Trap Beyond The Trap

The tension in the room thickened as they absorbed Hakim's words. Each of them seemed to be calculating their next move, weighing trust against survival.

"So, what's this idea of yours?" Eliza's voice broke through the heavy silence, her tone sharp with impatience.

Yao glanced between them. "Yeah, tell us. Maybe it can help us flush out the imposter."

Hakim leaned back slightly, eyes scanning the group. "I figured you'd ask. The plan is simple: we'll play a game. It's called 'One Truth, One Lie.' Each person gets asked two questions. For the first question, you have to tell the truth. For the second, you have to lie."

Yao furrowed his brow. "How are we supposed to know which answer is the truth and which is the lie?"

"That's the point," Hakim replied smoothly, his gaze unwavering. "You won't know. It's up to us to figure it out."

Jay scoffed, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous. What if someone just lies for both answers? Or tells the truth twice?"

Hakim's expression darkened, his voice lowering. "That's not how the game works. And to keep things fair, the mastermind has approved it. If someone doesn't follow the rules—if they lie twice or tell the truth twice—they'll be eliminated immediately."

Jay's eyes narrowed. "When did this turn into such a high-stakes game?"

Hakim's tone was cold and measured. "It's always been that way. We just needed a way to push it forward. Now, here's how it goes: each of us gets two questions. After you answer, you can't be questioned again. And the rest of us will determine who's lying and who's hiding something."

The air in the room felt charged, the weight of the trial pressing down on everyone. As they prepared for the game to begin, it was clear—one wrong answer could spell disaster for any of them.

The room was thick with tension as the group reluctantly agreed to Hakim's idea. Every glance held suspicion, every breath drawn felt heavy with anticipation. No one wanted to be the first to make a move, but they all knew the game was already in motion.

Hakim, eyes steady, leaned forward. "Let's start with you, Jay. I'll ask the first question."

Jay's expression hardened, but he nodded. "Go ahead."

Hakim took a moment, then asked, "Is your birth date really the 24th September?"

Jay's eyes flickered, his face unreadable as he answered, "Yes."

Silence followed, as the weight of his answer sank in. There was no way to know if it was the truth.

"Second question," Hakim said, his voice even. "Did you change your tablet password before?"

Jay hesitated for a beat. His lips twisted slightly as he replied, "No."

Eliza's eyes narrowed, as if trying to piece together the puzzle. Was he lying now? Or had he lied before?

"Alright, your turn's over," Hakim said, sitting back. "Yao, you're up. Who do you want to ask?"

Yao's eyes darted to Eliza, then back to Hakim. He seemed to be considering his options, but after a moment, he made his choice. "Eliza," he said, leaning in. "First question: Is your birth date really is the 8th July?"

Eliza didn't blink. "Yes."

Yao nodded, but his eyes stayed fixed on her. "Second question: Do you hiding something from us?"

Eliza's lips curled into a faint smile, but her tone was icy. "Yes."

Yao's eyes narrowed at her response, as if the answer unsettled him. The room fell into a brief but suffocating silence again.

Now it was Eliza's turn. She tilted her head, locking her gaze onto Hakim. "Alright, Hakim. My first question: Is your birth date really the 7th March?"

Hakim's expression remained unreadable. "No."

Her eyes glinted with something—perhaps suspicion or maybe intrigue—as she pressed forward with the second question. "Are you getting a fake birthdate?"

Hakim paused for a second, long enough for the others to feel the weight of the moment. "Yes."

The honesty—or was it a lie?—hung between them like a sharp blade, ready to sever the fragile trust they were desperately clinging to.

As soon as Eliza finished, Jay wasted no time jumping in with his own round of questions. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—like a hunter closing in on its prey.

"Alright, Yao, it's your turn," Jay said, fixing his gaze on him. "First question: Does your tablet password match your birthdate?"

Yao hesitated for the briefest of moments, then replied, "Yes, it does."

Jay's expression didn't waver as he moved on to the second question. "Okay. Now tell me—were you lying about your password earlier?"

Without missing a beat, Yao responded, "Yes, I was lying."

A tense silence followed. The contradiction hung in the air, sharp and unsettling. Was Yao playing mind games? Or was he simply following the rules of "one truth, one lie"?

Hakim's eyes narrowed. "Wait, you're admitting you lied about your password?"

Yao shrugged, leaning back in his chair with an unsettling calmness. "Well, I followed the rules of the game, didn't I? One truth, one lie. You have to figure out which is which."

Jay glanced at the others, his suspicion deepening. "So, was the password not your birthdate? Or were you lying just now? Either way, you've made things more confusing."

Eliza folded her arms, her sharp eyes locking on Yao. "You've put yourself in a tricky spot. How do we know anything you say is trustworthy now?"

Yao grinned, clearly enjoying the tension he was stirring. "That's the point, isn't it? This trial is about trust, and trust isn't always clear-cut."

