In the days before the Great Cataclysm, Terras basked in the glow of a Golden Age. It was a time when cities gleamed like jewels, when technology advanced by leaps and bounds and prosperity seemed boundless.The global community sang songs of progress, interconnected in ways that promised a future bright and boundless.But beneath the shimmering facade, tensions simmered like a pot left unattended. Resources began to dwindle.Economies strained under the weight of insatiable demand. Geopolitical alliances and rivalries turned increasingly fragile as nations vied for dominance in an ever-shrinking world.Then came the spark that would ignite the world.In the heart of Arkanis, the jewel of Terras, terror struck. A devastating terrorist attack leveled the capital, leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair.Chaos reigned, Cries of survivors echoing through the once-proud streets. Blame, swift and savage, pointed fingers at neighboring Valtoria, accused of orchestrating the heinous act.Diplomatic efforts faltered under the weight of grief and suspicion. Talks of peace gave way to demands for justice and retribution.Arkanis, wounded and furious, rallied its allies. In a thunderous chorus of war drums and battle cries, they launched a retaliatory invasion of Valtoria, plunging Terras into a brutal and unforgiving war.The conflict escalated swiftly.Nations caught in the maelstrom of pride and paranoia, then they were drawn into the fray. What began as a localized dispute soon engulfed the world in a storm of fire and steel.Cities crumbled under relentless bombardment. The sky darkened with smoke and sorrow, and the earth trembled beneath the weight of relentless warfare.Desperation knows no bounds. In their quest for victory, leaders gambled with the ultimate price: the lives of countless people.Nuclear arsenals were unleashed upon unsuspecting cities. Biochemical weapons, born from the darkest recesses of human ingenuity, poisoned the land and skies, leaving behind devastation that defied comprehension.Millions died in the blink of an eye.Survivors emerged from the ashes, their bodies scarred by radiation, their spirits broken by loss. Mutations, both horrific and miraculous, became a haunting legacy of the cataclysmic conflict.In the shattered remnants of a once-great civilization, humanity struggled to rebuild amidst the ruins, haunted by the memories of a war that reshaped the very fabric of their existence.And so, Terras stood on the brink of annihilation, its Golden Age reduced to ashes, its future uncertain and fraught with peril.---Fifty years has passed since that moment.In the midst of a desolate wasteland, where crumbling skyscrapers loomed like the jagged teeth of a forgotten giant, Daniel ran.His boots kicked up dust that mingled with the acrid scent of decay, his breath coming in ragged gasps beneath the torn vest armor clinging to his sweat-soaked frame. The indicator on his wrist blinked urgently, a digital pulse warning of rising radiation levels.A metallic tang of fear coated Daniel's tongue as he glanced down at the indicator. The readings were climbing faster than he could outrun them.Panic clawed at his chest, threatening to choke him with each labored step. He knew what prolonged exposure meant—slow, agonizing death. His thoughts raced like the flicker of distant fires against the horizon."Hosh... Hosh... Hosh..."His rifle, slung across his back, felt heavier with each stride. Only one magazine remained, its weight a cruel reminder of his dwindling chances. He'd scavenged it from a derelict armory days ago, the last of his supplies in this forsaken city.Sudden gusts of wind carried with them the hollow echoes of a world long past, whispering tales of a civilization shattered by hubris and war that happened long ago.Daniel pushed on, his mind a whirlwind of regrets and hopes. The city around him seemed to collapse in sympathy but offering no shelter from the impending storm of radiation.As his legs threatened to betray him, Daniel stumbled, catching himself against a crumbling wall."Shit! Shit! Shit!"His heart hammered against ribs bruised from too many close calls. With shaking hands he checked the indicator once more, willing the numbers to stabilize, to offer a shred of hope amidst the ruin.But hope, like so much else in this land, seemed a luxury beyond his reach.Daniel pushed forward, driven by a primal urge to survive against all odds. Behind him, the wasteland stretched endlessly, a canvas of ruin and despair.Finally, the filter on his mask finally sputtered and died, its last remnants of clean air dissipating into the toxic atmosphere. With trembling hands he ripped the useless thing from his face, exposing