Ding.
Pip stepped out of the elevator, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion as he drifted forward. The room resembled Terrain’s and Sky’s—small with torches and an iron-banded door. However, instead of stone bricks, the room was coated in clay, with long metal pipes running up the walls and across the ceiling.
“Finally! You’re here!”
Pip jolted at the sound. He whipped around to find Furna calmly seated on the floor, stacking shards of broken clay tiles into a neat little tower.
“The fire Elemelon?”
“Close—but it’s Furna.” She smiled and stood, dusting her clothes before offering her hand. Her expression was bright, almost overly cheerful. It was the first time she’d properly met him. He had skipped the orientation and even arrived late to the ceremony...He looks tired, she thought. Maybe he overslept?
Pip’s eyes slid past her to a nearby wooden sign. “Laser reflection…a pair game.”
Furna pivoted to the sign. “Yep! Just you and me—Water Boy and Fire Girl,” she joked with a grin.
Pip glanced back at the exit, instantly regretting his decision to show up.
“Don’t worry, it’s a puzzle game,” Furna added, holding out a pair of dark glasses toward him. “This should be right up both of our alleys.”
Wordlessly, Pip took the glasses and slid them above his head as Furna headed toward the door.
“Alright! Let’s do this,” she said, forcing a cheer into her voice, hoping to lift the heavy silence.
Beyond the door lay a chamber filled with stone pillars of varying heights. At the far end, an unlit torch rested in a tall iron stand. The sealed exit door rested behind it.
“This looks fun,” Furna said, admiring the maze of columns.
Furna shifted her eyes to a now-empty box. Without a moment to lose, Pip had taken the stack of mirrors and placed them on top of various pillars, forming a pattern.
“Hey, you going to leave some for me?” Furna teased, half-serious, as Pip placed the last mirror down.
“You can press the button,” he answered, motioning to a large red button embedded in the wall.
“Oh. Okay.” Her voice faltered slightly as she approached the control.
Pip stepped aside and lowered his glasses over his eyes. “You can press it now.”
Furna pushed the button. Instantly, the room darkened. A concentrated beam of light shot from a nearby glass panel, ricocheting across the mirrors in rapid succession. The final beam struck the torch, igniting it. With a hiss, the sealed door unlocked.
“Nice work!” Furna celebrated, raising her hand for a high five.
Pip gave her a brief nod and moved on to the next room.
She lowered her hand, her smile slipping away.
This was going to be a long trial.
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