The countdown felt longer than ever, each second stretching out as if to allow more time for their fear to intensify.
Five minutes left.
"We're really going to die this time, aren't we?" Lila sank to the floor after Isaac's departure, her tears flowing without restraint. "It's so ironic that the only one who can disarm these bombs is the very person who set them."
Ophelia clenched her teeth, determination hardening her gaze. She couldn't allow herself to succumb to despair, not now. She approached the toolbox Isaac had used, hoping to find a solution. However, upon opening it, she found only a knitting kit and a pair of scissors. "Where's the screwdriver Isaac used?" she asked.
"Screwdriver?" Lila responded with confusion. "Why would there be a screwdriver in a knitting toolkit?"
Dell's cold laughter filled the room. "He's been dropping hints right from the start, and none of you caught on."
Anger surged within Ophelia, and she lashed out, her fist connecting with Dell's face. But her attack was met with a firm grip as Dell held her wrist. "Dell, we don't have time for this now. I don't care why you didn't point out Isaac's problems earlier on. We need a solution – tell us."
Dell's response was straightforward. "I don't have one. It's a matter of survival or death. That's the biggest clue I can offer."
Three minutes left.
Lila had remained motionless in her despair, fully aware that her fate was fast approaching, destined to follow in the footsteps of Milton and Bradley. Her voice trembled as she spoke about her daughter. "I have a daughter, you know. I love her dearly."
Dell's gaze remained icy, fixated on Lila as if she were already a lifeless being. He displayed no sign of despair or fear, as if the bomb strapped to his hand held no power over him.
Ophelia, still grappling with her desperation, resorted to forcefully pounding the bomb on her wrist, desperately attempting to dislodge it just as Milton had tried before. Her frustration mounted as her efforts proved futile. Amid her struggle, she called out to Isaac, her voice echoing through the tense air. "Isaac, come out! I know you must be watching."
Silence was the only response.
One minute left.
"One minute!" Isaac's excited voice suddenly reverberated through the tense air, serving as a harsh reminder of their impending doom.
Ophelia's anger reached its zenith upon hearing Isaac's voice. The fire of her determination blazed fiercely within her.
"I won't be manipulated by you, Isaac!" Ophelia's words rang out with unwavering strength. "I refuse to succumb to fear, and your twisted games will only fuel my resolve!"
With her defiance, Ophelia's resilience seemed to transform into an invisible force that surged within her. She harnessed her frustration and determination, channeling them into an energy that radiated from her very core.
Lila and Dell, though unable to see this force, felt its intensity. It enveloped the room, electrifying the atmosphere. The force grew stronger and stronger, until it reached a crescendo, manifesting as an invisible wave that swept through the room.
And then, with a sudden burst of power, the wave collided with the bomb on Ophelia's wrist. Lila and Dell witnessed the bomb being propelled away from Ophelia, defying gravity and logic. It sailed through the air, further and further, until it landed with a distant thud.
The room fell into a stunned silence. The bomb was gone, its ominous threat neutralized by Ophelia's unyielding spirit.
Lila looked at Ophelia in awe, her eyes wide with astonishment. Dell's cold facade cracked, replaced by a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
Ophelia's heart raced, her triumph tinged with disbelief at what she had just accomplished. Yet, her gaze remained steady, her determination unshaken. She had defied Isaac's sadistic game, demonstrating that the power of the human spirit could conquer even the most dire of circumstances.
Times up.
Despite Ophelia's extraordinary feat in repelling her own bomb, time marched on inexorably for Lila and Dell. The countdown reached its inevitable conclusion, and with a deafening roar, the bombs strapped to Lila and Dell detonated simultaneously.
In the midst of the chaos, Ophelia's cry of shock and anguish was drowned out by the explosion's force. Flames erupted with blinding intensity, consuming the room in a swirling maelstrom of fire and destruction.
Amidst the flames, a miraculous sight unfolded. As the inferno surged, Dell's swift actions were driven by an instinct to shield Ophelia from the impending danger. He lunged towards her, his arms enveloping her in a protective embrace. It was a fleeting moment of bravery amidst the chaos.
As the flames engulfed them, a surreal phenomenon emerged. Dell's body seemed impervious to the consuming fire, his form unscathed even as the inferno raged around them. The flames danced and twisted, yet Dell's figure remained untouched, as if he had become an entity untouchable by the very elements that ravaged the room.
However, the same could not be said for Lila. The explosion's fury struck her with unforgiving force, leaving her no chance to escape the flames' wrath. The fire devoured her presence, consuming her in a devastating torrent of heat and destruction.
In the aftermath, as the flames gradually receded, a haunting silence descended upon the scene. Ophelia's heart raced, her eyes wide with the enormity of what had transpired. Dell's arms still held her, and though his body was untouched by the inferno, his expression remained inscrutable.
"Lila!" Ophelia's anguished cry echoed through the aftermath. Dell's grip on her tightened, restraining her with a strength that was impossible to overcome in her distraught state.
