He could have said it ten more times and I still wouldn't have believed it. It was all finally over. We had completed the course.

"You three have been brave these past few weeks," the Game Master continued. "You have faced situations that most people could only imagine. You came in weak yet came out strong. For that, I congratulate you and your accomplishments."

I wanted to smile. The joy and relief that flooded through my body weakened my legs. I leaned my hand on the glass and placed my other one around my neck. The blood felt warm under the bandage.

I knew that it would get fixed, though. They'd lead us to hospital beds where doctors would patch us up as quickly as possible. Then, I would be able to eat an actual meal and drink all the water I pleased. I could sleep in a real bed. I could go home.

Home. The word felt so foreign. I had entered the Pestilention never expecting to hear the busy streets of New York ever again. I had said my farewells to my school and the future that I had always wished to have. I had accepted that I would never see Caden or Stace ever again.

The Game Master stood, smiling at us. The wide grin looked like clothing pins were holding up the corners of his lips. We all stared at each other in silence. I started to feel claustrophobic in the small box. Why were we in there? Why didn't he just set us free? In fact, wasn't there supposed to be the men with the shades standing next to the door, ready to take us back to our rooms? My stomach dropped.

Something was wrong.

Aster placed his hand on my back. His brows were stitched together as he examined the Game Master. I knew that he thought the same thing.

"Are the cameras off?" The Game Master muttered. My eyes widened. Cameras off?

There was a click, and then his lips fell into a frown. He turned his back to us, walking towards the wall of screens. After staring at them for a while, he slammed a finger down on a keyboard. The screens flickered before turning off.

Tilly gasped fearfully. I took my hand off of the glass, curling my fingers around her trembling hand. We all stared in silence as the Game Master turned to face us once more. A smile was back on his face. "As much as I would love to let you guys go, I decided to put you guys through one final obstacle."

The blood in my face rushed to my toes. My hopes were soaring only minutes ago. I had practically signed the end on my nightmares. But this was definitely not how this was supposed to end. We were free. We did what we were supposed to. We won.

"We've been through plenty, thank you," Aster growled. "We were promised to be released."

"Oh, surely." The Game Master nodded. "You've successfully been through so much already, though, one more can't hurt."

None of us replied. One obstacle had been the cause of many deaths. Heck, half of them probably faced it with that same thought. What's the harm in facing this? Another obstacle can't hurt.

We knew better, though. Anything could kill us at any second. Which made the Game Master's words unreassuring. We couldn't escape, though. We were trapped in his territory, meaning that we would have to continue playing it his way.

"The oxygen in the box you're standing in is running out as we speak," the Game Master explained. "You have around ten minutes until it runs out completely. Find a way to get out of the box before that time, and you'll get the care and money that was promised."

His lips twitched. "Good luck."

The Game Master left at that, closing the door shut behind him. Aster didn't hesitate to ram his shoulder into the wall. Tilly slid into the corner, hiding her head between her knees. I helped Aster, flinching at every impact. I was so focused on making a crack—even just one—that I didn't see when Aster slid his hands down the glass, resting his forehead on it in defeat. I stopped in my tracks.

"We have to get out of here," my voice scratched against my throat. Aster rolled his shoulders back, allowing the backpack to fall to the floor. He looked at me with tired eyes. Never had I seen him look so defeated. It shattered my heart.

"We've already been doing this for four minutes," he whispered. "There's no hope. This was designed to kill us."

Tilly started to sob. Aster stared ahead. I nearly scoffed. Four minutes and we were just giving up? That was the stupidest thing I had ever heard. I stepped back a couple of steps and then charged at the wall. My shoulder smacked against it. I repeated this again and again and again. My body grew more and more exhausted with every attempt. By the seventh try, Aster grabbed my arm. He gently pulled me over to him. I buried my face in his chest.

"How much longer?" I croaked.

Aster hesitated. "Four minutes."

Those words hit me hard. Four minutes. I never realized the lack of preparation I had given myself until now. I wasn't ready to die. Not after everything that happened. Even on the tracks with Raul, there was a chance to survive. How would we be able to get out of this one in four minutes?

"Thank you for helping me live for so long," Tilly whispered. She wiped a couple of tears off of her cheeks and sniffled.

I smiled. We all sat in silence, breathing in the little oxygen left. Aster's eyes stared at the corner, probably watching as the time ticked down. I could barely look at him. My head was spinning. I slid on the floor. I finally gazed at Aster, and the pain in his eyes told me everything. Time was up.

Slowly but surely, a sore pain grew at my side. Then it filled my chest. I coughed and tried to fill my lungs with air that wasn't there. I heard Tilly and Aster start to choke, too. We all fell to the floor.

I rested my cheek on the ground. Aster laid down next to me, sliding his fingers in between mine. I forced a smile. His face was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes, allowing the darkness to engulf me.

Not again, they were so close! What do you think will happen? Will the next chapter be about their final escape or their funeral?

Speaking of the next chapter, I will post the final chapter on the 23rd next week. Can you believe that we've gone so far? It's almost over!

Don't forget to vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. Try to vote with your favorite object. Stay awesome.

This song is Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) by AURORA. Enjoy. :)