The weight of the realization settled in like a crushing force.
Alice gripped Ethan's arm, helping him stand, though he still felt the lingering ache of the impact.
Nathan, Samuel, and Milo stood close, their expressions tight with tension.
Samuel spoke first. "What the hell just happened?"
Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, because that—that wasn't normal."
Ethan exhaled sharply, his mind still racing.
"The tower… repelled… my touch…?"
He barely muttered it, but the words hung in the air.
And then—
Panic.
Derek, Riley, Lena, and Harper rushed to the door, their bodies moving before their minds could catch up.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Their fists slammed against the metal, desperation lacing every movement.
"No, no, no—" Lena's voice cracked, her breath coming out fast. "This has to be a mistake—"
Harper pounded against the door harder, her knuckles reddening from the force. "Open the damn door!"
Riley's hands trembled as he pressed against the cold surface, his breathing ragged.
Derek didn't speak. His jaw was tight, his movements tense, stiff, but the way he struck the door over and over revealed the fear creeping into him.
Ivy, usually collected, composed, stood frozen.
Her hands shook.
She ran them through her hair, then over her face, trying to force herself to think.
Why? Why wasn't it letting them leave?
Her breath hitched.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Samuel's voice cut through the chaos.
"Wait… is this tower not gonna allow us to leave… until we complete at least one phase?"
Silence.
The frantic pounding on the door slowed.
Eyes turned toward him.
Ethan clenched his jaw. "I don't know… but that's the only thing that came to my mind as well."
The group stiffened, the weight of those words hitting hard.
Nathan let out a bitter chuckle, running a hand down his face.
"If that's it…" His voice dropped slightly. "Then we are so fucked."
And the worst part?
No one could argue.
Because if the Tower truly wouldn't let them leave—
Then they only had one way forward.
The moment the realization sank in, the room exploded.
"LET US OUT!"
Harper slammed her fists against the door, her breathing erratic, her voice shaking with raw panic. "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING—THIS CAN'T BE REAL!"
"No, no, no, NO!" Riley's hands clawed at the surface, his nails dragging uselessly against the unyielding metal. "I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!"
Lena clutched her head, her breaths shallow and rapid, her eyes darting across the room like a caged animal. "We're TRAPPED. It won't let us leave—it won't LET US LEAVE!"
Zara stumbled back, her hands shaking. "What the hell do we do? What do we DO?!"
Owen was nearly hyperventilating, gripping Riley's arm for support. "This isn't happening—please, someone tell me this isn't happening!" His chest rose and fell erratically, his body nearly trembling.
Derek, usually calm, was breathing hard, his fingers twitching like he was fighting the urge to punch something."We're stuck. We're actually stuck in this nightmare."
Ivy wasn't speaking—her hand covered her mouth as she took staggered steps back, trying to force herself to think but failing.
Meanwhile, Samuel and Nathan were trying to take control, but their voices were nearly drowned out by the hysteria.
Samuel:"STOP! We need to THINK—"Nathan:"EVERYONE, CALM THE HELL DOWN!" His voice boomed, but no one was listening.
Even Toby, always composed, was frantically adjusting his glasses, his brain scrambling for an answer."There has to be a reason for this—some logic behind it—"
Milo? Laughing. A hysterical, broken chuckle. "You know what? Screw it. We're in a horror movie. That's it. We're DONE."
And then, amidst all the screaming, the banging on the doors, the sheer breakdown of sanity—
A voice.
Smooth. Mocking. Amused.
"Oh my… look at all of you."
Victor.
He stood at the edge of the chaos, watching. Smiling.
Like he had been waiting for this.
Like he was enjoying it.
All that bravado.
All that calm, collected reasoning.
All those moments they had tried to act strong, logical, fearless.
Gone.
Shattered in an instant.
Because now—they weren't just planning for danger.
They were in it.
And every single one of them— except Ethan and Alice, who had already seen what lay beyond Phase 11— was breaking under the pressure.
The cracks in their masks split wide open.
Their fears, their doubts, their real selves were finally exposed.
And Victor?
He was watching.
Smiling.
Because to him—this was just the beginning.
Derek's breathing was ragged, his blood boiling as Victor stood there, laughing.
Like all of this was a joke.
Like their fear was just entertainment.
Derek stomped toward him, his hands clenching into tight fists.
"You smug piece of shit—" he growled, his voice filled with rage. "Did you do something to the Tower?! HUH?! You think this is fucking funny?!"
