Byrne successfully ditched his tail by using the collapsing wall as a screen. However, out of caution, he took several extra turns and loops through different intersections. Only after confirming he had completely shaken the pursuer did he head toward the Dolphin Hotel.
Fifteen minutes later, Byrne's car pulled up at the hotel entrance. After getting out, he surveyed the surroundings. Finding nothing unusual, he stepped inside.
When the elevator let him out in front of Room 1408, he found the door already ajar—just like he had seen back at Vernon's apartment.
The door is cracked open again. Is there another corpse like Vernon's waiting inside?
Byrne's finger hovered in the air, hesitating to push the door. The superhuman perception granted by NZT-48 was still active; he didn't smell blood, nor did he hear any suspicious movement.
Since he had come this far, there was no turning back now. Taking a deep breath, Byrne pushed the door open and stepped inside.
He scanned the room to confirm it was empty, closed the door behind him, and walked straight to the single bed on the west side. Resting on the nightstand was a metal safe.
It was roughly the size of a microwave. Byrne tried to budge it, but it wouldn't move an inch—it seemed welded to the nightstand, which in turn was bolted to the floor. Looking down, he saw a line of text written in marker on the top of the safe:
[Simply enter the correct password and place the bag of NZT-48 inside the safe to return to reality.]
Byrne shifted his gaze to the front of the safe, where an electronic keypad was embedded in the door.
An eight-digit code...
His brain, overclocked by NZT-48, began spinning rapidly.
Eddie Morra's birthday?
The film's release date?
The block and apartment number of Vernon's place?
Byrne went through several sets of numbers, but none of them worked. He looked back at the top of the safe, "chewing" over the words again, specifically the code name: NZT-48.
Could the answer be hidden right in the name?
After all, every bizarre experience Byrne had faced lately was tied to NZT-48. If one had to choose an object as the catalyst for escaping this virtual world, it would undoubtedly be that.
But wait—the password required eight digits. The code had numbers, but only two; he was six digits short.
...NZT... letters...
Wait, letters!
If he used the numerical order of the alphabet, N is 14, Z is 26, and T is 20. Those three letter-positions together formed exactly six digits.
Combined, the safe's password would be: 14262048.
As Byrne punched in the numbers, a satisfying click echoed. The safe unlocked.
Seeing the door swing open, Byrne let out a long breath. He pulled out the bag of NZT-48, but just as he was about to drop it in, he hesitated. Instinctive worry gnawed at him.
If I put it in, will I really leave? Or is this just another trap?
The journey here had been smooth. He'd encountered a tail, but shaking it had been almost too easy. He had reached the hotel, entered the room, and cracked the safe without a hitch. It was all a bit too convenient—eerie, even. Furthermore, the prompt only said to put the bag in; it didn't specify what happened next. Would he blink back to reality, or trigger a new plot twist not found in the movie?
Byrne stood before the safe, deep in thought for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and tossed the bag inside.
Fine. I'll bet on it.
He had come this far; there was no point in quitting halfway. He placed the drug bag inside and immediately pulled his hand back, staring at the safe with expectation.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
A full minute passed. The bag of NZT-48 lay there silently. The room remained unchanged.
That's it?
Byrne's face fell. He looked around, then back at the safe. Maybe it's because I didn't close the door?
He stepped forward and shut the safe door. The moment it clicked shut, the electronic screen flickered several times, as if transmitting a signal.
What happens now?
Tick, tick... BOOM!
The four corners of Room 1408 exploded simultaneously. Under the massive impact, the perimeter of the guest room was torn apart. The floor, losing its structural support, gave way instantly.
The change was too fast for Byrne to react. His vision went black, his feet hit empty air, and he plummeted down along with the collapsing floor.
The sensation of weightlessness lasted only a few seconds before vanishing. When he opened his eyes, he was back in Room 1408. Everything that had just happened felt like a hallucination.
Strange, how am I back?
The destruction from the blast was gone. Was it all in my head?
Just as the thought surfaced, he noticed the discrepancies. For one, the safe on the nightstand was gone, replaced by a simple lamp. More importantly, when Byrne looked down, he saw an IV line taped to his left wrist.
Turning his head, he saw an open suitcase on the floor by the bed. Inside was a spinning turntable machine—the other end of the IV line was plugged into it.
These differences made Byrne realize he wasn't back in the same 1408; he had arrived in a completely different room. A surge of joy replaced his shock. Did I succeed? Is this the real world?
Byrne ripped the IV line off and examined the machine on the floor. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed, though he couldn't quite place it.
As he was observing the machine, the door pushed open. Byrne looked up to see a strange young woman. "Who are you? Where am I?"
Seeing Byrne's tension, the woman waved her hands reassuringly. "Don't be nervous. My name is Ariadne. I'm a dream architect, and this is my home."
Ariadne saw Byrne's expression darken further and quickly explained:
"Mr. Byrne, don't misunderstand. This isn't a ransom situation or a kidnapping. You're my client; you came here to experience a different dream world. To ensure a deep, immersive experience, I used a potent sedative. It causes temporary amnesia, but it's fine. You're awake now. Once the drug wears off, you'll remember everything."
Dream architect... potent sedatives... IV lines... the machine in the suitcase...
As these concepts collided, Byrne finally realized why everything felt so familiar. He hadn't transmigrated into the world of Limitless. He was in the world of Inception, that movie adaptation of Paprika.