Max slowly walked towards the Time Loop Chamber. This chamber looked the most different and mysterious in the entire training hall. Unlike the equipment around it, the chamber looked mysterious and frightening due to its bright white light and unusual shape.
"Can this chamber really do something like a time loop?" Max muttered to himself.
As he approached the door, he noticed that there were no buttons or controls on the door. There was a gleaming white plate, which began to vibrate slightly as he approached.
"System: Warning! An automatic challenge will be activated upon entering the Time Loop Chamber. This process cannot be postponed."
Max froze for a moment. "Challenge? But I haven't chosen anything."
His dilemma didn't last long. The door suddenly opened by itself, and a bright white light spread out from inside.
---
First Step Into the Chamber
Max peered inside. The scene inside was beyond his imagination. White walls, which were not stationary, but were moving in slight waves. As he walked on the floor, he felt that it was made of some unknown energy. It seemed as if the room was alive.
As soon as he was fully inside, the door closed behind him. Now he had no way to return.
"System: Challenge activated."
A message flashed on Max's screen:
"Stage 1: Physical challenge. Goal: Cross this room within 10 minutes. Warning: The room will constantly change its structure."
"What? This place changes itself?" Max said in surprise. But before he could think more, the whole room started moving.
---
Start of the physical challenge
The floor suddenly started moving out of place. He was forced to jump. The place that was stationary a second ago was now an empty pit.
"System: Warning! The floor will not remain stationary. Keep your speed."
"What is this? There is not even a signal!" Max complained.
The challenge was getting more difficult with every step. Suddenly, he saw a thick red lava rising below. The lava was slowly rising, and its heat was now felt by Max.
"This is a joke! Now I have to hurry," Max said to himself.
---
Fear of Lava and Glimpse of the Door
Max saw the lava rising rapidly. He was jumping over the unstable pieces of floor, but his situation was getting more difficult every second.
"If I fall, I will go straight into the lava."
The lava was now just a few feet from his ankles. Then his eyes fell on a door, which was visible in the distance.
"That door! I have to get there!"
Max ran with all his might. The floors were falling down continuously, but he quickened his steps. With the last jump, he tried to reach the door.
The lava had come very close behind him. Max jumped with all his might and caught the door. He fell in, and the door closed behind him.
---
System response
Max took a deep breath as he fell to the ground. "What was that? I was just thinking of getting in, and this all started."
"System: First phase finished. 10 experience points gained."
XP 30/50
Max breathed a sigh of relief. "At least I got something. But this was just the first phase. What's next?"
Sitting on the ground, he saw the next door slowly opening. The chamber inside looked even more mysterious and challenging.
"It's not over yet. I have to complete it at all costs," Max composed himself and stepped into the next chamber.
As Max entered the second door, a strange cold surrounded him. This place was completely different from the first challenge. There was pitch darkness all around, and a suffocating silence. He looked back, but the door had disappeared.
"What's going on?" He muttered to himself. Just then the cold and mechanical voice of the system echoed:
"Second stage activated. This is the mental challenge. Your fears, weaknesses and hidden truths will be tested. Be prepared."
Max looked around nervously. Suddenly, a faint light began to emerge from beneath the floor. It was a huge curved room, but strange living symbols were glowing on the walls, which seemed to be breathing.
---
Interview with Fear
"What is all this?" Max said trembling.
Just then, his own shadow began to rise from the glow of light. The shadow slowly turned into a solid figure. It looked exactly like Max, but its eyes were deep red, and a cruel smile on its face.
"Who are you?" Max asked nervously.
The shadow said in a cold voice, "I am your true form, Max. Your fears, your failures, and your bitterest truths. Are you ready to fight yourself?"
Max remained silent for a while. His hands were shaking. "This can't be real," he tried to convince himself.
The shadow laughed. "Real? It doesn't matter if you think it's real or a dream. But if you can't pass this challenge, you'll be stuck here."
---
The Veil of Fear Lifts
The room began to change again. The walls disappeared, and Max found himself in an empty, dark forest. Darkness and fog were everywhere. He moved forward, but with every step he felt the fear growing inside him.
"What is your greatest fear, Max?" an echoing voice asked.
Max stopped in shock. The voice was deep and cold, as if it was piercing his soul.
"I... I'm afraid of death. And... and loneliness," he said, trembling.
As soon as he said this, the trees in the forest suddenly began to turn into black shadows. Everywhere, every tree was covered in darkness.
Horrifying voices echoed from the side:
"Alone... always alone... everyone will leave you."
Max's heart started beating fast. His breathing became faster. He started to move back, but his steps were faltering.
---
The depth of illusion
Then he saw some figures in front of him. It was Rudra, Nina, and Jin. They were screaming for help. Their faces were full of fear and pain.
"Max! Save us!" Nina screamed.
Max tried to run towards them, but as soon as he touched them, they turned into smoke and disappeared.
"No!" she screamed.
Just then his shadow appeared again. "You failed, Max. You cannot save your friends. You will always be alone. This is your reality."
Max sat down on his knees. His whole body was trembling. He felt as if everything had been taken away from him.
"No... this cannot be true." His voice was trembling.
---
A Ray of Courage
Suddenly, a slight energy arose from somewhere inside Max. He took a deep breath and composed himself. "No. This is not the end of me. I am afraid of failure and loneliness, but this fear will make me stronger. My friends are my strength, and I will never abandon them."
His shadow laughed loudly. "If this is true, then prove it."
Max stood up. There was a new gleam in his eyes. He decided to face his fear. As he stepped towards the shadow, the fog of the forest began to disperse.
"I will defeat my fear, and learn from it," he said.
The shadow disappeared. The curved room again replaced the forest.
The system voice echoed:
"Mental challenge completed. 10 experience points earned."
40/50
As the challenge ended and the curved walls of the room became silent, Max took a deep breath. There was a mixture of fatigue and slight relief on his face. He looked around, then sat down on the ground.
There was silence for a while. Then he muttered, "Maybe one firm decision was enough to overcome this."
He kept looking at his hands, as if feeling the weakness and strength within him. He raised his head and said to himself, "This place tests your courage. It makes you face your fear. I think people are not able to overcome their fear because they try to run away from it. Perhaps I would not have been able to do so either, if I did not have to fight for my life every day."
There was firmness in his voice, but there was a pain in his eyes. "Every day, every moment, I stand between my fear and death. Perhaps this is the reason why I was able to reach here."
The mechanical voice of the system echoed again:
"You have overcome the mental challenge. Your self-confidence has increased. But this is just the beginning. Be ready for the next challenge."
Max smiled, a light, but confident smile. "The beginning?" he said. "If this is the beginning, what will the end be like?"
He got up, shook his head, and looked toward the door. "Whatever happens, I don't want to stop. I have overcome my fear. Now I can face any challenge."
As soon as he touched the door, a bright light surrounded him. The next phase was about to begin, but this time Max was ready—physically as well as mentally.