Victor, still smirking, tilted his head slightly. "What's the matter, Derek? Feeling a little… stuck?"
Derek gritted his teeth."You know something, don't you?! You've been acting weird this whole time—smiling, mocking us, acting like you already knew this would happen!"
His voice rose, his frustration boiling over.
"SAY SOMETHING THAT MAKES FUCKING SENSE!"
The others, tense and overwhelmed, started agreeing.
One by one, their anger shifted toward Victor.
Lena:"Why are you acting like this?! If you're not scared, then what the hell is wrong with you?!"
Harper:"Do you WANT us to be trapped?! Is that it?! Are you some kind of psycho?!"
Riley:"Of all people, you're the only one enjoying this bullshit!"
Even Ivy, who was still trembling, glared at him."If you don't know anything, then STOP acting like you're above this!"
Victor, unfazed, sighed dramatically before shaking his head.
"Cowards."
His voice was calm. Flat. Dismissive.
"You're all just cowards."
His gaze swept over them, full of nothing but disgust.
"This realm doesn't allow cowardice."
The group stiffened.
Victor repeated it—again, and again.
"This realm doesn't allow cowardice."
"This realm doesn't allow cowardice."
"This realm doesn't allow—"
CRACK!
Derek's fist collided with Victor's face.
The impact sent a sharp jolt through Victor's body, his head snapping to the side as his lip split open, a thin trail of blood dripping from his nose.
The room fell silent.
Victor staggered slightly, bringing a hand to his bleeding mouth.
For a second—just a second—he was stunned.
Derek's voice cut through the silence, low and dangerous.
"You better act the fuck normal. Or I swear to god, I will break you."
The group watched, waiting, expecting Victor to react like any normal person would—angry, humiliated, defensive.
But instead—
Victor laughed.
A soft, breathy chuckle that grew louder—until it became a full-blown, unhinged fit of laughter.
Like the hit meant nothing.
Like it had only made things better.
Like Derek had just proved something for him.
And as Victor laughed, blood dripping down his chin—
The air in the room felt colder.
Like something had shifted.
Like something was terribly, terribly wrong.
Victor's laughter echoed through the room, his body still slightly hunched, his hand smearing the blood from his lip like he enjoyed the sight of it.
Derek's fists clenched, his breath ragged, ready to hit him again.
But before he could—
Ethan's voice cut through the tension.
"Enough."
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't aggressive.
But it carried weight.
Derek turned, his expression still burning with rage.
But Ethan's eyes met his, firm and steady.
Samuel stepped between them, raising a hand slightly toward Derek like a silent warning.
"Derek," Samuel said, his tone measured. "It's not worth it."
Derek scoffed, shaking his head. "Not worth it? He's playing with us—he's treating this like a fucking joke!"
Victor let out another small chuckle, still wiping his mouth. "Am I wrong?"
Ethan ignored him completely.
Instead, he turned to the rest of the group.
"Listen," he exhaled, forcing his voice to stay calm, "we can't afford to lose our heads right now. We're already screwed enough as it is."
Samuel nodded, backing him up immediately.
"Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to fix this." His eyes flicked toward Derek, then at the others. "Right now, we have two choices—figure out how the hell we're getting out of here, or stand here arguing until we all spiral into panic again."
Ivy, still shaken, rubbed her arms."Samuel's right."
Nathan let out a slow breath, frustrated but relenting.
Derek, still breathing heavily, turned his glare back to Victor—who was now simply grinning, amused by everything.
Ethan, noticing that, took a slow step forward.
His expression hardened.
"Victor."
Victor tilted his head, smiling."Yes, leader?"
Ethan's jaw tightened, but he didn't take the bait.
"Say whatever you want. Laugh all you want. But if you're going to stay with us, cut the shit and act like part of the group."
The smirk on Victor's face remained, but his eyes darkened slightly.
There was something about Ethan's tone.
Something that said—this wasn't a request.
For a moment, the two stared each other down.
And then, surprisingly—
Victor raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Alright, alright," he mused. "I'll behave. For now."
Derek clicked his tongue, stepping back, but the anger in his eyes was still burning.
Samuel, seeing the tension start to loosen, finally exhaled. "Good. Now can we focus on the actual problem here?"
Slowly, the group began to settle.
Not comfortable.
Not calm.
But at the very least—they weren't seconds away from tearing each other apart.
And right now?
That was the best they could ask for.