the children when they first saw it. The voice said, "One minute and thirty seconds left."

Eunice was urging them to create a strategy for selecting the right door, but they were not genuinely attentive.

The phrase "one minute" is repeated again.

They started to choke on a smoke that appeared to be emanating from the room's center hole. Someone humorously unlocked one of the doors which stated "correct" at this time, and as she did, something stabbed her in the neck, causing her to fall to the ground as the door shut behind her.

They all felt frightened after catching that peek and wanted to pee their pants.

They all ran to the door that said "incorrect" after being startled by the voice, but as they leapt hastily, they nearly caught fire. They entered the room to the same voice saying, "You have one minute and fifty seconds."

They came to their wits when they felt the heat behind them and realized that this was no longer child's play. They attempted to use their magic to sever the door, but they were unsuccessful because they could still feel a trace of mana in them.

Eunice began to consider her options, but she was still lost. Others were also unable to produce anything from their own minds.

There are "thirty seconds left," the voice says.

They all wanted to finish the game because they were afraid, but they didn't want to. Then a boy by the name of Norman stood up and announced that he would be opening the door but they were going to take turns.

They were all forced to accept the terms even though none of them wanted to. The "correct" door was in closer reach for Norman. His heart was racing with anxiety, and his hands were shaking.

The voice reminded saying "ten seconds remaining".

With his mind already made up to meet his maker, he opened it and voila, it was the correct door. As the fire burned the previous room, they all hurried in.

"One minute and forty seconds," said the voice.

Eunice noticed and said, "For every door we go through, the time diminishes". The remaining kids were terrified because they understood that there would not be enough time to finish the task.

The next person to open the door steadfastly refused to open the door when it was her turn to do so, insisting that someone else should do it instead.

The speaker announced "thirty seconds remaining" while they sparred over who would open and who would not.

Eunice then recalled that a clue had been placed at the game's entrance for them to find. She begged for a pen and paper and was given them as she made an effort to memorize it.

She arrived at the conclusion that the next room to be accessed should be the "right" room after calculating the longitude and latitude of the room.

She was granted the chance to open the door even though she was still unsure of what she said. She was trembling and her hands and legs were quivering and she was standing in front of the "correct" door.

She unlocks the door on hearing the voice say, "Ten seconds left," and thankfully for her, she was right. As the fire engulfed the last room they were in, they sprinted into the one with her.

Up till they reached one, she started correctly opening each room. Eunice called at them to stop as they were about to open the wrong door.

She admitted to them that she believed her calculations were off and that she was unsure about which door to use to enter.

Then she recalled that someone had started filming them as they entered the game. She demanded access to the footage and watched as she realized there was no door in the room the first person entered.

She quickly ordered everyone into the "right" room, knowing the next door to enter after viewing that.

"Ten seconds left," the voice announced after entering the following chamber.

When they heard this, they essentially had no time to consider because they needed to make a decision right away. Eunice informed them as they were getting close to the "right" door that it was incorrect and that they should proceed via the "incorrect" door instead.

Opening the door, something stuck them...…