Alex walked towards the Southern door and pressed the release. He looked back at the bones of Kiwi and took a deep breath. This wouldn't be fun...

Ninefingers smiled. "It's a good thing you do. Luck." He said.

Alex nodded. It was his turn to step up no doubt about it. Still, what lay beyond was always a mystery. He stepped through into the unknown.

The room beyond was dark and grimy. It was also cavernous. It seemed like the inside of an ancient building, like a church or a monastery. Alex looked around nervously. It was a little creepy and it was very...very quiet.

He tested something.

"HELLO!" He shouted.

The word echoed and bounced around the ceiling of the cavernous room for quite a while. There was a rumble up above as it did. Alex nervously glanced back to the door. He wouldn't try that again. He just wanted to see how cavernous it was. But this was clearly a place of great solitude.

He walked forwards when he saw the large dome in the centre of the room. It was poorly lit so it was hard to make out. There seemed to be writing on the side. The dome was glass but it was black from the outside...no sign of anything in there he could see.

Then the room glowed red. A large screen up above shone down. The eye was glaring down at him. It didn't speak, it merely watched. The light was enough however to light up the dome slightly so that Alex could see all the writing scrawled across it. The same word was written over and over in many languages.

He ran his finger across just one.

"Silencio"

Recent events meant the Spanish caused him to shiver a little. It wasn't a language he was happy to hear around here. Another caught his eye.

"Stille"

And finally another in a language he didn't recognise.

"Silentio"

It was pretty obvious what it all meant. The English was written just across from here anyway. Then the eye boomed out. The voice echoed around the cavernous room causing it to rumble a little.

"Silence is truly golden isn't it."

The sound of the eye caused the door to open as the other group members walked in. Ninefingers went to speak but put a finger to his mouth.

Walter frowned.

"Why no speak?" He boomed out.

The room shook again. Silence fell.

"It seems that the concept of silence is wasted on most of you. Have you no respect for these parts? This chamber was once used by an ancient order of monks to test their devotion in the age old vow of silence. A very interesting ritual. They would go for weeks...months even without speaking."

The voice echoed across the walls.

"These caverns were once their place of respite. They knew it was bordering the gate and they vowed to protect it at all costs. Of course this was centuries ago. They're long dead now. This room though...is one of the final places of theirs that still stands."

"I built some of the labyrinth but I admired this room too much to rebuild it. I did however erect that chamber in the centre because I was rather hoping that I could test the few who made it across to here. The monks were capable of not speaking for months at a time. With you, there is just 24 hours. Or 48 if you are truly devoted."

"Allow me to better explain. You are quite talkative. You speak for hours on many matters, but I want to see if you can go without for a little while. You are required to enter into that glass chamber. Inside it is very bright, hot and uncomfortable. The monks would've subjected themselves to similar conditions."

"And once inside you are to not speak. No words must be uttered. No shuffling must be done. No rustling around for your compass. No pacing back and forth to sniffle for your buried treasures. No gunfire or any kind of communication outside of gestures and expressions."

"If one of you speaks you will be asked to stand. The silent will stay seated. Once you have spoken you may resume conversation but to those who stay steadfastly silent there will be a reward."

"However there will only be one person who takes away the item. And if you stay in here for over 48 hours, you will be crushed alive. So it's up to you who decides to hold out the longest. Choosing your destination breaks the silence, so I advise you to sit quietly."

Alex glanced up at the eye. Ninefingers snarled.

"Ojo! We do not intend to play your twisted games. We are to find the key and leave. Now open the doors at once."

The eye glared as a turret descended from the ceiling with a click.

"Lest you forget, Ninefingers, these turrets are situated throughout the labyrinth. You will all sit, and you will all participate. This isn't something I am throwing up as a choice. If you don't wish to partake then speak as soon as you feel able. Any kind of discussion will result in you being disqualified."

"Now enter, and pray silence."

The seven remaining team members shuffled into the chamber and took a seat around a circular bench. It was indeed hot, bright and uncomfortable. This would be a trying time. They couldn't even sigh to reveal their exasperation.

"Good. Now let us see who is the most devoted."

The voice continued to echo as the screen vanished from view. Everybody was seated. Floodlights surrounded the inner side of the chamber illuminating it.

Not a sound was heard.

You each have about 24 hours to move through an available exit.

Players (7):
AlexORG
Donovan Ray
G
Iron Face
Natalie
Ninefingers
Walter White

Exits:
North
South

A voice boomed out from above.

"So far so good. A few minutes of sweet blissful silence. I want you all to continue sitting there quietly for as long as you are able. You would do the monks proud. Admittedly they could go much longer but it's a start."

*Point South*
*Puzzle Face*

The voice boomed out from above once more.

"An entire evening of silence. How wonderfully...blissful. However one of you is going to have to talk soon. You need to move out of the door before you are all crushed and you have just over 36 hours to do that."

"Are you afraid of what I might do if you speak? It is an interesting predicament isn't it. If you don't speak you will almost certainly die though. Somebody will have to give up their chances of recovering that item and take the risk. There's no telling what will happen but still. I can confirm you will all die in here if you don't break the vow."

The voice faded out.

*Alex pees his pants*

*walter stares*