For a moment, I couldn’t pull myself together after what I had experienced and seen. I was lying on the dead body of another Class D member, and the words of those people kept echoing in my head… as if death was just a procedure here. Something routine. Normal.

I couldn’t just lie there and wait for whatever came next. Something inside me stirred — maybe instinct, maybe a shred of dignity, or maybe just raw, primal panic. I decided: it’s now or never. Either I escape, or I end up like him.

I got up and moved toward the door. To my surprise, it was ajar. I peeked cautiously outside — the hallway was empty. No guards, no cameras in sight. Just the quiet hum of the ventilators and the flickering fluorescent lights reflecting off the metal walls.

I stepped out of the room and started walking. Slowly, carefully, trying to remember every turn, every junction. Everything in this place looked the same — like it was designed to make people get lost.

After several minutes of walking, I was stopped by a sound. Something between a hiss and a faint bubbling. It came from one of the open rooms. I stopped at the doorframe and peeked inside.

I froze.

Inside, a Class D member was strapped to a chair — I couldn’t see his number, but I recognized the prison uniform. In front of him stood a scientist. He was speaking in a calm voice while preparing long, transparent tubes. He connected them to the prisoner’s body, and within moments they began to fill with some dark liquid. I had no idea what it was, but the reaction was immediate.

The man strapped to the chair began to scream. At first horribly, like in pain, then his voice turned into rasping moans. He started choking, his screams becoming gurgles. His body twitched unnaturally, as if something inside him was moving. Suddenly, he raised his hand and… pointed in my direction.

I froze.

Without waiting a second longer, I ducked back behind the wall. My heart was pounding like crazy. I knew I had to run. Now.

I ran, not looking back. I passed more hallways, stairs, doors. And then, almost by accident, I noticed an open window. I rushed to it — quickly but cautiously — and looked outside. I wasn’t very high up — maybe the first floor. Below was hard ground, a few rocks, some sand. A desert.

(Alright, you only live once. Better to break a leg than die.)

Without thinking further, I jumped.

The fall was painful, but I survived without any broken bones. Just scrapes and bruised knees. I got up, dusted myself off, and started looking for a way out. The facility was surrounded by a tall metal fence — electrified. It didn’t look like anyone could get through it.

But after several minutes of wandering along the fence, I noticed something — a small tear in the mesh, barely visible from afar. Someone had tried to escape before. Maybe they even made it.

I hesitated for just a second. Then I slipped through the hole, leaving behind everything I knew. The facility, the people, the number D-4347. Everything.

And in front of me was… the desert.

I was free. But the danger was far from over.

[Several hours later]

The sun was merciless. I walked on, aimlessly, just trying to get away. My skin burned from the sun, my lips were cracked, and every step felt heavier than the last. I didn’t know where I was going, but one thing was certain — I couldn’t stop.

And then I saw it.

An old, abandoned house. It stood alone, buried in sand, like the world had forgotten it. At first glance it looked like a ruin, but as I got closer, I saw that the structure was surprisingly solid. The door creaked as I opened it.

Inside, it was cool and dim. Dust hung in the air, and the furniture was covered with a thin layer of grime. But there was a roof over my head. Shade. Shelter.

I sat down in the corner, leaning against the wall, and for a long time I just breathed. Quietly. Calmly. Finally… alone.