There was something different about the air below the ADP classrooms that evening. Colder, heavier, almost electric. On October 29th, the usual hum of lectures and chatter was replaced by suspenseful music, echoing laughter, and the shuffle of cloaked figures moving in the dark. Peer Counselling Buddies (PCB) and Cyber Circuit (CC) Club had transformed the underground classrooms into the twisted world of Alice in Borderland for their Halloween event, Gathering of The Veil.

Masks, vampire cloaks, and dim candlelight set the tone for the night. Even before the games began, it was hard to tell who was a host, who was a player, and who might secretly be part of the “cult.” Participants arrived in pairs, some planned and some accidental, forming what the hosts called “double trouble.” For those who came alone, the organisers quickly paired them up with strangers, turning awkward smiles into nervous laughter. Before long, everyone was thrown into the same fate: survive the games or lose their senses.

Each classroom represented one of the four suits from Alice in Borderland, each testing a different skill.

♠ Spades challenged physical endurance. One room required players to navigate a pitch-black maze while balancing a “grimoire” in their hands. The faint glow of phone flashlights and muffled giggles were the only clues of where others might be.

 ♥ Hearts tested communication and emotion, like the game where partners had to recite tongue twisters to each other without breaking character.

 ♦ Diamonds demanded logic and wit, from poker math puzzles that had to total nine to cryptic code-breaking challenges that left players scratching their heads.

 ♣ Clubs focused on teamwork, such as a leg-tied race that had pairs hopping together across the hall, laughing as they tried not to fall.

The games had a twist. Losing didn’t just mean defeat; it meant losing a “sense” or a “limb.” One player might be blindfolded, another forbidden to speak, while others had to hop on one leg. To regain their abilities, participants took on silly dares: acting possessed by a demon, giving an overly dramatic weather forecast, explaining how to eat spaghetti as if it were a lecture, or strutting down an imaginary runway like a possessed model.

The result was pure, delightful chaos. The underground rooms rang with laughter, confusion, and camaraderie.

By the end of the night, the games had softened into conversation. Tired voices mingled with laughter as players congratulated each other and exchanged Instagram handles. I met new friends that night, too. We might not talk again after the event, but for a few hours, we were allies in the same strange world, escaping rooms, solving riddles, and laughing under our masks.

That was what made Gathering of the Veil more than just a Halloween party. Beneath the jump scares and puzzles, it was a space to connect, even briefly, through shared laughter and uncertainty. Sometimes, connection doesn’t come from deep conversations. It happens in the middle of chaos, under flickering lights, when you’re laughing with someone you just met about failing a tongue twister challenge.

Throughout the night, Peer Counselling Buddies (PCB) and Cyber Circuit (CC) Club worked side by side to make the experience both immersive and meaningful. PCB brought warmth and care into the eerie atmosphere, reminding participants that connection and comfort can appear even in unexpected forms. CCC built the technical and creative foundation of the games, designing puzzles and escape challenges that made the Alice in Borderland theme come alive.

As the final game ended, the tension eased. The organisers rolled out boxes of pizza and bottles of iced lemon tea, and the once-frenzied basement turned into a cosy afterparty. Players sat in circles, still wearing half their masks, chatting over slices and laughing about the ridiculous dares they had just survived. It was the perfect ending — a moment of warmth after the madness, a reminder that even in the darkest rooms, connection can glow bright.

Together, PCB and CCC didn’t just host a Halloween event. They built a space where fear met friendship, and everyone left the basement a little lighter than when they entered.

Follow their journeys (and maybe join their next adventure): 

Peer Counselling Buddies (PCB) @pcb.taylors 

Cyber Circuit (CC) Club @c.c_adp