Zhang Wei stepped out of the tunnel, his breath fogging in the cold air. He wiped the grime from his face, squinting at the dim light filtering through the thick canopy of trees. The rain had already started falling in soft, rhythmic taps against the leaves, but the world outside was far from calm.The distant rumble of bombs echoed, a low thunder reverberating through the air. Zhang could hear the terrifying roars of monsters, their cries blending with the chaos of war and destruction happening just beyond the forest. He gripped the handle of the shears tightly in his hand, knuckles white from the tension."Just keep moving, Zhang... just keep moving," he muttered under his breath, eyes darting from side to side, scanning the dense forest. The sky was a heavy blanket of gray clouds, threatening to break open with more than just rain. "You can't stop here... gotta make it through this."His footsteps were quiet, swallowed by the damp earth beneath him, but the world around him was filled with noise. The constant, distant thud of bombs being dropped shook the ground lightly beneath his feet. The guttural screams of monsters pierced the air, sending shivers down his spine. It was a battlefield in every sense, and Zhang knew he was only a small, fragile piece in the middle of it.Every now and then, his head would jerk toward a sound—a far-off crash, or the distinct wail of someone in the distance. His heart raced as he glanced toward the sky, toward the smoke rising from the direction of the city. He could imagine the buildings collapsing, cars being tossed aside like toys. A fresh wave of fear settled in his gut."Gotta stay low," he whispered, crouching slightly as he moved through the undergrowth. His clothes were damp, clinging to his body, and every breath he took felt heavy with the wet air. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the small flashlight, flicking it on and off to check its battery. "This'll be all I've got... don't waste it, Zhang."The sound of collapsing buildings in the distance was like a monstrous growl, followed by the crack of bombs detonating. Each explosion rattled his bones. He winced with every echo, but he pressed forward, stepping carefully through the thicket of trees.Then, a distant but distinct scream ripped through the air—a human scream. Zhang stopped in his tracks, his breath caught in his throat. He knew that sound too well. It was the kind of scream you heard when someone knew their life was about to end. His jaw tightened, his hands clenching the shears."They... they didn't make it," he muttered to himself, trying to push away the image forming in his mind. "Had to have been someone else... not them. Not my team." He swallowed hard, his throat dry despite the rain trickling down his neck. The memories of the past came rushing back—his squad, his friends, the camaraderie they shared before all of this madness.He kept moving, but his mind was racing, haunted by thoughts of those screams. Every step felt heavier, his boots sinking into the wet earth as he trudged forward. The trees ahead swayed ominously, and as he approached, he heard something strange—metal creaking.Zhang froze, glancing up, his heart thudding in his chest. Hanging precariously in the twisted branches of the trees were cars. Rusted, battered vehicles, dangling like broken ornaments. One of them creaked, its frame groaning under the strain of the wind.A sudden snap of a branch above made Zhang leap backward, just as one of the cars dropped from its perch. It slammed into the ground with a deafening crash, sending mud and debris flying in all directions. Zhang fell back, his body instinctively hitting the ground. His breath was shallow, heart hammering in his chest. He stared at the car that had fallen mere feet away from him, the force of the impact rattling him."What the hell is this place?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the constant pounding in his ears. "It's like the world's lost its mind." He pushed himself up, wiping the mud from his face. His hands trembled slightly, but he forced himself to stand. There was no time to rest. He had to keep moving.The wind picked up, and with it came the smell—burning, decay, the scent of destruction lingering in the air. Zhang took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. The rain was now falling steadily, soaking him through, but he barely felt it. His focus was entirely on surviving—on following the clues left by his comrades and hoping to find a way out of this madness.He looked up once more at the hanging cars, at the twisted metal and the devastation all around him. The distant skyline of the city was barely visible through the haze of smoke and rain. It was crumbling, just like the world he had once known.Zhang gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the shears. "There's gotta be a way out of this," he muttered. "There's gotta be a way."With a final glance toward the destruction behind him, he turned and continued deeper into the forest, each step taking him further away from the collapsing world he had once called home.The bombs kept falling, the monsters kept roaring, and Zhang Wei kept moving forward, determined to survive—no matter what.