1:35 AM – The Air Ducts
Ethan Carter's arms hurt as he struggled through the tight metal vent, his body crying out to him to just quit. His fingers were slippery with sweat and blood—some of it from fresh cuts on his palms from crawling through the debris below, some from gripping the rusty metal edges too hard.
His mind was reeling.
That binder—kidnapped students listed, the reference to Phase Two—was now under his hoodie, tight against his chest.
He knew one thing for sure.
He had to escape.
And when he did, he was going to make sure Lena, Mason, Jayden, and others escaped as well.
But for now, he had to survive.
---
1:38 AM – The Search Party
Down below, the masked men were on the move.
Through the small openings of the air vent, Ethan saw them sweeping the corridors of the underground base, their boots pounding on the chilled floors.
"He's in the vents."
The voice was clipped, even, but tinged with irritation. Ethan recognized it—it was the Masked Leader.
"Lock all doors. If he escapes, we're in trouble."
Ethan's stomach twisted.
The leader was not just angry.
They were afraid.
Which meant he couldn't afford to get caught.
He crept on, inch by inch, trying not to breathe.
Then—
A voice right beneath him.
"Check the ventilation shafts. If you hear movement—shoot."
Ethan's blood went cold.
---
1:41 AM – The Drop
The vent creaked beneath him.
Ethan's entire body tensed, every muscle contracting.
There was a moment of silence for a few seconds.
Then—
CRACK.
The vent shattered beneath his weight.
Ethan's heart leapt into his throat as metal crumpled, and he fell down into the hall below.
He struck the tile with a resounding crunch, his spine slapping against the cold.
Achingly, pain seared through his backbone, forcing air from his body.
For a moment, he could hear ringing.
Then—yelling voices.
"THERE!"
Ethan's vision went blurry as he crawled onto his hands and knees.
His body was crying out to him, but he couldn't afford to hurt.
He had to keep moving.
---
1:42 AM – The Chase
The corridor was a labyrinth—endless, cold corridors stretching on and on, dim overhead lights casting yellow shadows on the glossy tile.
He could hear footsteps behind him, voices shouting orders.
"He's heading for the north wing!"
Ethan's heart was pounding in his head. He had no idea where he was going—only that he couldn't keep still.
Left turn. Right turn. Another hallway. Another door.
Then, up ahead—
A metal staircase.
It led upward.
Ethan ran for it, lungs burning, struggling through the pain.
He grabbed the railing, sprinting the stairs two at a time.
Behind him—shots.
Bullets ricocheted off the metal stairs, flew past him as he climbed.
He reached the top, flung through the door—
And nearly charged headlong into a dead end.
---
1:44 AM – Nowhere to Run
The room he had entered was tiny—a storage room, filled with dusty crates and rusty equipment.
No windows.
One entrance, one exit.
The door behind him creaked.
Ethan's breath froze.
They were here.
His gaze darted frantically around the room. There had to be something—
Then he spotted it.
A maintenance hatch in the ceiling.
His only way out.
If he could reach it.
---
1:45 AM – The Last Seconds
The door behind him slammed open.
Three masked men rushed in, guns raised high.
Ethan lunged, grabbing the lip of the maintenance hatch. His fingers slipped—his body complained—but he hoisted himself up, scrambling into the dark crawlspace above.
Below him, the masked men plunged forward, but too late.
Ethan pulled himself up just as the gunfire erupted, bullets ripping the floor where he'd been standing.
For a moment, silence.
Then a voice.
"He's gone."
A pause.
Then, the Masked Leader spoke again.
"It doesn't matter. He won't get out alive."
---
1:50 AM – The Hidden Passage
Ethan didn't give up.
His body ached to curl up. All his muscles cried out for sleep.
But he continued, crawling through the dark, narrow tunnel, with nothing to guide him but his instincts.
Then—light.
Far away, but unmistakable.
Ethan crawled faster, his heart racing.
The air here was cooler, less stale. That meant—
His heart leaped.
He was close to the surface.
The tunnel unfolded, exposing a small service exit.
A door, barely open. On the other side—
The world outside.
Ethan's breathing stilled.
He was close to freedom.
Then—
A voice behind him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Ethan spun around—
And hesitated.
Standing just a few feet away, lit by the dim emergency lighting—
Was the Masked Leader.
---
1:52 AM – The First Confrontation
For an interminable moment, they didn't speak.
The leader stood there in a calm, controlled presence. Not even breathless.
Like they had been expecting this.
Ethan's hands curled into fists, his entire body tensed to run.
The leader tilted their head slightly.
Then they spoke.
"You've seen too much."
Their voice was smooth, almost… disappointed.
Ethan swallowed hard. "What the hell is this place?"
A pause.
Then—
"You weren't supposed to find out. But it doesn't matter now."
The leader took a step forward.
Ethan stepped back.
His mind was racing.
This was it.
He had one chance.
One move.
Then—
The Masked Leader lunged.
Ethan did not think.
He ran.
Ran for the door, crashing into it at shoulder level—
And burst out into the night air, shivering.
---
1:55 AM – The Outside World
Ethan gulped, staggering as a wave of cold air slapped into his face.
He had done it.
He was out.
But he wasn't free yet.
The facility was deep in the woods, far from any landmarks that could be recognizable.
No phone. No way of phoning anyone.
But there was one thing he was certain of.
He wasn't dead.
And they thought he was.
That was his strength.
Ethan took a deep breath, clenched his fists—
And charged into the darkness.