Rising Tides

A chill crept up Orion's spine as he shot upright, his hands pressing against the damp surface beneath him. His mattress—completely soaked. His clothes clung to his skin, heavy with moisture. For a moment, his mind struggled to make sense of the situation, but then he heard it—soft ripples, the unmistakable sound of water rising.

The dim, sterile light in the container flickered slightly, revealing the sheen of liquid beginning to spread across the white floor.

Across the room, groggy murmurs turned into startled gasps as others started waking up, all feeling the same unwelcome sensation.

"What the hell—" someone muttered.

"The floor is wet," another voice said, half-dazed.

A loud splash echoed as one of the candidates swung their legs off the mattress, stepping directly into ankle-deep water.

And then, the realization sank in.

"This whole place is filling up."

A hushed silence fell over the group. Orion's pulse quickened as he scanned the walls. There were no doors, no vents, no visible exits. The mirrored wall reflected the growing unease on everyone's faces.

For a brief moment, nobody spoke. Then, as if on cue, the water level visibly rose.

This isn't natural.

Orion moved quickly, stepping off his mattress into the cold water. A shiver ran through him as the coldness of the water seeped into his bones.

"We need to find a way out," someone said sharply.

A few candidates were already pressing against the walls, knocking on them, searching for hidden panels or weak points.

"There has to be an exit. They wouldn't trap us here with no way out," a girl reasoned, though there was little confidence in her voice.

Orion wasn't so sure. This is the second trial, he reminded himself. It was never going to be easy.

The water was rising steadily, now reaching just below his knees.

A guy near the far end of the room suddenly shouted, his voice reverberating off the walls.

"We need to find exhaust pipes or an air vent! Something connected to an outlet! If this place completely fills up, we'll need somewhere to breathe!"

Silence followed, as if the gravity of his words took a second to sink in. Then, the room exploded into movement.

People rushed to different corners of the container, frantically searching for anything that resembled a vent, a drainage system, a gap in the ceiling—anything.

The once-orderly mattresses were now floating haphazardly as the water level continued its relentless climb. Orion felt his heart hammering in his chest.

Think.

He pushed through the water, reaching out to feel along the smooth, sterile walls. No cracks. No seams. No ventilation shafts.

"This doesn't make any damn sense!" someone growled, punching the wall.

Then—

A loud splash.

Orion turned in time to see someone lose their balance, slipping backward into the rising water. They surfaced with a gasp, spluttering.

"We're running out of time," Neil muttered under his breath. Orion hadn't even realized he was near him.

"Yeah," Orion agreed, swallowing hard.

The water was waist-deep now.

Then, a scream.

A girl near the center of the room clutched her head, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"I—I don't want to die," she stammered, voice cracking.

Panic. It spread through the room like wildfire.

One moment, everyone had been focused—searching, thinking. Now, fear gripped them. The girl's sudden breakdown shook the fragile sense of control they had.

"We're going to drown in here!" another person shouted.

"No, we won't," someone countered, but their voice lacked conviction.

The water was chest-high now.

Orion could feel his breathing becoming shallow. The cold was getting to him.

This trial is designed to push us—to see who panics and who stays rational.

But knowing that didn't make it any easier.

The girl who had screamed was now hyperventilating. She flailed, her breathing erratic.

"Hey!" Orion moved toward her, but she backed away, wild-eyed.

"No—don't touch me! I—I can't do this!" she gasped.

Someone else reached for her, trying to calm her down, but she shoved them away in terror.

The movement caused a chain reaction—others stumbled, the water sloshing violently as chaos threatened to take over.

Orion clenched his jaw.

This was bad.

And the water was still rising.

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