Once the flames had subsided and the room lay in ruin, Ophelia's determination to reach Lila could not be quelled. With a sudden burst of energy, she pushed aside Dell's arm and rushed to where Lila had been. It was a grim sight, the remnants of a life reduced to ashes by the unforgiving fire.
Dell, still untouched by the flames, stood as a sentinel of enigmatic power. Ophelia's grief-stricken gaze shifted from the ashen remains to Dell's unyielding figure.
"You could have saved her, couldn't you?" Ophelia's voice trembled with tears. "You possess strength that defies this world's dangers. The flames can't harm you. You've always treated this world as if it could never touch you."
Dell's response was stern and resolute. "Ophelia, please, calm yourself."
Ophelia's desperation led her to question his actions. "But you saved me. You intervened when I found my power at the brink of death. Why not save them?"
Dell's voice held a weight of truth. "I saved you because you found the power within yourself when faced with death. They lacked that potential, the capability to awaken their latent strength in the face of mortality."
Ophelia looked at her wrist, the source of her newfound strength still tingling with energy.
"You mean this power?" Ophelia focused her will, causing the energy to flow through her fist. Her strike landed on Dell's face, but this time, he defended with a counterforce. Ophelia was hurled to the far end of the room, her body colliding with the wall.
Collapsed on the ground, her breath labored, Ophelia struggled to speak.
"Are you finally ready to listen, Ophelia?" Dell's voice held an eerie calmness as he approached her. "We call it the Selection Procedure. All of you chosen to enter this world possess the potential to tap into your inner strength when confronted with life-or-death situations. Those who cannot do so will be eliminated, regardless of whether they survive the first world."
The truth hit her like a blow, the revelation that the worlds they had traversed were not mere trials, but a test of their innate potential. As Ophelia grappled with this revelation, the scars of their journey weighed heavily upon her heart, reminding her that survival was far from guaranteed in this realm of mystery and danger.
"Beautiful, Ophelia. Beautiful!" Isaac's mocking applause resonated through the room, an unsettling accompaniment to their dire situation.
Ophelia's impulse was to rise and confront him, but the residual force of Dell's previous strike still held her in its grip. Her attempt to stand only resulted in her collapsing onto the floor, an outcome that elicited further amusement from Isaac.
"Isaac, leave at once," Dell's command was unyielding, his demeanor reflecting the newfound strength he had unveiled. The revelation of his power had stripped away any pretense of uncertainty, and he was resolute in asserting his authority.
Isaac's response was an unsettling grin. "Dell, you've truly struck fear into my heart."
Outside, the night was illuminated by a series of bangs, resembling the distant crackling of fireworks.
"I'm not particularly interested in you, old man," Isaac declared, waving his hand casually as more explosions resounded. "But I've devised quite the intriguing game for you, Ophelia."
Ophelia regarded him warily, her options seeming limited.
Isaac's fingers danced through the air, placing over ten bombs on Ophelia's arms and legs, each set with a one-hour timer. Yet, the once-pervasive fear these bombs instilled had dulled in the wake of her newfound ability—the exceptional power of the force she had just employed.
"I'm aware you now possess the capability to repel these bombs affixed to you," he said, a grin twisting his lips. "However, each bomb represents a thousand lives. For every bomb you or Dell dislodge from yourself, I shall take away a thousand lives."
A weighty responsibility settled on Ophelia, burdening her with the gravity of her decision. "You're causing death regardless of what I do—why should I heed your words?"
Isaac advanced, his grip firm as he led Ophelia to the window. From this vantage, she witnessed flames dancing amid anguished cries. "People will die because of your choice," he posed. "Their lives may well be as precious as yours, except they won't be granted a second chance."
Ophelia's gaze remained fixed on the chaotic scene outside, a maelstrom of destruction and suffering. The enormity of the decision before her pressed heavily upon her heart.
Dell stepped forward, his voice resonating with determination. "Isaac, we won't be driven by your sadistic games any longer. We won't play a part in your twisted scheme of death and despair."
Isaac's grin widened, his amusement growing with Dell's defiance. "And what will you do, Dell? What power do you have against me?"
Dell's eyes gleamed with newfound strength. "It's not about power anymore. It's about refusing to be puppets in your cruel hands."
Ophelia's resolve solidified, her focus sharpening. "Isaac, I won't allow you to dictate our choices any further. We won't be responsible for your atrocities."
Isaac's expression darkened, his amusement transforming into anger. "You are nothing but ants in a grander design. Your choices are meaningless."
Dell's forceful demeanor didn't waver. "Meaningless or not, we will make our own choices. We'll save lives whenever we can, and we'll stop you from causing further harm."
Ophelia's heart pounded with a mixture of fear and determination. With every bomb she managed to push away, she knew she would be killing lives. She turned to Dell, exchanging a resolute look that spoke volumes without words.
Isaac's fury intensified, his eyes narrowing as he witnessed their defiance. "Very well, if you're determined to resist, then I shall raise the stakes. Let the grand finale begin."