Chương 29: Gravity Complexity.

The light had appeared again. … But this time. … There were two, on both sides of the wall opposite to each other.

"Great, Now there are two of them! One wasn't enough to kill us, so now this room introduce two — to make sure we die." Eli said.

"We are not going to die, I know we could figure out some other way." Aeris said.

"And how do you figure we do that? Do you know which one is the correct one?" He was right, when I first saw it my heart raced faster, just when I thought I found a way, the Log always makes it worse" No I need to stay calm and think, we don't have time to spare. From what I have observed the light indicates that the gravity is released from a particular direction where the light initially appear, if that's the case.... I paused and looked at both of the direction.

That would mean the gravity will be released from both the sides or either one of the sides and we had to choose the right one. But there is no way of knowing which one of these is right. Considering the Log warning it did say choose a direction, that would likely mean to pick one of the side. Aeris put her palm on my left shoulder.

"We will figure this out. I'll chack on both the sides." and rushed to the left side of the wall where the light had appeared. The light just appeared which means we have one whole minute to find something. I am sure we could find it.

"I'll go to the right, and try to figure this out you just stay here." Eli said. While they both were searching, my mind was still kept wondering, why this particular room had two lights? Was it to just make it harder or was there something else to it. I tried to understand the pattern of both rooms we had encountered. One thing was clear, the log wanted me to pick a direction which was safer, that's the whole purpose of this quest.

I recall the last room through my mind again and during then I noticed the opposite direction of the neon light turned out to be the safest direction. But this one was different, it had two of the neon lights in opposite to each other. It felt like I was missing something very important. Like it was in front of me and yet I couldn't figure out what it was, but those words kept repeating in my mind over and over again. Safe direction... The two minutes had passed and we still had not come to the conclusion.

Time never waits for anyone, every second counts but we only had ten seconds remaining. Ten seconds to decide which direction we had to go for. The entire time I kept think about it, and yet something felt there was one thing that still kept bugging me the entire time. The part where the Log says ' The room obeys no natural direction' and yet it kept insisting on to pick safe direction.

"Aeris did you find anything?" Eli asked.

"No, not a thing, both of the sides look the same to me, just like in previous room." At this point I think the only one logical explanation is to consider that the gravity crushing force would come from both the sides. The Log never told that it will only activate the gravity from one side. Since the room said it doesn't follow any natural direction whatsoever.... This room will surely release gravity from each side, that would mean an equal amount of force from each side colliding at the very centre.

Meaning if we were to pick any side, or even pick opposite sides we would collide with each other at the very centre. So that means we all had to stay at the centre of this room because that is the safest direction.

"I found it, the answer we've been searching for." I said out loud.

"Wait, really?" Both of them rushed to me.

"Please tell me you are not joking and you have really found it?" Eli said"Yes, I found the solution."

"Hurry up and tell us then." Eli said. I walked to the centre of the room with one hand pressing my stomach and legs limping. Both of them followed me.

"Well, what is it, Nova? Are you going to tell us." Aeris said.

"We just need to stay here this time, even when we are in the air, we have to stay right here at this very spot." I said. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"But, won't we get crushed to the other side?" She asked.

"No we won't if we just stay right here."

"So that's it, That's the big idea— just stay here and hope for the best. Did't you see what happened last time, you got crushed. Staying here is a death wish." Eli said.

"Eli, I know what I am saying, and I am right this time. Trust me when I say this is where we need to be and if we stay right here we will not get crushed."

"We'll stay and do as you say, I believe in you." Aeris said.

"But..."

"Eli, trust her — if she is telling this will work, than it will."

"Okay, if you say so, we will stay right here. But I am telling you if something does happen, you better save me." He said to Aeris.

"I'll save you Eli, if something were to happen." I said.

"Okay, I guess than I am staying." Good, now that we are all here, I am confident that this time we all would walk out of here un harmed. I know that I am right and staying here at the very centre of the room is the right decision. But… But there was only one little thing that was bothering me and it was the exit distance from the very centre of the room. It was far and I am not sure if all of us would make it out in time.

After all, we only had ten seconds to rush towards the exit and the condition that I was in, I might not make it in time, I was barely able to walk properly. I knew there was a chance that I could get stuck here, and we could get separated from each other. The pressure from both sides would be intense and it would definitely affect our bodies. I don't know how much of this gravity pressure my body could withstand.

