The timer on the screen kept counting down.
59:21
The cold wind from the sea swept across the empty port, carrying the sound of crashing waves and distant ship horns. Yet for Ayesha, the world seemed to have gone silent.
Only the ticking of the clock mattered.
One hour.
One impossible decision.
Ryan stared at the screen where Malik's unconscious body was displayed.
"I can't believe this," he muttered.
Arian's eyes were sharp as he analyzed the situation.
"This is psychological warfare," he said calmly. "They want to force us into a mistake."
Ayesha clenched her fists.
"But what if Malik dies because we hesitate?"
Ryan looked at her.
"You still care about him?"
Ayesha shook her head immediately.
"It's not about caring. It's about humanity."
Ryan didn't reply.
But deep inside, he understood.
That was who Ayesha was.
Someone who refused to abandon others… even enemies.
Searching for the Trap
They quickly returned to the safe house.
Arian began analyzing the video feed of Malik.
"There must be clues," he said.
Ryan leaned over his shoulder.
"Location?"
Arian nodded.
"I'm trying."
Seconds turned into minutes.
The clock kept ticking.
52:10
Finally, Arian froze.
"I found something."
Ayesha rushed closer.
"What?"
Arian pointed at a reflection in the background of the video.
A small metal plate on the wall.
With a serial number.
Ryan frowned.
"That's it?"
Arian typed rapidly on his laptop.
"That serial number belongs to a storage facility."
The map appeared on the screen.
Ayesha's heart sank.
The location was only twenty minutes away.
Ryan cursed softly.
"They're rushing us."
Arian nodded.
"They want us to panic."
Ayesha grabbed her jacket.
"Then we don't give them time to change the plan."
Ryan sighed.
"So we're really doing this."
Ayesha looked at both of them.
"Yes."
The Rescue Attempt
The storage facility looked abandoned.
Old warehouses lined the area.
Rusty fences surrounded the compound.
The moonlight cast long shadows across the cracked pavement.
Ryan whispered,
"This place screams trap."
Arian checked his scanner.
"Motion sensors everywhere."
Ayesha stepped forward slowly.
Then suddenly—
A voice echoed through the loudspeakers.
"Right on time."
The mastermind.
Ryan raised his weapon immediately.
"Show yourself!"
The voice chuckled.
"Patience."
Suddenly the warehouse doors opened.
Inside…
Malik was tied to a chair under a single light.
Ayesha's heart pounded.
"There he is."
Ryan grabbed her arm.
"Wait."
Arian scanned the room carefully.
"Pressure plates on the floor."
Ryan groaned.
"Of course."
Ayesha looked at the timer.
18:32
They didn't have much time.
Ryan spoke quietly.
"If we step inside, the trap activates."
Arian added,
"And if we don't… Malik dies."
The Impossible Choice
Suddenly the mastermind spoke again.
"But that's not the real choice."
Another door opened on the opposite side of the warehouse.
Two glass chambers appeared.
Inside them—
Ryan.
And Arian.
Both men were suddenly trapped as steel barriers dropped around them.
Ayesha's eyes widened in horror.
"What?!"
Ryan slammed his fists against the glass.
"How the hell—"
Arian realized the truth immediately.
"This was the real trap."
The mastermind's voice echoed calmly.
"Now, Ayesha… the real game begins."
The timer changed.
05:00
Ayesha's heart nearly stopped.
Five minutes.
The mastermind continued.
"You can save only one."
Ayesha shook her head desperately.
"No… no, that's not happening."
Ryan tried to remain calm.
"Ayesha, listen to me—"
Arian interrupted him.
"Don't let him manipulate you."
But the mastermind's voice grew colder.
"Choose Ryan…"
"One lever."
"Choose Arian…"
"Another lever."
Two red levers appeared on the wall.
Ayesha's hands trembled.
The clock continued ticking.
04:10
Ryan looked directly at her.
"If it comes down to it…"
His voice softened.
"Save Arian."
Arian immediately protested.
"No."
He turned to Ayesha.
"Don't choose anyone."
The mastermind laughed quietly.
"Tick… tock."
Cliffhanger
Ayesha stood frozen.
Her heart felt like it was being torn apart.
Ryan.
Arian.
Two men who had risked everything for her.
Two men who trusted her completely.
And now…
She had to choose who lived.
The timer flashed.
00:59
Ayesha slowly stepped toward the levers.
Tears filled her eyes.
But suddenly…
She whispered something under her breath.
"No."
Her hand moved.
Not toward the first lever.
Not toward the second.
But toward something else hidden on the wall.
Because Ayesha had just realized something.
If this was truly a game…
Then maybe there was a third move the mastermind never expected.
The clock hit:
00:30
And Ayesha pulled the hidden switch.
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