60.25-Woo-wa!

 The last time on the Smole, the contestants went camping and had to identify whose secret belonged to who while trying not to wrongly guess an executed contestant as the secret holder. They earned 23/100 points, showing their lack of understanding of each other. Bert failed to survive another night without an exemption and was the next to be executed. The pot is now at 602/1240 points and the missions are few. Can the group make use of their last few chances to make money or will the Mole prevail?

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Breandan: "I am in shock. I suspected everyone except Francisca but Bert was my main suspect only for him to be executed in front of my eyes. How could he not be the Mole? Things really aren't as they seem here."

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Virginia: "I have finally ascended."

Virginia: "Only two prizes remain. I have no need for a clue but the quiz questions intrigue me greatly."

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Virginia: "It seems I am late to the pool, yet thankfully, there are still intriguing prizes left unclaimed. The quiz questions mostly revisit old ones—useful for revision and deduction. However, a few unfamiliar questions stand out, likely hinting at future quizzes."

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Maru: "We were awoken in the middle of the night and brought to an escape room. I'm not sure I wanted to do an escape room while sleep-deprived."

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The contestants are visiting Escape Studios. They have to complete one escape room. Only if everyone escapes in 140 minutes will they earn 140 points for the pot.

Francisca: "I always wanted to try an escape room but my parents said it was too dangerous and unbecoming of a lady."

Virginia: "I am saddened but unsurprised."

Maru: "The Never-Ending Nightmare. Sounds like our room."

Breandan: "I'm not afraid of anything. I'll go first."

Maru: "Not if I go first."

Maru: "Where did this fire come from?"

Maru: "Now I'm awake! Now I'm awake! Woo-wa!"

Maru: "HELP ME!"

Francisca: "What in the world?"

Breandan: "I found a fire extinguisher!"

Maru: "It didn't work. I guess I'll die."

Breandan: "How could I have fallen into such an obvious trap?"

Virginia: "Shall we stay outside?"

Francisca: "I think we all have to go in."

Maru: "Whew! I'm smoking! And I got new glasses and hair too!"

Maru: "Are you that tired?"

Francisca: "It's safe now. Just be careful of the booby-trap by the entrance."

Virginia: "We may seek a clue. The cost is we earn 10 points fewer."

Breandan: "This says KAJ. It is some alien language."

Maru: "Going through!"

Breandan: "Follow my lead and be careful."

Virginia: "There is a silver ingot."

Breandan: "I will not loot."

Virginia: "This is an escape room; the point is to take everything."

Breandan: "That foot panel just appeared from nowhere!"

Maru: "Is there something hidden within the walls?"

Maru: "I hope I didn't break something."

Virginia: "I see another panel appear. And another one."

Francisca: "Step on it! I'll go for the one at the end!"

Virginia: "It vanished beneath my feet!"

Breandan: "Those torches are strange."

Breandan: "This isn't a normal torch."

Maru: "I heard the ground move."

Maru: "Ack!"

Francisca: "Maru! Are you okay?"

Breandan: "He'll be fine. Those are tranquiliser darts. I turned on the light here but I'm not sure what the purpose is."

Virginia: "It has reappeared. I sense a pattern."

Francisca: "We need to observe the pattern."

Breandan: "I recognise these holes. They can disarm traps or act as switches."

Maru: "Found a star shaped gem."

Breandan: "I still don't see the pattern. It's moving very quickly."

Virginia: "Does the moon dial have answers?"

Maru: "Not sure what the pattern is too. It seems random."

Virginia: "There is nothing of use here."

Breandan: "We are wasting time."

Virginia: "Let's observe for a while more."

Maru: "I'm just stepping on it."

Breandan: "Me as well."

Breandan: "Is everyone on a foot panel? Answer with your name."

Maru: "Maru yes."

Francisca: "Francisca yes."

Virginia: "Virginia yes."

Francisca: "So what happens now?"

Virginia: "Oh apologies. I need to exert more force."

Francisca: "A click! I think the doors unlocked."

Francisca: "This is very different."

Breandan: "This is just full of insects."

Virginia: "Francisca, why did you lock the door?"

Francisca: "I didn't! I can't unlock it either!"

Breandan: "Try the torch!"

Virginia: "This one?"

Francisca: "It's still locked! It appears I need a skull cut gem to unlock it."

Francisca: "Would it be asking for too much if it's just hiding in these chests?"

Francisca: "Bad idea."

Breandan: "There is a void here. I shall be the one to brave it."

Virginia: "Perhaps there is another way through this door."

Virginia: "AAH!"

Virginia: "Is this an escape room or a haunted house?"

Maru: "All the doors are locked. Do I step on the foot panels again? I can't be at four places at once."

Virginia: "This room holds the tale of the man who lost his child, and now traps anyone he can to be his child forever. Has he no heart?...where is his heart?"

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Breandan: "Another pedestal. If I use this, I lose 10 more points from the total winnings."

Breandan: "Two foot panels. I need someone else."

Breandan: "Where are the stairs? Nevermind, I'll do it myself."

