1:58 AM – The Forest
Ethan Carter ran.
The night air was chilly against his skin, but the adrenaline pumping through his system kept him from feeling the cold. He weaved between dense trees, his sneakers slipping on damp leaves and uneven earth, his breath in ragged gasps.
Far behind him, the alarms of the facility shrieked, red warning lights casting foreboding glows on the treetops.
They were looking for him.
And if they found him…
He didn't finish that thought.
He wasn't looking back.
He had escaped.
Now he just needed to survive.
---
---
2:03 AM – The First Mistake
Ethan huddled behind a fallen tree, trying to calm his breathing. He pressed a hand into his ribs, wincing. His body was like it had been put through a shredder.
The fall into the pit. The sprint through the facility. The fight for his life.
It was catching up with him.
But he couldn't stop.
Not yet.
He needed to know where he was.
For the first time since escaping, he looked around properly. The forest stretched on for miles, dark shadows writhing under the moonlight.
He had no idea where the hell he was.
And worse—
He wasn't alone.
There was a faint snap of a branch somewhere behind him.
Ethan's heart spiked.
Someone was following him.
---
2:05 AM – The Hunters
The voices came first.
Low. Calculated. Close.
He's heading west. Cut him off before he reaches the river."
Ethan's breath caught.
They were after him.
His head spun. How?
Then—realization hit him like a truck.
The binder.
It was still clutched beneath his hoodie, but what if—
His stomach plummeted.
The pages had small metal clips on the corners.
Trackers.
He was carrying a goddamn beacon.
And it was leading them straight to him.
---
2:07 AM – A Desperate Choice
Ethan's chest tightened.
He had two options.
1. Dispose of the binder—but lose the evidence he needed to get the truth out.
2. Keep it—and be hunted down relentlessly.
Neither option was perfect.
There was, though, a third option.
He could use it against them.
---
---
2:10 AM – The Decoy
Ethan sprinted, weaving in and out of trees. His ears registered the snapping of twigs, boots scuffling into dirt.
They were getting close.
He saw what he was searching for—a cluster of old, hollowed-out trunks.
Ripping the binder from his hoodie, he shoved it into the biggest log, topping it with dried leaves and loose bark.
Then he turned and ran.
In the complete opposite direction.
If they were following the tracker, they'd waste time searching the wrong territory.
It bought him time.
And time was all that mattered.
---
2:15 AM – The Search Party Arrives
Ethan crouched in the shadows of a thick tree, his chest on fire.
He watched them move between the gaps in the branches.
Four men.
Each wearing a black tactical suit, rifles slung over their shoulders.
One of them carried a scanner, a small handheld device that beeped rapidly as it was pointed toward the log.
Ethan held his breath.
"The signal's here."
One of the men kicked over the log, and leaves and bark flew. Another took the binder and opened it.
"He ditched it."
A pause for a moment.
Then one of them cursed.
"Smart little bastard."
Ethan clenched his fists.
They were furious.
Good.
That meant his plan had worked.
Now he just needed to get far away before they realized.
---
2:20 AM – The River
Ethan ran until he heard water.
A river.
Rushing. Loud. Fast.
He skidded to a stop at the riverbank, his sneakers barely gripping the muddy shore.
The river wasn't deep, but the current was swift. It ran downhill, winding into the trees.
A means of escape.
But before he could move a step—
A voice. Close.
"There you are."
Ethan's blood went cold.
He turned slowly.
A man stood a few feet away, in his path.
Not just any man.
The Masked Leader.
But this time—
They weren't wearing the mask.
---
2:22 AM – The Face Behind the Mask
The leader was tall, with sharp features carved like stone. Their face was expressionless—not angry, not smiling. Just. studying him.
Dark eyes bore into Ethan's, piercing right through him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then the leader sighed.
"You're making this difficult."
Ethan flinched, his heart pounding.
He had struggled so hard. Run so far.
And now he was caught.
"Why?" Ethan's voice was rough. "Why are you doing this?"
The leader tilted their head.
"Because we need you."
Ethan's stomach clenched.
"What the hell does that mean?"
A silence.
Then—
A slow, almost regretful smile.
"You'll know soon enough."
Ethan's instinct screamed at him.
He couldn't get caught.
He wouldn't be caught.
The leader moved forward—
And Ethan leaped.
---
2:23 AM – The Fall
The river hit him like ice, knocking the wind from his chest.
The current grabbed him, pulled him under, rolling him like a rag doll.
He fought, arms flailing, but the water was too strong.
The last thing he saw before the river closed over his head—
Was the leader standing on the shore, watching him drown.
Then—
Darkness.