Walk Through Hell

The door groaned open, releasing a tidal wave of heat so thick it felt like it pressed against my skin, wrapping around my throat like molten hands. The lava hissed and churned below, glowing a deep, angry red as if alive, ready to consume anyone foolish enough to step out of place.

My boots scraped against the landing as I turned back to the group, sweat already dripping into my eyes. "Here's how it's going to go," I said, my voice cutting through the roar of the inferno. "Eun-jin, take the lever closest to the lava—it's on the far left. I'll get the one near the wall here, and Min-seok, you take the one by the right wall."

Eun-jin nodded immediately, her jaw set. Min-seok's eyes darted to the bubbling lava, then to the jagged rocks floating like unstable islands. His face turned pale.

"Min-seok," I snapped.

He hesitated for a second, his lips trembling. But then, something shifted in his gaze. He swallowed hard, nodded, and stepped forward. "Fine," he said quietly, his voice strained but steady.

I gave him a quick nod and turned toward the rocks. "Let's move."

I leapt first, my boots slamming onto the nearest rock with a dull thud. The heat radiating off the molten surface was unbearable, clawing at my lungs and prickling against my skin, but I didn't stop.

Eun-jin was right behind me, her movements sharp and precise as she darted from one rock to the next, her face glistening with sweat but her focus unwavering. Min-seok followed, clumsier but determined, his arms flailing slightly to keep balance as he landed on the second rock.

As soon as we separated, Min-seok's voice broke through the suffocating heat.

"Ha-rin!" he shouted, panic tightening his words.

I froze mid-step, my boot barely touching the next rock. "What?"

"The rocks are too wide apart!" he yelled, pointing at the lever near the back wall. "I—I can't reach it!"

I turned my head toward him, frustration burning hotter than the air around me. "You've got to be kidding me—"

"Switch with me!" Min-seok interrupted, his voice desperate. "You're taller so you will have a larger stride. You might just reach it!"

I clenched my jaw, but a second's glance at the rocks leading to the lever told me he was right. The jumps weren't something he could make, not that it would be easy for me, but at least I stood a chance.

"Fine," I barked. "Get the lever I was going for, now. Move!"

Without waiting for a response, I changed course, leaping toward the lever in the back. My boots skidded slightly on the uneven rock, the soles already burning.

Eun-jin had almost reached her lever, moving like a shadow. She landed on the last rock, her knees bending slightly as her hand shot out to steady herself next to the wall. But the surface was slick, and her hand slipped.

A scream tore through her throat as her palm pressed against the glowing rock, the skin searing instantly.

"Eun-jin!" I yelled, my heart lurching.

She recoiled, clutching her burned hand to her chest. Her face twisted in agony, tears pooling in her eyes, but she didn't back away.

"I'm fine!" she shouted, her voice hoarse and raw. "Get your damn lever!"

I hesitated for a second, my body screaming to go to her aid, but she glared at me through the pain. "Go!"

Gritting my teeth, I turned back to the lever. The heat burned my skin, the air itself sizzling in my lungs. I jumped to the final rock, barely managing to land without slipping into the lava below.

The lever stood before me, jutting out of the rock like a cruel joke. The metal scalded my palms as I grabbed it, but I didn't let go. I yanked with all my strength, the lever groaning as it sank to the left.

Clunk.

"One down!" I shouted, sweat stinging my eyes as I turned to check on the others.

Eun-jin was already pulling her lever, her injured hand trembling but steady. She let out a guttural cry as the lever gave way, locking into place with a deafening clunk.

"Two down!" she called, her voice strained but determined.

That left Min-seok.

He was still jumping toward his lever, his movements slow but deliberate. I could see the tension in his muscles, the fear in his eyes, but he didn't stop.

He landed on the last rock, his knees buckling slightly, barely preventing himself from falling into the lava and reached for the lever. His hand hovered over it, trembling. The rock beneath him wobbled, swaying slightly as if mocking his hesitation.

"Pull it, Min-seok!" I shouted, the heat ripping at my throat.

The rock shook harder, and for a moment, I thought he'd lose his balance again. But then, something changed. His eyes narrowed, his lips tightening into a thin line.

With a sudden burst of strength, he grabbed the lever, the muscles in his arms straining as he yanked it downward.

Clunk.

The room trembled, the lava roaring louder as the three levers locked into place. For a moment, the heat seemed to intensify, suffocating, crushing. And then, the floor rumbled.

From the molten lake, a pathway of solid stone began to rise, the rocks shifting and locking together to form a road connecting the entrance to the exit.

I turned to the group, relief washing over me despite the lingering tension. "Let's move," I said, my voice hoarse.

Eun-jin cradled her burned hand, her face pale but determined as she nodded. Da-on rushed to her mother's side hugging her in an instant. Min-seok stood there for a second longer, his shoulders heaving as he caught his breath.

"Min-seok," I called, snapping him out of his daze.

He looked at me, then at the group, and something in his expression shifted. A flicker of pride?

It was the he first time he didn't hesitate. The first time he didn't act like coward. It must be a big achievement for him eh? 

[Time Left: 20 minutes, 12 seconds.]