Millenium : The Awakening of Heroes

As soon as they entered the new room, Kenny grabbed Kossal by the collar, his eyes blazing with anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you bastard?" he growled.

"Teamwork, my ass," Kossal shot back, his gaze defiant. "Someone was going to get eliminated, and I refuse to let it be me!"

Kenny opened his mouth to retort, but their argument was cut short by the loud slam of the door locking behind them. The room lit up suddenly, revealing a passage leading to another door, separated by a vast chasm with no visible bottom. A rickety bridge connected their position to the exit.

"To reach the final challenge, all you need to do is cross the bridge. However, it can only hold the weight of one person at a time. You have five minutes. Good luck," the omnipresent voice announced.

Without hesitation, Kossal sprinted toward the bridge. Kenny moved to follow, but Ikku grabbed his shoulder, holding him back.

"Let him go," Ikku murmured, his eyes fixed on Kossal, who was already on the bridge.

The three friends watched Kossal rush forward impatiently, but suddenly, a plank beneath him cracked. He stumbled, desperately trying to regain his balance, but the bridge gave way. With a panicked cry, Kossal plunged into the abyss.

Kenny sighed heavily. "All that for nothing..." he muttered, frustration etched on his face.

They approached the edge of the bridge. Yumé, deep in thought, rubbed his chin.

"How do we handle this?" he pondered aloud.

Ikku glanced at Yumé, then at Kenny, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kenny asked, a hint of irony in his voice.

"I think I am," Ikku replied, amused.

"What are you two thinking?" Yumé asked, perplexed.

Without answering, Ikku and Kenny each grabbed one of Yumé's arms.

"What are you doing?!" Yumé exclaimed, panic written all over his face.

"One!" shouted Ikku, his enthusiasm palpable.

"Two!" Kenny added, gearing up.

"Three!" they yelled together, swinging Yumé through the air.

He soared across the chasm, letting out a panicked scream, and landed with a thud near the door on the other side. Scrambling to his feet, he glared at them, exasperated.

"Are you insane?! You're going to pay for that!" he yelled, furious.

"Sorry," Ikku said with a laugh. "But you're too clumsy. At least this way, we knew you'd make it."

Kenny chuckled before asking the pressing question. "Now, how do we cross?"

"I've got an idea," Ikku replied, scrutinizing the bridge. "The planks look fragile, but the ropes holding them are sturdy. And the planks aren't fixed; they're just resting on the ropes. We could unhook the ropes, lower ourselves down, and climb back up on the other side."

"Smart thinking, Ikku!" Kenny exclaimed, determined. "Let's not waste any more time."

Without hesitation, they got to work, carefully detaching the ropes. Once ready, they lowered themselves into the void. Though the descent was dizzying, they managed to maintain control. Using the sturdy ropes, they climbed back up before the timer ran out and made it to the other side.

On the far side, they exchanged smiles, their camaraderie strengthened by the tense moment. Together, they pushed open the door and entered the next room.

The new space was small, but a heavy tension hung in the air. Five identical, austere metal booths stood before them, each marked with a number from 1 to 5. The fluorescent lighting highlighted the imperfections in the metal, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

As they took in their surroundings, a mechanical voice echoed, breaking the suffocating silence:

"You have reached the final challenge. Enter a booth to begin."

The three friends exchanged uneasy glances. After a moment of hesitation, they each approached a booth, their hearts pounding, and stepped inside, their apprehension growing with every step.

Once inside, the voice resumed, its tone ominous:

"You will find five numbered buttons representing each booth. You have no means of communicating with one another. You must choose a number. All your choices must match for you to exit. If they do not, you will all be trapped and eliminated. The number chosen will condemn the person inside that booth, and, of course, buttons 4 and 5 are non-functional. Good luck!"

The countdown began, and the ticking of the clock resonated like a gong in their minds, marking every passing second. Their hearts raced as they grappled with the dire situation.

Each of them was lost in thought, aware of their dependence on the others but isolated in their individual dilemmas.

"What do we do?" Yumé muttered, anxiety twisting his stomach.

Kenny pressed his hands against the walls of his booth, nervously trying to collect his thoughts.

"We can't pick numbers 4 or 5… That leaves only 1, 2, and 3," he murmured, his mind racing.

The seconds ticked away, each one a hammer stroke of urgency.

"If we choose different numbers, we'll all be eliminated. But if we choose the same… one of us won't make it," Ikku thought, his resolve wavering.

The seconds continued to slip by, their faces growing paler with each passing moment.

"Five seconds remaining," the monotone voice announced.

"Four…" Panic began to creep in, their expressions betraying their inner turmoil.

"Three…" Each of them desperately tried to guess what the others might choose, their minds racing with conflicting hypotheses.

"Two…" Memories of their time together flashed through their minds as they wondered if they could truly trust their instincts.

"One… Time's up!"