Hakim exchanged a glance with Jay, both of them visibly on edge. "You're making it harder for us to work together," Hakim said, voice tense. "If you keep playing games, none of us will make it through."

Yao's smirk faltered for a brief second before he regained his composure. "I'm just doing what we're supposed to do—playing the game. Besides, it's not like any of us are completely innocent here."

The mood in the room shifted into even deeper suspicion. Every answer felt like a new layer of deceit, and now Yao's confession had thrown the entire group into disarray.

Eliza broke the silence, her voice cold. "This isn't a game where we can afford to guess wrong. We need facts. And fast."

Hakim's mind raced. Was Yao deliberately sabotaging their chances? Or was he just toying with the rules to see how far they could bend? Either way, time was slipping away, and the line between ally and traitor was becoming harder to see.

Jay, clearly frustrated, ran a hand through his hair. "We're wasting time. If we don't figure out who's lying for real, we'll all be eliminated."

Eliza broke the silence with a sharp question. "So, based on the game, who do you think is the most suspicious?" She glanced around, then added, "Personally, I think it's Hakim."

Jay smirked, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, makes sense. He did admit to having a fake birthdate. Nice catch, Eliza."

Hakim, unfazed by their accusations, leaned back slightly. "That's fair. I can't blame you for thinking that—it's part of the game after all. I knew recommending it would be a double-edged sword."

Yao crossed his arms, his gaze narrowing. "For someone who supposedly changed their password before the trial, you sure seem to know a lot about how this game works. You've got an insider feeding you information, don't you?"

Hakim's eyes flickered with intensity as he spoke, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight. "Who knows?" he began, glancing at each of them in turn. "You all said it yourselves—this game is about trust. If you don't trust anything, then you're all at a disadvantage."

The room was quiet, the tension growing with each word he uttered.

"Unless you trust me," he continued, leaning forward slightly, "then it's the end for all of you."

A chilling silence followed, his statement hanging in the air like a challenge. Doubt flickered in their eyes, but none of them could afford to ignore his words. The game was turning more dangerous than any of them had anticipated.

Jay clenched his fists, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "And why should we trust you, Hakim? You're the one who suggested this game in the first place."

Hakim didn't flinch. "Exactly. I put myself at risk too. If I had something to hide, why would I bring attention to it with a game like this?"

Eliza narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe it's a clever distraction. If we're focused on the game, we might miss what's really going on."

Hakim leaned back, arms crossed. "That's exactly what I'm trying to say. You don't have to trust me fully, but if you don't trust anyone at all, we all lose. Now, you have a choice to make. Are you going to take a chance and work with anyone you seem trusty, or are you going to let your suspicion take us all down? I think you all know who the one is the culprit."

A heavy silence settled over the room once more as Hakim's words hung in the air.

"Then, it's time to decide who the most suspicious among us is," Hakim repeated, his voice steady but the tension undeniable.

Eliza glanced around the room, her eyes narrowing. "Are we just supposed to throw names around? One wrong accusation and we're all done for."

Jay crossed his arms, frowning. "Well, it's either that or we do nothing and let the timer run out."

Yao exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting between them. "I hate this, but Hakim's right. We need to act."

Hakim, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on him, straightened up. "We don't have much time left. Either we trust our instincts and make a call, or we sit here until the trial eliminates us all. So who's it going to be?"

"Agh, I think I'll follow Hakim," Yao said, breaking the silence.

"Hey! I was just about to say the same thing," Eliza added, her voice tense but resolute.

Jay's eyes darted between them, his frustration bubbling over. "You two trust him more than me?" he asked, a sharp edge to his tone.

Eliza hesitated for a second before speaking. "I'm sorry, Jay, but... I'm going with Hakim."

Jay clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "You think you can just pass me up like that? I know their birthdates. I'll submit them right now and win this trial." He moved to his tablet, his fingers flying across the screen as he attempted to enter the birthdates.

But just as he was about to submit, the screen froze. "Huh? What the...?" Jay stared in confusion, tapping the screen repeatedly. "What's happening?"

Hakim's voice cut through the tension, calm and composed. "You might have thought you could submit the birthdates as soon as you were cornered, but you've been losing from the start. Everything here was set in motion long before this moment. Yao and Eliza... they've been acting, playing along just to fool you."

Jay's eyes widened as he looked at Yao and Eliza, both of whom stood silently, their expressions unreadable.

Hakim continued, his voice carrying a finality that chilled the room. "This whole thing was decided from the beginning. You just never saw it."

Jay's mind raced, his gaze flicking between Hakim, Yao, and Eliza. The weight of realization slowly settled on his shoulders, a mix of disbelief and anger twisting his features.

"You... you've been working together this whole time?" Jay asked, his voice barely a whisper. "How long?"

