Mind block

"See? Lightning shooting at us and there's not a cloud in the sky. How do you explain that?" Zack's voice cut through the tense air, filled with a mix of wonder and confusion.

The others exchanged glances, their faces showing their own fatigue and frustration. Tess and Lanse's smiles had faded, replaced by a weariness that clung to their expressions. The relentless tests were taking their toll, and all they wanted was for it to come to an end. Zino, on the other hand, saw no point in fussing over her hair, knowing it would only become disheveled again in the chaotic trials.

Lanse couldn't hide his annoyance from Szedra receiving the last scroll. He had teased them about taking charge, but deep down, he didn't like relinquishing control.

Szedra squinted her eyes, holding the scroll unusually close to her face, as if trying to decipher its secrets through sheer proximity. Her intense focus made Lanse chuckle, wondering if he planned to kiss the scroll. 

Unable to contain his curiosity, Lanse abandoned his leaning position against a tree and approached her from behind. Swiftly, he snatched the scroll from over her shoulder. His furrowed brows deepened as he blurted out, "This isn't a progress chart; there are words." 

Tess, determined not to be left in the dark, seized the opportunity and grabbed the scroll from Lanse's hands. Without hesitation, she began reading the words aloud, making sure everyone could hear.

"To find your next test, you'll have to guess the place. Fix all the pieces of the puzzle and find the red shade." Her voice trailed off, her perplexity evident as she finished the cryptic message.

Before the paper could tear from the tug, Tess relinquished her grip, allowing Zack to examine the scroll. Zino, rising on her tiptoes, craned her neck to see over Zack's shoulder, her eyes fixated on the enigmatic words.

"It's a clue we have to solve," Szedra declared, her voice filled with determination. 

Zack adjusted the scroll, ensuring Zino could see it as well, their collective focus now set on unraveling the mysterious puzzle.

"Just what we needed!" Tess exclaimed, frustration evident as she thrust both hands into the air.

Lanse, however, seemed to have a breakthrough. "I think I've got it," he announced, reaching into one of his pants pockets. 

Retrieving the crumpled ball of trash, he carefully unfolded it to reveal yet another scroll. The others followed suit, taking out the remaining five scrolls they possessed. 

Lanse knelt down, laying his scroll flat on the ground, prompting the rest to do the same. As they spread out the scrolls, what had appeared as mere decorative designs on the back revealed themselves to be lines forming a map.

Fixing the scrolls together with precision, they stared at the enlarged map, their attention drawn to a black dot marking a specific location. They were now faced with the challenge of deciphering which point the dot represented—a starting point or a destination. Uncertainty clouded their minds, leaving them lost in the maze of possibilities.

Tess was torn between relief that Lanse hadn't scored another point and disappointment that they found themselves back at square one. Lanse, sensing the urgency, pulled back the cuff of his glove to check the countdown, but Tess averted her gaze, unwilling to confront the dwindling time. The suffocating silence lingered, each passing second magnifying the weight of their indecision.

"Should we unscramble the words or something?" Zack proposed, stretching out the scroll with the scrambled words, holding it up to his face.

"That's it!" Szedra exclaimed, pointing with her finger at the scroll in Zack's hand.

On the back of his scroll, a red dot accompanied by the same map lines caught their attention. "That's got to be the red shade," Szedra concluded.

Zack turned the scroll over and carefully laid it flat over the larger map, attempting to align it at different angles, seeking its rightful place. However, before he could make any progress, Lanse interjected, freezing Zack in place.

"Stop!" Lanse ordered, his voice commanding attention.

"Now we have two dots, and one of them must represent our current location," Szedra observed, her gaze fixed on the two dots connected by a line. "There's a compass marker, indicating that we need to go left," she deduced.

"Or right," Zack interjected, adding to the confusion. "How do we determine which way is left from here? And which dot represents our current location?"

"Good questions," Szedra acknowledged, the weight of uncertainty settling upon them.

It was a remark Zack had grown familiar with, one often used by professors when they didn't have an immediate answer to a question. He shifted his gaze upwards, observing the position of the sun in the sky. "How about we use the position of the sun?" he suggested.

As he lowered his gaze back to his companions, their bewildered stares made him feel as if he had just shapeshifted.

"They don't appear to be far apart," Lanse remarked, rising to his feet and scanning the expanse beyond the lush green plains behind them. "Tess, search until you find something, and hurry."

Tess obediently sank closer to the ground, folding her legs beneath her, while the others remained standing. "Don't order me around," she retorted, a hint of defiance in her voice.

"Just do it!" Lanse insisted, the urgency evident in his tone.

Tess closed her eyes, shutting out the surroundings. The prospect of earning a point if she discovered something brought a faint smile to her face, much to Lanse's displeasure. Yet, with no other options at hand, they had to proceed.

Peering past the verdant field and into the depths of the trees, Tess beheld a mysterious white barrier. She then allowed her vision to return to her. It took fifteen minutes in total and each passing minute added to her weariness. A slight headache crept in, a consequence of her exhaustive efforts.

"Behind Zack, that's where we need to go," she declared, closing her eyes once more and cupping her head to alleviate the throbbing pain.

"We need to be faster, we are not losing," Lanse declared, looking up from his timer. "Zino, you go ahead, let us know if there's any problem." With that, he darted off toward the location behind Zack, determination fuelling his swift movements.

Zino zipped past him to speed over the green field heading for the trees. 

"Are you alright?" Zack asked Tess after she stood and almost fell back to her feet. 

She blinked forcefully, attempting to soothe her weary eyes, only to open them with a reddish tint.

"That guy only cares about winning. I swear he would complete this exam without us if he could," Szedra remarked, her gaze fixed on the distant figure of Lanse.

"Do we leave the maps behind?" Zack inquired.

"Leave them," Szedra replied dismissively. "I doubt we'll need them again. But if we do, I can't wait to see Lanse's face when we fail because of it." She let out a nasal laugh that sent shivers down Zack's spine.

"No!" Tess interjected, her voice filled with urgency, as she dashed off in the designated direction.

Szedra let out a sigh before following Zack in the same direction. As they ventured past the lush green fields and made their way deeper into the forest, they utilized the branches above to hasten their progress, just as they had done before.

Finally, they arrived at a conspicuous white barrier that was impossible to overlook. Moving closer, they realized it consisted of tightly woven, slightly opaque white vines.

Lanse and Zino had already finished cutting an opening into the barrier using their swords. Since they were still perched in the treetops, they had to step through the entrance and leap down onto the other side of the barrier.

Their feet landed in the brown, murky water, reaching up to their waists, which encircled them like an expansive lake. The ground beneath their feet was soggy and felt akin to walking on sticky gum.

High above their heads, a dome formed by interlaced vines allowed faint rays of sunlight to filter through, casting a subtle glow inside. Suspended from the center of the dome was a large brown sphere, with a scroll dangling from a string.

"Stay alert. Our opponent might be watching us," Lanse cautioned, summoning his sword as he approached the scroll above.

Walking proved to be challenging as the unstable ground gave way beneath their feet. Szedra couldn't help but worry about her leg burn becoming infected due to the filthy water they were wading through.

Zino continued emitting strange sounds and kept her gaze fixed on the water, neglecting to search for their opponent. Tess grew increasingly irritated, believing Zino to be in danger due to her startled cries, when in fact, she wasn't. 

Just as Tess was about to reprimand her, Zino's terrified eyes drew her attention toward a ripple in the water, right where Zack had been standing.

"He's gone," Szedra whispered, her voice tinged with concern.