chapter26：Rewards
"I think he must be the key figure to solve the riddle," said Jack. However, just as they were pondering, the door of the room suddenly shut, and they were trapped inside.
"Amy, we must find a way out," Jack said anxiously.
Amy looked at Jack, and at that moment, she felt that Jack was an extremely solid support for her. The sense of familiarity with Jack in her heart grew stronger, as if they had known each other in a previous life.
"Jack, I believe we can do it," Amy said firmly.
They began to search the room carefully for an exit or clues. In one corner, Amy discovered something like a combination lock, on which some strange symbols were engraved.
"Jack, look at this," Amy shouted.
Jack hurried over and stared at the symbols on the lock, lost in thought. Images of various strange patterns and designs he had seen in the villa earlier kept flashing through his mind. He felt there must be some connection between them. He started trying different combinations, while Amy watched nervously beside him, her palms slightly sweating.
After several attempts, finally, the combination lock emitted a faint click, and the door slowly opened.
They walked out of the room and found that the guests in the living room were still busily looking for their partners in the darkness. At this time, the music became more intense, as if urging everyone to speed up.
"Amy, we need to find our real partners as soon as possible," Jack said.
"But how can we determine who the real partner is?" Amy asked.
"I think we should trust our intuition," Jack looked at Amy, his eyes full of trust.
Just then, Amy's eyes were attracted by a figure. The figure was faintly visible in the darkness, but she had a strong feeling that it was her partner.
"Jack, I think that person is my partner," Amy said, pointing at the figure.
Jack looked in the direction Amy pointed, nodded and said, "Then go ahead. I'll also look for my partner."
Amy walked slowly towards the figure, and when she got closer, she was surprised to find it was David, the physicist.
"David? How could it be you?" Amy asked in astonishment.
David smiled and said, "Maybe this is fate."
Meanwhile, Jack also found his partner not far away, Moli, a girl in a white dress.
...
As the music reached its climax, the butler's voice rang out again: "Ladies and gentlemen, time is up. Those who have found their partners, please stand together."
Jack and his partner Moli, Amy and David stood together.
The butler looked at them and nodded with satisfaction.
"Congratulations. You have passed the challenge. As the victors, you will receive unexpected rewards. In the limited time of the next three years, you will be granted an unlimited number of time - travels to remedy your regrets. However, each time - travel will cost you 30% of your brain cells," the butler said.
Amy let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Jack, her heart full of gratitude. Although they were not partners, Jack had given her a great deal of help and support during this process.
At this time, the lights came on again, and the living room was bright once more. Some of the guests were cheering joyfully, while others were dejected.
...
"Jack, I think that person is my partner," Amy said, pointing at the figure.
Jack looked in the direction Amy pointed, nodded and said, "Then go ahead. I'll also look for my partner."
Amy walked slowly towards the figure, and when she got closer, she was surprised to find it was David, the physicist.
"David? How could it be you?" Amy asked in astonishment.
David smiled and said, "Maybe this is fate."
Meanwhile, Jack also found his partner not far away, Moli, a girl in a white dress.
As the music surged like a tempestuous tide, the impassioned melody seemed to have a physical form, rampaging and colliding wantonly in every corner of the living room.
The butler's steady and forceful voice, like an arrow piercing through the clouds, cut through the layers of sound waves once again and rang out clearly: "Ladies and gentlemen, time is up. Those who have found their partners, please stand together."
Jack and his partner Moli seemed to have an unspoken understanding and quickly moved closer to each other. Their eyes met, and an intangible rapport seemed to flow between them.
Amy also walked towards David, and the two of them stood side by side, like two lighthouses standing shoulder to shoulder.
The butler's gaze was like a searchlight, slowly moving over them as if examining rare treasures in the world. After a while, he nodded with satisfaction.
"Congratulations. You have successfully passed this challenge. As the victors, you will receive unexpected rewards," the butler said, with a mysterious glint in his eyes. He continued slowly, "In the limited time of the next three years, you will be granted an unlimited number of opportunities for time - travel. This means you can go back to the past to rectify the regrets you once had. However, each time - travel will cost you 30% of your brain cells. This is the price for this ability."
When Amy heard this news, the big stone that had been hanging in her heart finally fell. Her eyes, like twinkling stars, immediately turned to Jack, full of deep gratitude: "Jack, thank you so much. Without you, I can't imagine whether I could have survived this ordeal. This challenge was so thrilling, with so many unpredictable factors."
Jack curled up the corners of his mouth and showed a warm smile, replying, "Amy, you were very brave too. During this process, we supported and helped each other. Neither of us could have made it without the other."
At this time, the lights, like the dawn breaking, came on again. The bright light poured down like a waterfall, instantly illuminating every inch of the living room.
Those successful guests, like lit fireworks, could no longer hold back their surging joy. Some of them cheered and jumped for joy, their faces beaming with excitement, and laughter and cheers echoed in the living room; while those who failed were like withered trees without vitality, all hanging their heads in dismay, their eyes full of despair and regret, as if the whole world had lost its color.
The butler's expression was as cold as the ice in the polar regions. He walked towards those who had failed with steady and firm steps. Each step he took seemed to strike like a heavy hammer on the hearts of the losers, causing a silent tremor.
The losers watched the butler approaching step by step, and their bodies trembled involuntarily like leaves in the wind. One of the losers gritted his teeth, summoned up his courage and asked, "Butler, we have failed. What are you going to do to us?" His voice, though trembling, still tried to sound firm.
The butler's voice seemed to come from an ice cellar, without a trace of warmth: "You have violated the rules and must accept the punishment. This is the order in this place and the consequence you must bear. Here, the rules are like shackles made of steel and cannot be violated."
After saying that, the butler gently raised his hand, and a pale blue light slowly shot out from his palm.
The light was like a nimble snake, quickly winding and enveloping those losers.
The bodies of those losers instantly became extremely stiff as if under a body - freezing spell. Then, their bodies melted at a horrifying speed like ice thrown into a high - temperature furnace, turning into puddles of water exuding a strange aura. One by one, their bodies disappeared right before everyone's eyes, leaving only puddles of water, as if silently telling of their once - upon - a - time existence.
This terrifying scene made the air in the living room seem to freeze instantly. The guests who had been cheering just now were like being choked by the throat, suddenly falling silent. A chill crept up from the soles of their feet like a vine, madly climbing up to their hearts.
Amy witnessed this scene and couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart. Some fragmented images suddenly flashed through her mind. Those scenes of time - displacement she had once experienced were like slides flashing before her eyes. She couldn't help but wonder if her time - displacement was also related to the mysterious power in this villa. Was there also some similar rule or punishment mechanism at work behind it? Once this idea took root in her mind, it spread like wild grass.
She frowned, a hint of confusion and worry in her eyes, and secretly glanced at Jack. She found that Jack was also frowning, as if also thinking about something.
Amy really wanted to share her thoughts with Jack, but at this time, the atmosphere in the living room was as oppressive as the calm before a storm, so she could only bury this question deep in her heart for the time being, waiting for the right moment.