But there is also a strong possibility that the exit might lead us to yet another room and if that turned out to be the case, it could be even more dangerous than this room. I couldn't leave them alone, if something does happen to them, I could never forgive myself. I had to make sure, we all stayed together no matter what. My mind was made up, I took a deep breath, "Just listen to me very carefully, you two." Both of them looked at me curiously.

"There is a chance of me getting stuck in this room."

"Wait, what are you saying? Don't say stuff like that, we all will make it out of here." Aeris said.

"I do wish that to happen, but we only have ten seconds after that wall opens. And my condition is worse than I thought, I am not sure I could make it out of here."

"Oh no no no... I know where this is going, don't you even dare give me this load of crap saying go without me and just leave me here. If you are thinking about this, forget it because that's not going to happen, there is no way in hell that we are leaving you here. I will make sure we all get out of here, no matter what." she said.

"I know, but…"

"No buts, I don't want to hear it."

"Aeris, let me finish..." She paused.

"Look all I am saying is... If that were to happen and it looks like I won't make it in time, than we all have to stay back together and try again until we all escape this room together." A small hint of smile came to her face.

"Yes I agree, that is what we will do."

"But exit is right over there, it wouldn't matter even if we get separated because we could just come back to rescue you." Eli said.

"No, we can't get separated from each other because there is no way of knowing if that really is the exit, it could just be another one of these room behind that wall and if that turns out to be a room it might be more dangerous than this one. So, if we all don't stick together, it's possible that any one of us could die." Both went silent for a second then he spoke, "You're right, I didn't think of that." He paused, "But wait that could also mean that we could get stuck here forever."

"You don't need to worry about that, there is no way I am going to let that happen. You can leave it all to me." She said with a smile on her face. I knew she was just forcing that smile and saying those things to make us believe that everything will go as we planned. Even though, she was terrified from inside. Yet she never let it came to her face. There is no turning back, this just has to work, we all had to make it out of here, even if it might break my bones, I will make sure that we get out of here.

The timer had came to the end. 00: 00 MYSTERY LOG: GRAVITY ACTIVATION IN: 00: 30"Get ready, all of you, just stay together." Both of them nodded. The zero gravity phase had activated, we were all floating and staying in the centre as the timer counted down. This has to be the only answer, I wish I am right this time, just please let me be right. With each seconds passing by, the timer had come to an end. MYSTERY LOG GRAVITY ACTIVATED. Gravity released from both sides as I expected, clashing in the very centre.

It made us float at the same place. We held our hands and stayed close at all times, an equal amount of gravity pressure just came from both sides, we were lucky that the pressure was equal at both side, if tit were to be imbalances even just a bit, we'd be crushed. But even though the gravity pressure was the same, it was still very intense. I felt the stress on my muscles, like it was tearing every single fibre one by one, twitching underneath.

"I can't take this anymore." Eli shouted.

"Just hang on a little longer, I know you can do it." Aeris shouted.

"Nova, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am okay." Those few seconds were brutal, that intensity. It felt like my bones were about to be broken in pieces. I somehow manage to withstand the pressure by shifting my body sideways so the gravity does not affect my injured muscles. Gravity started to decrease from both sides, I knew that was our cue to move, that was the time we had to push through towards the exit.

"It's ending, we need to move now, just push through." I shouted, Both of them nodded Everyone started to move forward towards the exit, the float phase started and the wall instantly opened. THE EXIT TIME LIMIT: 00: 10 We were still a few metres apart. If we were able to sprint, then we could had made it out by now and already be beyond the exit. The float phase slowed down our momentum. Even a few metres started to look too far, within those limited seconds.

THE EXIT TIME LIMIT: 00: 03 We were at the exit and the wall was still open. A sudden push came behind me, I went beyond the wall. As I turned my head back, I saw, Aeris had pushed both me and Eli. Only two seconds were remaining and Aeris was just a few inches apart from entering.

"Nooo!" I shouted, louder. I extended my hands towards her, my fingers were inches away from grabbing her hand and pulling her in. I wished I had just a couple of seconds, and we all would have made it in. It felt like it was inevitable to save her just in that one second. But my body refused to give up on her. The wall had closed instantly as the time came to an end. THE EXIT TIME LIMIT: 00: 00