Breandan: "That was unexpected. But let's see what's in the left door."

Breandan: "A row of foot panels. What if I just step on all of them?"

Breandan: "They keep resetting at the third activation."

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Virginia: "There is a scrawling on the spine: AOK."

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Francisca: "How do I get past these traps?"

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Maru: "Now to run to the next panel."

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Breandan: "I am not using a clue. I can solve this myself. This clue will take 20 more points off the total winnings."

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Virginia: "There is no more information in the books. I have to climb up the ladder. What poor design."

Virginia: "This is so strange."

Virginia: "A guarded chest. That must be my goal."

Virginia: "I shall use a clue, even if we may earn 20 points fewer. 'Your outfit really COMPLEMENTS your eyes'? That seems useless."

Virginia: "It appears I have to push the statues to their coloured plates."

Virginia: "This...was designed...for a man...."

Virginia: "I have not eaten much since dinner. I do not have the energy."

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Maru: "I don't know what else I can do."

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Breandan: "Yes!"

Breandan: "Another room."

Breandan: "Why is there a mirror and a destroyed trap?"

Breandan: "I don't know how long I'll be in here, so I might as well keep fit. If I'm strong enough I could break through the walls."

Breandan: "I must exercise then. Piece of cake."

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Francisca: "There is a torch here. That's odd. Could it have something to do with the torches outside?"

Francisca: "Is anyone outside?"

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Francisca: "Once again Maru cleverly found his way into the key position. As the only one left in the main room, he was the coordinator and the key to helping us escape. Instead, he was napping!"

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Virginia: "This...is...torture..."

Virginia: "My nails!"

Virginia: "Aah!"

Virginia: "AAH!"

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Breandan: "There must be something beneath this pile."

Breandan: "Oh, I'm sorry for disturbing you."

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Virginia: "I was exhausted—tired, hungry, and covered in the scent of harsh labour meant for a man. The setting only deepened my despair, stirring memories of a childhood I wished to forget. Then, a tranquilizer dart nearly struck me. That was the breaking point. My composure shattered, and with it, the last thread of my resolve."

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Virginia: "Ruined—utterly, irrevocably ruined! My name, once carried on whispers of admiration, now drips with scandal, my past wrenched from the shadows and flayed open for all to see. They know what happened to me as a young girl, and worse yet, they know who did it, who stole  from me what I can never reclaim. I am unworthy of Rita's love. No longer am I a woman of standing but a spectacle, an aberration, a creature to be pitied or scorned. Mad, they will call me, mad for loving a woman, mad for daring to exist beyond the confines of their world, and perhaps they are right—for what remains for me now but disgrace, but shame?  If only the heavens would strike me down, if only the earth would swallow me whole, for I have no strength left to fight, no will left to endure. Let me vanish, forgotten, as if I had never loved at all."

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Breandan: "A spirit."

Breandan: "May you guide the way like an aurora."

Breandan: "What now? It vanished into the ceiling."

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Francisca: "Maybe if I hop over the chests, I can bypass the trap."

Francisca: "Aah! Who are you?"

Mirror: "Finally. Let me introduce myself. I am a scientist. My lover Bonehilda banished me to this mirror because I upset her. If I gift her a skull, she might finally set me free. Help me."

Mirror: "Take this key."

Bonehilda: "Brrmwww."

Francisca: "Aah!"

Francisca: "Are you Bonehilda? Are you real?"

Bonehilda: "Mgrhucsdvusvnvj."

Francisca: "I don't understand you."

Francisca: "Maybe if I try one of these machines I might be able to understand you."

Francisca: "Woahh...."

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Breandan: "Hmm, if I break through the wall..."

Breandan: "Aha!"

Breandan: "But this is an empty room."

Breandan: "The wall closed behind me. I'm trapped!"

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Virginia: "Hm?"

Virginia: "A music box, like one of the past."

Virginia: "This soothes me."

Virginia: "No! Let them talk, let them sneer, let them choke on their own narrow-minded whispers—I will not bow, I will not break! The world has torn my secrets from me, but it has not taken my love, and it never will. Love, pure and defiant, is a gift, not a curse, and I will shine it like a light, unyielding, unashamed. No more shadows, no more hiding—I will stand in the light, and if they wish to see me burn, then let me be fire itself! I will not rot in this wretched place of regret and fear. My past is carved into me, but my future is mine to claim, and Rita—Rita is my tomorrow."

Virginia: "I must persevere...is Mr. Mango sleeping?"

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Francisca: "To make a skull cut gem, I need 5 gems of different cuts. But I'm locked in. How will I get more gems?"

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Virginia: "I don't understand. Did I not solve the puzzle correctly?"

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"Time is up. You will now be released."

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"Contestants, the room was a never-ending nightmare for you, being unable to escape and all. This mission required teamwork and a clear mind, and unfortunately you failed to escape, adding nothing to the pot. You may now go back home to rest."

A night in an escape room proved fruitless as the pot stayed at 602/1380 points. Will the finale be coming soon or will we see another shadow emerge?