ROSÉ’S POV:

I’ve stepped through the gates of hell. Jisoo unnie’s jaw was slack and she gasped audibly, whereas I was simply at a loss for words. This only happens in the movies! The sight before my eyes was so spectacularly, implausibly terrifying that I wondered if I was still in the thick of my nightmare. The path before us branched into two separate directions, but it seemed to me that no matter which way we went, the endgame was death.

Towering above us on our right was what looked like a set-up for a punishment from the depths of the netherworld. A blazing inferno raged angrily below the only means to cross the sea of fire, a rickety, dilapidated wooden bridge with footholds so far apart I wondered if my legs were even long enough to make the distance between them. Talk about the ultimate high elements challenge...no safety harnesses, no helmets, no instructors, just an excruciating balancing exercise to avoid certain death.

The destination of the path to our left was much less eye-catching, but no less deadly. I felt my stomach drop as a gargantuan whirlpool swirled and churned powerfully in an equally large body of water, looking more than ready to toss and turn us in spirals as if we were merely ragdolls, until we had been lifeless to unthinkable depths below the surface.

Fire or water. Burning or drowning. Life or death. I exchanged glances with Jisoo unnie, and she looked every bit as helpless as I felt. “He’s...sick.” Jisoo unnie spluttered, looking completely flabbergasted.

Jisoo unnie’s ordeals with shapeshifting robotic birds seemed like strolls in the park compared to what we had to overcome here. A series of words had been carved into the concrete floor, and it read “Square Two: Courage”. Well, no amount of courage will save us from those…

“Unnie, are you sure there’s nothing different about me?” Jisoo unnie had studied me briefly earlier in the hope of finding some form of key, but had discovered nothing different, apart from the array of red marks on my skin created by the ropes.

“Well, at least not on your face or legs.”

“Um…” I hesitated momentarily. “Could you help me check…um...underneath these?” I gestured to my clothes.

Jisoo unnie looked absolutely horrified at the suggestion. I was slightly taken aback and my face flushed instantly. “Never mind unnie, I’ll do it myself…”

“No, no, seeing you isn’t exactly anything new to me, you of all people should know that,” My face had to be a deep shade of crimson red at this point, but Jisoo unnie looked unfazed. “I was just thinking that he could have...touched you.” Her hands curled up into fists at her sides.

I was beginning to regret my decision, for this wasn’t exactly a situation I wanted to be stripping in. “How should we do this…” I murmured more to myself than to Jisoo unnie, but she had evidently heard me.

“Don’t strip, the creep’s watching for sure.”

“Then…”

“I’ll go under.” Before I could comprehend the meaning of her words, she lifted the hem of my shirt upwards and slotted her head into the space created. Being completely caught off guard, my heart rate skyrocketed as I felt Jisoo unnie’s hot breath against my stomach. Calm down, Rosie, breathe, this is like one of those medical check-ups, ok? No biggie.

Just as I thought my heart rate had stabilised, I realised Jisoo unnie was fumbling with the clasp of my bra, and my mind went straight to the gutter, my heart rate increased tenfold and my state of arousal was inexplicably high. Taking up such an position was a bad idea…I inhaled sharply as I felt her delicate hands on my assets, and a strangled moan came next as Jisoo unnie squeezed them without warning.

In a flash, all my clothing were back in order, and Jisoo unnie was smirking at me while shaking her head. “You enjoyed that way too much, Chaeyoung-ah.”

“Guilty as charged, but the squeeze really wasn’t necessary.”

“Let’s call it stress relief, shall we? Before we set foot upon that.” She pointed towards the treacherous-looking bridge.

“Wait, was the key actually there?”

“No, it wasn’t.” Jisoo unnie had yet another satisfied smirk on her face. “I found it when you had your eyes closed, your head was tilted back in ecstasy, and your mouth hung open. It was here.” She pointed to her own pristine, white teeth.

“On my teeth?” I asked incredulously. “What does it say?”

“Follow the light.”

The searing heat produced by the pit of fire was tremendous, we hadn't even stepped foot on the bridge, and I was beginning to feel like I was being burned alive. It reminded me of a barbeque pit, only that this time we were in the position of the meat slabs. I cast a somewhat longing glance towards the dark, murky waters rotating at unbelievable speeds, wondering if meeting my demise there would be less painful than being incinerated.

“How can we cross this? It's basically designed to kill.” Jisoo unnie looked as stumped as I was. The bridge looked even more fragile and unstable up close, the worn-out ropes holding the wood together hardly inspiring much confidence.

If there was anything going for us, though, it was that the footholds weren't as far apart as they had seemed. Jisoo unnie might have difficulties making the distance, but thanks to my long legs, I didn't think I would face much issues.

“Unnie, we can do this. We have to do this. For Jennie unnie and Lisa. We'll overcome all these obstacles together.” I tried to sound confident, but my voice shook audibly. Of course Jisoo unnie, the person who knew me best in the world, would notice. She wrapped me in a comforting hug, and that was the trigger for all my mixed emotions to rise to the surface. It gave me the burning desire to kiss Jisoo unnie. And so I did. Our lips locked in a passionate, intense kiss, every bit as fiery as the inferno raging below, as we put all our worries, despair, hope, anger and love amongst countless other emotions into the kiss. It was magical. It gave me renewed energy, desire, and strength. It instilled confidence in me that our love would prevail.

After we parted lips unwillingly, both gasping for air after the mind-blowing exchange, I felt unstoppable. I felt like I was on top of the world. “Unnie, I'll go first, my legs make it easier for me.”

Without hesitating, I took the first step onto a rotting wooden plank. The bridge swerved dangerously, and Jisoo unnie cried out in alarm, but I knew I had my balance under control. I would have to thank Jennie unnie later for introducing us all to flying yoga, my sense of balance would have gone nowhere had she not constantly bugged us to perform it, almost to the point of obsession.

Slow and steady wins the race...I continued advancing tentatively, taking extensive care to ensure my balance was maintained. With each step I took, I had to reach backwards to assist Jisoo unnie, who was obviously having trouble straining her limbs to get from one plank to the other. As precarious as our joint manoeuvres were, every time Jisoo unnie took my hand with conviction, my heart swelled, and my chest filled with a comforting warmth. Pride and encouragement surged through my body as I realised the sheer strength of our mutual trust had allowed us to trust each other with our lives.

Maintaining steely focus, we had slowly but surely passed the halfway mark. At this point, what with the intense heat being generated below us, I was completely drenched in sweat, to the point where I wasn’t sure if my palms were clammy due to fear or the unbearable temperatures. Jisoo unnie’s white shirt was soaked in perspiration such that it was essentially transparent, sticking tightly to the body I knew all too well, and the sight of her black bra and exposed skin served as an unwelcome distraction. Thankfully, performing the equivalent of a stunt performed by a tightrope walker wasn’t something one could forget about easily, and the rapid palpitations in my chest reminded me to focus on the challenge ahead.

The end was in