Ethan, Aria, and Leander huddled together, enduring a bone-chilling night in the desert. Despite the harsh conditions, Ethan found this more tolerable than the sterile sleep pods back in Omega Fortress.

In the cold darkness, Aria spoke to Ethan, who was still awake.

"Ethan, I can't believe we actually escaped, and the world didn't end after all," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of joy. Ethan listened, feeling the desert wind and the starry sky stretching out above them. The three of them drifted in and out of sleep.

At dawn, Ethan woke to see the sun rising, bathing everything in golden light. It was a sight he had never seen in Omega Fortress. He tilted his face up, savoring the warmth, then turned to Aria, still asleep. Gently, he draped his coat over her.

Leander, observing from nearby, was collecting more cactus. He glanced at Ethan's actions, his expression revealing a hint of possessiveness. Ethan noticed.

"This guy must be interested in Aria," Ethan mused with a curious expression.

As the sun climbed higher, the temperature began to rise rapidly. Ethan knew the intense heat was coming, so he gently woke Aria.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Ethan patted her awake.

"I'm better, Ethan. What time is it?" Aria asked, her mind still groggy from the heat.

Ethan checked his watch. Since entering the desert, the watch had become unreliable. "Honestly, I can't tell. The place is affecting its accuracy. The hands barely move."

Aria, hearing this, realized they were still in danger. She quickly ate some cactus flesh to replenish her fluids. They packed as much as they could into their pockets and returned to the makeshift sled, waiting for the desert wind.

Soon, the familiar hot wind began to blow, growing stronger. The makeshift sail caught the wind, and they began moving across the sand. The wing fragments sliced through the dunes as they sailed forward.

After traveling some distance, Aria heard an unusual noise and looked up at the sky—airplanes!

"It's a plane, look!" The three of them turned their eyes skyward.

A massive roar filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. Ethan squinted against the sun and sand. "It's a helicopter. It's coming straight for us!" Ethan shouted.

He pulled hard on the makeshift sail, trying to speed up, but the helicopter was closing in quickly. "I see it—it's Butter!" Leander shouted from behind.

The helicopter circled overhead, its blades stirring up a violent sandstorm. Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked their makeshift sled as a bomb fell from the helicopter and hit the wing. Ethan, Aria, and Leander were thrown to the ground, sand flying everywhere.

"Are you okay, Aria?" Ethan shouted as he scrambled to help her up. Leander emerged, covered in sand, his once handsome face now streaked with grit, spitting out sand.

"We need to find cover quickly! The helicopter is coming back!" he urged.

The bombardment continued, and Ethan scanned the surroundings for cover. His eyes fell on a small sand dune not far off.

"Over there! It looks sturdy enough to hide behind. Let's go!" he shouted.

The three of them sprinted toward the dune, evading the relentless attack of the helicopter.

"There’s a cave here, small but it could work," Ethan said, as he reached the front and half of his body slipped into the cave.

He barely made it inside before another explosion shook the ground. Aria and Leander followed, and the cave's darkness nearly swallowed them whole.

"It's so dark in here, Ethan. I can't see anything," Aria said, feeling along the cave walls like a blind person.

The cave smelled of mildew. Ethan tossed a few flashlights he found in the ventilation ducts left by William and the others.

"Looks like these are useful after all," Ethan said with a grin.

Leander's eyes lit up. "This is an abandoned armory!" he exclaimed, hope evident in his voice.

Ahead, various machinery was covered in tattered black cloths. Ethan approached and pulled off the cloth to reveal a tank cannon.

"This is a tank cannon," he said, examining it to see if it was still operational.

Butler’s men clearly had no intention of letting them off easily. The helicopter continued to hover outside.

"It seems Butler won’t stop until we’re dead," Ethan muttered. "Guys, help me get this out."

They climbed into the tank, which was covered in buttons whose functions were completely unknown. Ethan spotted a large red button inside.

"This should be it; it's the only one that looks different," he said, pressing it.

In an instant, the tank roared to life, surprisingly functional!

Ethan continued to maneuver the controls, directing the tank toward the cave entrance. Aria, meanwhile, had found a stash of round ammunition in the storage room, which looked like it could fit into the tank cannon.

She handed the rounds to Ethan, who saw the loading port above and began to load them. He then scrutinized the array of buttons, trying to figure out which one was for firing.

"Fire, which one is for firing? Let’s get it right or we’ll end up as a sieve," Ethan muttered to himself.

Leander squeezed in and pressed the rightmost gray-black button on the middle row.

"Hey, hey, hey, don’t mess around. God help us," Ethan said, covering his ears and hoping they wouldn’t be turned into a sieve.

"Let’s hope this works," Leander said as he loaded the cannon with the rounds and pressed the firing lever. Nothing happened initially. They waited in anticipation, but it was silent.

"It must be the old ammo," Leander suggested. "We need to try again."

"Wait a minute, how do you know it’s the ammo that’s old and not a wrong button press?" Ethan asked, his suspicion growing.

"I’ve been here before and used tank ammo," Leander replied, not elaborating further.

"You’ve been here? Who are you exactly?" Ethan’s face tightened with concern over Leander’s mysterious knowledge.

"I mean, in a game. I played a game where I navigated through a place like this," Leander explained, sensing Ethan's doubt but continuing without further details.

Ethan remained unconvinced but knew their immediate priority was to fend off the helicopter’s attack. He suppressed his skepticism and continued.

They searched the armory for more ammunition, finding several additional rounds. Ethan used a lighter to dry the damp rounds, placing them at a safe distance from a small fire he had started.

"Be careful, Ethan, don’t accidentally throw the ammo into the fire," Aria quipped.

After five minutes, Ethan reloaded the dried rounds into the cannon. When he pressed the firing button again, the cannon roared to life, sending the projectile soaring through the air. It struck the helicopter, causing it to lose control and crash in the desert, eventually exploding.

"We did it!" Aria yelled, her voice echoing in the cave.

Ethan smiled in relief and excitement. "We’re not safe yet, but one threat is gone."

They retreated back into the cave, remaining vigilant for any further attacks. "This place might be more useful than we thought," Ethan said, surveying the armory’s contents. "We need to gather anything that can help us survive and continue our journey."

Aria nodded, still reeling from the recent events. They began to realize the grim reality—they were fugitives in a hostile world.

They settled down, sorting their supplies and tending to their wounds. The small fire they had managed to light cast flickering shadows on the cave walls, reminding them of the dangers they faced and the flicker of hope they still held.

"We need to stay strong," Aria said quietly, her voice carrying a calm resolve. "For each other."

Ethan nodded. His previously carefree and nonchalant demeanor had become fragile. He understood that even the smallest mistake could cost the lives of his companions. This was about survival, freedom, and escape. For the first time, Ethan truly felt the weight of responsibility.

Aria rummaged through the back storage room, finding some expired food and trying a can of ham, only to discover it had gone bad.

"Ugh, this is awful, these things are useless," she said, discarding the contents.

She then opened a dusty, old bag containing compressed biscuits.

"These biscuits might still be edible. Try them," she said, handing them to Ethan and Leander.

Just as they were about to relax and eat, the roar of another helicopter filled the cave.

"It looks like Omega Fortress has sent more helicopters to hunt us down…"