Hakim leaned back slightly, his calm demeanor only fueling Jay's frustration. "Since the first moment you started suspecting me," Hakim said coolly. "You were so focused on playing the game that you didn't see the bigger picture. It was never about who had the fake birthdate—it was about trust."

Eliza finally spoke, her voice softer but steady. "The trial wasn't just about solving puzzles or finding a traitor. It was about trust and deception. We played along, led you to believe certain things... but in the end, we needed to see who would crack under pressure."

Jay's fists tightened around his tablet, his knuckles white. "You tricked me... both of you."

Yao nodded, his expression serious. "We had to, Jay. If we didn't, none of us would pass the trial. You were too focused on eliminating someone instead of looking at the whole situation."

Hakim stood up, slowly walking towards Jay, his voice lowering. "You underestimated us, Jay. This trial is about strategy and trust, yes, but it's also about knowing when to let go of suspicion and work as a team. You couldn't do that."

Jay's breath came in shallow bursts, the truth sinking in like a heavy weight. "So... it was all just an act?"

Hakim gave a small, almost regretful smile. "Not all of it. But enough to get us through this trial."

The room fell into a thick silence again, Jay's anger fading into a hollow resignation. He had lost, not just the trial, but the battle of wits. And that realization stung more than anything.

Hakim took a step back, letting the finality of the moment settle over everyone. "This trial was never about who had the fake birthdate," he repeated softly. "It was about who could see beyond the obvious. Also, we all can pass the trial if we all give the true answer even though you had the fake answer."

"Then, how about I give you my true birthdate?" Jay's voice trembled slightly, a mix of frustration and defeat creeping in. He glanced nervously at the others, hoping for some kind of lifeline. "Would that be enough to prove I'm not the imposter?"

Hakim raised an eyebrow, unfazed by Jay's plea. "Nah," he said calmly, the edge of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "I was hoping you'd offer that earlier. It's a little too late now."

Jay's face contorted in confusion, desperation lacing his voice as he asked, "But... how did you know? How could you be so sure I was the one with the fake birthdate?"

The room fell into a suffocating silence. The tension was palpable, and everyone exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how everything had unraveled so quickly. Hakim stood calm, his confidence unwavering, and after a deliberate pause, he finally answered, the weight of his words like the strike of a hammer.

Hakim's voice was calm but carried an edge of finality. "Well," he began, "remember when I got that tablet as a reward before this trial started? It contained a spoiler about the person with the fake birthdate." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in, watching Jay's expression twist into shock. "But there was a catch—the password to unlock the tablet required a birthdate. And the thing is, I don't have a real birthdate. Mine's fake, but I knew there was someone else here who had a real and a fake one. It was a trap from the start."

Jay blinked, struggling to process what Hakim was saying. The tension in the room grew thicker.

Hakim continued, his voice tightening with conviction. "Eventually, I managed to access the tablet using my fake birthdate. That's when I realized the twist. From the password selection alone, I could tell someone was hiding their true birthdate. So, when we started sharing our birthdates in this room, I already knew that you, Jay, had given us a fake from the very beginning."

Jay's face paled as the pieces began to fall into place, and Hakim's reasoning became painfully clear. "You gave yourself away when you doubled down on the lie," Hakim said. "I just needed to reconfirm it with this plan. That's how I knew from the start that you were the one with the fake date."

Jay's face paled, and Hakim continued, his voice steady and precise. "I had hoped you would come clean at some point. If you had just told us about the fake birthdate, maybe things would've gone differently. But instead, you tried to shift the blame and eliminate someone else. That's when I knew I had to put a plan in motion."

Hakim glanced at Yao and Eliza, who nodded subtly. "Even if I hadn't figured it out, these two were already onto you. We worked together from the start to see who would crack under the pressure. It was just a matter of time."

Jay's shoulders slumped, his remaining defiance crumbling under the weight of the revelation. "So, it was all just... a game to you?"

Hakim shrugged nonchalantly. "In a way, yeah. But this trial? It was always about trust. And the moment you stopped trusting the people around you—even yourself—you lost. That's why you were never going to win."

Jay's gaze dropped to his tablet, the screen frozen and mocking him with its silence. He knew there was no escape. The outcome had been decided long before he realized it.

"And with that," Hakim said, rising from his seat, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had just delivered a final verdict, "the trial is officially over."

A sharp buzz echoed through the room, and the screens updated. Jay's name flashed red, eliminated, while Hakim, Yao, and Eliza's names gleamed in green, marking them as survivors.

Jay looked up one last time, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and frustration. "I never really stood a chance, did I?"

Hakim offered a small, almost pitying smile. "Not once you stopped trusting. That's when the game was already over."

With those final words, the doors unlocked with a soft click, the sound signaling the end of the trial. The remaining players walked out without a backward glance, leaving Jay alone in the room, the crushing weight of his choices pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. The third trial ended.