The notification lingered in front of all of them like a death sentence branded into the air.
[Only the first three climbers to arrive at the exit will be able to proceed to the next floor.]
The silence that followed was not peaceful. It was suffocating, heavy enough that even the oasis seemed to quiet around them. The water no longer sounded refreshing as it lapped softly against the edge of the pool.
The wind no longer felt gentle as it dragged faint trails of sand across the ground. Everyone stared at the message, and for a moment, no one seemed willing to be the first person to admit what it meant.
The old man was the first to shout, they could hear him all the way from the pool he was at, "This… this is bullshit…" his voice trembled. "Redo the whole trial? Are they insane?" His hands shook as he stared at the words above them, and his breathing had already begun to turn shallow.
