Ethan adjusted his grip on the steering controls as the wind howled outside, rattling the reinforced body of the hover truck. The storm had grown fierce, with gusts that threatened to push the vehicle off course and thick clouds of sand that obscured everything beyond the windshield. The truck's stabilizers struggled to compensate, and every now and then, a warning light would flash as the vehicle shifted in the wrong direction.
"Storm intensity increasing by twenty percent. Visibility reduced to thirty meters," Iris informed, her voice cutting through the howling wind.
Ethan grunted, narrowing his eyes as he tried to peer through the swirling sand. His HUD outlined the faint silhouette of the mountain pass ahead, but the path was barely visible. The mountains loomed like dark, ominous shapes in the distance, and the narrow trail leading through them seemed perilously thin.
"Great," Ethan muttered. "Just what I needed, a natural disaster on top of bandits."
He had already managed to deal with the previous attack, taking out the small group of bandits who had ambushed him during the earlier part of the mission. Now, with the supplies still in tow, he had to make it to the next outpost, but the storm made it almost impossible to move quickly. He tapped a few commands into the dashboard, checking the map of the region again. The tunnel he'd spotted earlier was his best chance of getting through the mountains without getting buried in the sandstorm.
"Iris, calculate the most efficient route to the tunnel," Ethan ordered. "And give me a readout on the truck's status."
"The truck's shields are at seventy-eight percent capacity after the previous engagement. Structural integrity remains stable. Navigational systems show that the tunnel is approximately two kilometers away, though the path ahead may contain unstable ground and debris."
Ethan bit back another curse. The truck was holding up, but that wasn't the issue. The terrain ahead could easily become a death trap, and the truck was only designed for supply transport, not heavy combat or navigating extreme conditions like this for long stretches. He kept a steady hand on the wheel, slowing the vehicle slightly as the trail narrowed further.
Lightning crackled in the distance, briefly illuminating the jagged peaks of the mountains before being swallowed up by the swirling clouds of sand. For a moment, Ethan caught sight of the tunnel's entrance, a dark hole in the rock barely visible through the storm. He adjusted the truck's course, pushing through the gusts of wind with determination.
The vehicle lurched as it hit a rocky patch, and Ethan cursed as he fought to keep it steady. Rocks and debris littered the trail, and the wheels struggled to find traction in the sand and loose stones. Ethan felt the back of the truck skid slightly, but he corrected quickly, guiding the vehicle back onto the main path.
The storm was deafening now, the wind howling like a living thing, clawing at the sides of the truck as if it wanted to rip it apart. Ethan's hands were slick with sweat despite the cool air inside the cockpit, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the controls tightly.
"Iris, any sign of more hostiles?" Ethan asked, not willing to take any chances. The bandits he had encountered earlier had been persistent, and he doubted they were the only ones patrolling this part of Kynara.
"Scanners show no active hostiles within range," Iris replied. "However, interference from the storm is affecting long-range detection capabilities."
Ethan nodded grimly. That didn't mean he was safe, just that he couldn't see what might be out there. He kept his eyes on the path ahead, watching for any sign of movement as he neared the tunnel.
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, and for a brief moment, Ethan caught sight of something ahead, something moving. His heart skipped a beat as the outline of a figure appeared in the distance, standing in the middle of the path, directly in his way.
"Iris, what the hell is that?" Ethan barked, trying to get a better look as the truck pushed forward.
"Unknown life form detected," Iris responded. "One subject, humanoid in appearance, standing approximately fifty meters ahead. They are not moving."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. A figure, out here, in the middle of a storm like this? That was no coincidence. He slowed the truck as he approached, keeping his hand close to his sidearm. The figure remained motionless as the truck's lights illuminated them. Whoever they were, they were wrapped in a dark, tattered cloak, their face obscured by a hood pulled low against the wind.
"Identify yourself or get out of the way," Ethan called out through the external speaker, his voice cutting through the roar of the storm.
The figure didn't move.
Ethan glanced at the sensors again. No signs of additional hostiles, but the interference was too strong to rely on the scan alone. The stranger could be a scout, bait to lure him into an ambush, or perhaps they were just another unlucky soul caught in the storm. Either way, Ethan couldn't afford to be careless.
He killed the engine, the sudden silence almost jarring compared to the relentless noise outside. Grabbing his plasma pistol, Ethan opened the door, stepping out into the storm. The wind hit him like a wall, nearly knocking him off his feet as the sand whipped against his armor. He raised an arm to shield his face, squinting through the storm as he approached the figure cautiously.
"What are you doing out here?" Ethan called, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.
The figure remained silent.
Ethan took another step forward, his grip on the pistol tightening. He could feel the weight of the storm pressing down on him, the wind tearing at his clothes and the sand stinging his skin. Whoever this person was, they weren't here by accident.
Before he could speak again, the figure finally moved. Slowly, they lifted their head, and Ethan caught a glimpse of their face. Pale, gaunt, with hollow eyes that seemed to stare right through him. For a moment, Ethan felt a chill run down his spine, colder than the wind.
"You can't stay here," the stranger said, their voice barely a whisper, yet it carried through the storm with an eerie clarity. "The storm is just the beginning."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
The stranger didn't answer. Instead, they turned and walked away, disappearing into the storm as quickly as they had appeared. Ethan watched them go, unease gnawing at his gut. Something was wrong here, but he didn't have time to figure out what. The storm was getting worse, and the tunnel was his only way out.
He turned back to the truck, climbing inside and slamming the door shut. "Iris, let's move. I don't like this."
The truck rumbled to life, and Ethan pressed the accelerator, guiding it forward into the tunnel as the storm raged behind him.