The roar that echoed through the tunnel was unlike anything they had heard before. It wasn’t just loud; it felt alive, vibrating through the walls and into their bones. Ethan glanced at the others, each of them frozen with the same unspoken thought: something far worse was coming.“We need to move,” Mara said, wiping blood from a cut on her forehead. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed the tension she felt.Ethan nodded. “We can’t stay here. If the System knows we destroyed the obelisk, it won’t stop until it retaliates.”Trent adjusted his equipment, his fingers fumbling slightly. “The energy readings… they’re surging. Whatever’s coming, it’s massive.”Ezra raised his staff, the faint glow casting shadows on the walls. “We need to get out of this tunnel and regroup. Fighting in here is a death sentence.”“Then let’s go,” Lila said, taking point. She glanced at Ethan, her determination mirroring his own. “We’ve made it this far. We’re not stopping now.”The group moved quickly

The rubble of the collapsed cavern still smoked, the forest unnaturally quiet as if holding its breath. Lila knelt before the ruined entrance, her fists clenched in the dirt, tears streaking her face. Mara and Trent stood behind her, their expressions somber. The silence weighed heavily, but no one dared speak.Finally, Lila rose to her feet, her face set with determination. “We’re not leaving him,” she said firmly.“Lila,” Mara started, her voice gentle yet firm, “Ethan made his choice to save us. He knew the risks.”Lila spun around, her voice sharp. “You think I care about the risks? He’s in there, alive or not. We owe it to him to try.”Trent sighed, clutching his injured arm. “Even if we could find a way in, the Core’s energy is unstable. It could collapse completely and take us with it.”Lila didn’t waver. “Then we find another way. We don’t stop until we do.”As the group stood in tense silence, a low hum filled the air. They turned toward the sound, and through the trees emerg

The camp buzzed with quiet energy as the new allies prepared for the battle ahead. Fires flickered in makeshift barrels, casting long shadows on the weathered faces of the resistance fighters. Ethan sat at a wooden bench near the edge of the camp, his gaze fixed on the maps Galen had shared. Lila approached silently, her steps light, but he sensed her before she spoke.“You’ve been staring at that map for hours,” she said, sitting beside him. Her voice was soft, but there was a hint of worry behind it.Ethan sighed and leaned back, rubbing his temples. “Just trying to piece it all together. Every time we think we’re ahead of the System, it throws something new at us.”Lila glanced at the camp around them. “At least we have allies now. It’s better than running blind.”“Maybe,” Ethan muttered, his tone guarded. “But how much can we trust them? Galen seems solid, but we’ve been burned before.”Lila looked at him, her eyes searching. “We’ve survived this far because we trust each other. T

The group pressed deeper into the forest, their breaths shallow and labored. The night felt colder now, the air heavy with the smell of smoke and sweat. Ethan led the way, his weapon ready and his senses sharp. They had escaped the drones, but the silence that followed felt more dangerous than the battle itself.“We can’t keep running like this,” Mara said, her voice low but firm. She walked beside Ethan, her blade still stained with the remnants of their last fight. “The System will keep hunting us until we have nowhere left to go.”Ethan didn’t respond immediately. He glanced back at the others, their faces pale and tired. Lila was close behind him, her expression unreadable but her body tense. Galen and Trent helped the injured, their movements slow and deliberate. Every step felt heavier than the last.“We need to find shelter,” Ethan said finally. “Somewhere we can regroup and plan.”“There’s a cave system about two miles from here,” Galen offered. “It’s hidden, and the System’s

The red lights continued to flash, painting the server room in shades of crimson. The alarm’s blaring pierced through the air, but Ethan’s focus remained locked on the EMP generator. Its hum grew louder as it prepared to unleash the pulse that would cripple the System’s surveillance network. The guards’ shouts mixed with the sharp crackle of gunfire as chaos erupted around them.Lila ducked behind a terminal, firing back at the advancing guards. “We don’t have much time, Ethan!” she shouted over the commotion.“I know!” Ethan yelled, his hands working frantically to secure the generator. The countdown on its small screen read 00:45. Forty-five seconds until it would unleash a powerful electromagnetic pulse.Mara and Trent had taken cover on either side of the room, engaging the guards in a fierce firefight. Mara’s precision shots took down two guards, but more kept pouring into the room, their numbers overwhelming.“We’re pinned down!” Trent shouted, reloading his weapon. “This isn’t