Ten days passed in silence.

  Ash didn’t waste a single moment. While the others grew comfortable, lulled by the safety of food and warmth, he kept his focus. He spent his time observing, listening, feeling the rhythm of the place — the hum of machinery, the quiet clicks of cameras turning, the distant sound of the guards’ footsteps. He never allowed himself to be lulled into the false sense of safety that had consumed the others.

  At night, when the lights dimmed and the others slept, Ash moved through the corridors. His footsteps were silent. His actions were quick and deliberate. He was becoming something else — something sharper, colder.

  The first thing he did was build his strength. Every morning, when the others were distracted with food or small talk, Ash worked his body. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Every muscle was tuned to survival. Every movement was purposeful.

  He took stock of what he had. A fork. A small piece of cloth. A few scraps of metal he’d found. Not much, but it was something. A small map in his mind of the layout. The food trays. The hidden places in the walls where wires ran. He didn’t trust any of it. Not yet.

  The others didn’t understand. Niko laughed at him. Zed played cards, oblivious to the danger. Reva, though — she noticed. She started bringing him small things, snacks when the others weren’t looking, her eyes following him whenever he went off alone.

  She started to ask questions, to linger around him more. Sometimes, she would sit quietly by his side. Ash could feel the warmth in her presence, but he couldn’t let it in. His heart was focused only on one thing: escape.

  Reva once asked, “Why do you keep yourself apart from the rest of us? You could… you could let us help.”

  Ash had answered coldly, “Help? No one can help me.” His voice was a whisper, heavy with conviction. “I don’t want anyone’s help. I need to survive. And I will. But not with anyone else’s pity.”

  Her face faltered, but she didn’t press him. She was starting to understand.

  ---

  Then came the day Ash knew he couldn’t stay much longer.

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  The escapees from before had gone west into the forest. The guards had let them go, expecting them to die. But Ash wasn't like them. He’d been watching, calculating. The forest was a maze. Too many things to hide behind, too many chances to be caught.

  His plan was different.

  That night, after everyone had eaten and fallen into the haze of comfort, Ash moved silently. He moved as if he had already planned every step. Quietly, he slipped out into the halls. His footsteps light, his heart beating steadily.

  He was heading south.

  The desert awaited him.

  The southern doors had always been a mystery. No one really talked about it. They were told never to go near that part of the facility. But Ash knew that it was his only chance. The heat, the sand, the dry winds — they were dangers, yes, but not the dangers he feared the most.

  He walked through the dark hallways, the cold air of the facility brushing against his face. Each step took him closer to his goal.

  Finally, after hours of moving through hidden doors and maintenance corridors, Ash reached the southern exit. The door was tall, steel, cold — the faint outline of light seeping through the cracks at the bottom.

  The exit.

  He knew the guards would be there soon. They would search the place. It wasn’t safe to stay here much longer.

  ---

  Ash took a deep breath, pushing the door open with all his strength.

  The desert lay ahead.

  A vast expanse of emptiness stretched before him, a hostile and unforgiving landscape. The wind whipped sand across his face. His eyes squinted against the glare of the distant horizon.

  And that’s when Ash felt it — the weight of the decision.

  No turning back now he wanted to take reva with him but he knew the dangers of the sand and didn't want her to get hurt bcz of him so he thought it would be better for her to stay here .

  He had been preparing for this. His body, his mind, his instincts. They were all tuned for this moment. But it wasn’t about the desert. It was about survival. It was about getting to his family.

  He moved forward.

  The desert was his new battleground