"The countdown begins now."
The robotic voice sliced through the humid air like a blade, its metallic tone devoid of any warmth or mercy.
The words reverberated off the ancient stone walls of the labyrinth, creating an eerie echo that seemed to mock the gathered students.
Above the massive dome, glowing numerals materialized from thin air—30:00:00—their crimson light pulsing like a heartbeat, casting ominous shadows that danced across the weathered stones below.
The numbers hung there, suspended in the sky like burning embers, a merciless reminder that every precious second wasted was another step closer to crushing failure.
A hundred students erupted into chaos, their carefully maintained composure shattering like glass.
Bodies collided as they scrambled forward, desperate hands shoving and sharp elbows jabbing into ribs in their frantic desperation to claim the honor of finding the exit first.
