Chapter 13

Chapter 9: The Ultimate Choice

The tension in the room thickened, like a physical forcepushing them apart. The air crackled with fear and anticipation as the lastmessage hung in the air: “One must fall. One must rise.”

Kriya’s heart hammered in her chest. She looked from Rey toSwayam, then to Sharon. Their faces mirrored her confusion, but there was alsosomething else — resignation.

“Is this it?” Sharon asked, her voice shaky. “Is this theend of everything we’ve worked for? All of us... divided?”

Rey took a step forward, his eyes never leaving Kriya.“We’re not divided. Not anymore.”

But the voice, cold and distant, interrupted him.

“The choice is yours, Rey. You mustdecide. Who will make it out, and who will stay behind?”

The room seemed to close in on them. The spotlight shifted,landing solely on Rey, then flickering to Kriya, Swayam, and Sharon.

Kriya swallowed, trying to steady her breath. “We’re a team.We’re stronger than this.”

“No,” the voice countered. “Youare not. You’ve danced to survive. Now, you must choose who will live... andwho will fall.”

Swayam clenched his jaw. “It’s not that simple.”

But the voice was relentless. “The path is clear. Only one team member can leave this placealive. The others will be consumed by the Inferno. Choose.”

Kriya stepped forward, her mind racing. “This isn’t a game.We can’t—”

“Enough!” Rey shouted, his voice breaking through the chaos.He took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. “I’ll go. I’ll sacrifice myself forall of you.”

“No, Rey!” Kriya reached out, but the room around themseemed to blur, and she realized that the floor beneath her was beginning tocrumble.

“Time is running out.”

Swayam stepped between them. “No one is sacrificinganything. We make this choice together.” His eyes hardened. “We’ll figure out away. Together.”

But then, the ground beneath Sharon’s feet gave way. Shestumbled, falling toward the pit that had opened beneath them.

“Sharon!” Kriya screamed, reaching out, but the divide wastoo wide.

Sharon’s eyes met hers, the same resolute expression she’dworn when she had walked away from Swayam all those years ago.

“Don’t,” Sharon said, her voice calm. “This is the only way.You all deserve to live.”

And just like that, she disappeared into the depths of theInferno.

The room went silent. The floor reassembled itself, asthough nothing had happened.

Rey reached for Kriya, pulling her into his arms. “We madeit,” he whispered. “But at what cost?”

The final door opened, revealing the path back to theoutside world.

But as they stepped through, they felt the weight ofSharon’s sacrifice. The truth wasn’t just about survival. It was about thepainful reality of what it meant to truly trust.

And as the door slammed shut behind them, they all knew thattheir lives would never be the same again.