The door was right in front of him.
Rusty. Half-broken. Slightly open.
Freedom.
Ayan's fingers trembled as he pushed it further.
CREAK…
A cold gust of air rushed from the other side.
He stepped forward—
BEEP.
The sound sliced through the silence.
The door slammed shut.
His phone lit up.
LEVEL 4 – FINAL CONDITION ACTIVATED
"EXIT REQUIRES VERIFICATION.
Ayan's heartbeat spiked.
"Verification…?" he whispered.
The lights above him flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Everything turned red.
The walls around him shifted.
Not physically…
But the feeling changed.
Like he was no longer alone.
His phone vibrated again.
PUZZLE INITIATED: "THE WATCHER'S CHOICE"
Time Limit: 10 Minutes
Three screens appeared on the wall in front of him.
Old monitors.
Dusty.
Cracked.
But working.
Screen 1
Ayan saw himself.
Standing exactly where he was now.
The door slowly opening…
Light spilling out.
He stepped through—
SAFE.
Screen 2
Same room.
Same moment.
But this time—
As he touched the door…
A shadow moved behind him.
Fast.
Sharp.
The screen glitched—
And his body dropped.
DEAD.
Screen 3
Ayan leaned closer.
This one was… different.
It didn't show the door.
It showed—
Him.
From behind.
Like someone was watching him.
Breathing.
Standing right where the darkness met the light.
Ayan stepped back instinctively.
"No… no…"
His voice shook.
The phone buzzed again.
ONLY ONE PATH IS REAL.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT FEED TO EXIT.
WRONG CHOICE = TERMINATION.
The timer appeared.
09:12
"Think," Ayan muttered. "Think…"
Every level had a trick.
Every level punished blind choices.
So what was the trap here?
Screen 1 looked perfect.
Too perfect.
Escape. Light. No resistance.
Screen 2—
Fear.
Obvious danger.
Almost like the game was warning him.
Or… misleading him.
Screen 3…
That one made his skin crawl.
Because it didn't show an outcome.
It showed—
Observation.
The lights flickered again.
This time longer.
Darker.
Ayan slowly turned around.
Behind him—
Nothing.
Empty room.
But his chest tightened.
Because for a second…
He felt it.
Someone standing there.
Watching.
06:48
His breathing grew heavier.
"Watcher…" he whispered.
"The level is called Watcher…"
His eyes widened slightly.
Screen 1 = what he wants
Screen 2 = what he fears
Screen 3 = what the game is about
Ayan looked back at Screen 3.
The angle.
The distance.
The position.
It wasn't random.
It was showing exactly where the "Watcher" would stand.
Which meant—
The threat wasn't the door.
The threat was—
behind him.
His grip tightened.
"Got you…" he muttered.
03:21
Instead of moving toward the door—
Ayan stepped back.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Positioning himself exactly where the "Watcher" should be.
The room went silent.
Too silent.
Then—
A faint sound.
Right behind him.
Breathing.
Ayan didn't turn.
Didn't panic.
Didn't run.
"Not this time," he said quietly.
His thumb moved.
He selected—
Screen 3.
For a second—
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
SCREEEEEECH—
A distorted scream echoed through the room.
The monitors shattered.
The red light burst into white.
The door unlocked.
CORRECT CHOICE.
Ayan exhaled sharply.
But his hands were still shaking.
The phone buzzed one last time.
LEVEL 4 CLEARED.
WELCOME TO THE NEXT STAGE.
The door slowly opened again.
This time—
No sound stopped it.
No message appeared.
Just darkness.
Deeper than before.
Ayan stepped forward.
But before he crossed the threshold—
He paused.
Then slowly…
He turned back.
The room was empty.
Silent.
Dead.
But on the broken screen—
For a split second—
A reflection flickered.
Not his.
Something else.
Watching.
To be continue