The rain stopped. The mud was thick. Kade, Jax, Daniel and Elena stood at the edge of the ruined gate. The sky was grey, but the air felt a little warmer.“Okay,” Kade said. “We keep moving.”“Where to?” Daniel asked, wiping mud from his face.“North,” Jax replied. “The map says there is a river there. Water is life.”Elena nodded. “I can boil water. I know how to disinfect it .”Kade looked at the map on his wrist. The screen flickered.“The map shows a small hill,” he said. “If we climb it, we can see the whole zone.”“Good,” Jax said. “Maybe we spot the exit.”They started to walk. The ground was soft, each step sank a little.“Watch your step,” Kade warned. “Don’t slip into a sinkhole.”“I’m fine,” Daniel said, but his voice shook.Elena smiled weakly. “I’m scared,” she whispered.Kade heard the fear in her voice. He felt a pang in his chest . He wanted to protect them. But he also knew he had to stay sharp.“Stay close,” he said. “We need to stick together.”They reached the hill

The light faded.Kade opened his eyes to the cold metal floor. The desert heat was gone. Now sterile chill and buzzing fluorescent lights.He sat up slowly. Ribs screamed from the wyrm fight. Elena knelt beside him, checking his injuries."Nothing broken. Just badly bruised.""Doesn't feel that way."Jax and Daniel stood nearby. They were in a massive corridor. White walls. Steel doors. The chemical smell is thick in the air.[ZONE 2: THE FACILITY][OBJECTIVE: ESCAPE WITHIN 72 HOURS][PLAYERS REMAINING: 61/100]A speaker crackled. The robotic voice returned."WELCOME TO ZONE 2. THIS FACILITY TESTS INTELLIGENCE, NOT JUST STRENGTH. FIND THE EXIT. AVOID THE HAZARDS. TIME STARTS NOW."Silence."What kind of facility?" Daniel asked nervously."The kind that kills people." Kade stood, testing his weight."Great. Just great."They moved down the corridor. Identical doors on both sides. Some are open. Some are sealed. Lights flickered constantly.Jax checked the first room. "Lab. Equipment de