his lungs to the poisoned air he had desperately avoided.Fear gripped him as he imagined the invisible tendrils of radiation seeping into his body, a slow and merciless death awaiting him.He stumbled forward, legs heavy as lead, every muscle protesting against the onslaught of contamination. His vision blurred, the world spinning around him in a nauseating whirl.Just as he felt his strength failing, knees buckling beneath him, a distant rumble echoed through the desolation.A vehicle appeared. Its headlights pierced through the gloom, casting long shadows that danced across the shattered concrete.For a moment, Daniel dared not believe his luck, his mind struggling to comprehend the possibility of salvation in this forsaken place.The car screeched to a halt beside him, tires kicking up dust and debris. A figure emerged from within, obscured momentarily by the settling cloud.Through bleary eyes Daniel made out the silhouette of a woman clad in makeshift armor."Get in!" she shouted over the howl of the wind and her own mask.With the last vestiges of his strength, Daniel crawled toward the waiting refuge, his body trembling with relief and disbelief.He collapsed into the back seat, the worn upholstery offering a fleeting comfort he had almost forgotten.As the vehicle sped away, leaving behind the ruins and the specter of death that had pursued him relentlessly, Daniel allowed himself a moment of respite. The world outside blurred into streaks of muted colors.The woman handed Daniel a fresh mask with a grimy filter. He grasped it eagerly, pressing the cool plastic against his face as he drew in a cautious breath. The air, though tainted, felt like a gift compared to the poisoned breath he had taken moments before."Thank you," he managed to choke out, his voice hoarse with exhaustion and gratitude.Inside the car, a men sat with arms crossed and expressions hardened by years of survival in the wastelands. While the other one is driving the car.They regarded Daniel with a mix of suspicion and disdain, their eyes speaking volumes about their knowledge of his reputation—a mercenary known more for missteps than victories, more familiar with bandages than achivement.Daniel met their gaze with resignation, his shoulders sagging beneath the weight of their unspoken judgment. He had grown accustomed to people who saw him as a liability.His silence spoke volumes, a shield against the barbed whispers that followed him like shadows in the unforgiving light of day.As the car rumbled on through the shattered remnants of civilization Daniel sat in silence, his thoughts a tempest of introspection and weary resolve. Beside him, the woman looking at him with unreadable expression."What are you doing here alone?" the woman asked, her voice slightly muffled by the mask she was wearing."My group left me alone when we were attacked by a pack of mutated animals," Daniel replied.A snort came from the man driving. The other man in front of Daniel sighed and then said, "Why do you still want to do this job?""You know the answer," Daniel said. "I need money to eat.""Can't you find another job?""Nothing pays as well as this.""Is that so? From what I see, you're just looking for a quick way to die."Is that true? Well, Daniel couldn't really blame the man for his opinion. But strangely, every time death almost came—which was quite often—he still couldn't stay still and let it embrace him. As if his body kept wanting to stay alive and refused to obey his wishes. So he ran and lived until now.After that brief conversation, no one spoke again.Daniel leaned back in the worn seat of the car, the rhythmic hum of the engine lulling him into a state of uneasy calm.Through the cracked window, he watched the desolate wasteland unfold like a tapestry of ruin and despair. Skeletal remains of skyscrapers loomed like ancient sentinels against the bruised sky.As they approached the Great Divide, a hushed reverence fell over the occupants of the car.The bridge stretched out above the gaping chasm that split the land in half—a scar carved deep into the earth by forces of nuclear blast beyond reckoning.Below, the remnants of once thriving metropolis lay in disarray, swallowed by the relentless march of time and decay.Daniel's gaze lingered on the abyss, a yawning maw that seemed to echo with the whispers of death.Above the bridge, the sky hung heavy with the weight of impending storm clouds, casting a pall over the fractured landscape. Shadows danced along the edges of Daniel's vision.As they crossed over the Great Divide, Daniel felt a shiver ripple through his weary frame. Beyond the chasm the road stretched onward, a winding ribbon of asphalt leading them out of The Wasteland.---