2:25 AM – The Depths
Ethan Carter's world had turned black water and nothing.
The river was merciless, dragging him under, whirling him around, slamming him into invisible rocks. He couldn't breathe, couldn't see—his body fought for control, but the current decided where he went, not he.
He struggled fiercely, gasping for air, but the river's power dragged him deeper. His chest burned, his lungs screaming for oxygen.
"No. I won't die this way. Not after all of it."
Fingers scraped against slick, mossy rock. Pounding pulse in his ears, fading… fading…
Then—
A respite.
He broke through the surface, gasping in a hard, wrenching gob of bitter air.
He was still in the river, being pulled further downstream, but he wasn't drowning anymore.
He just had to endure until the crash.
---
2:30 AM – The Crash
The water churned more swiftly, the roar of a waterfall ahead growing stronger.
Ethan's eyes grew wide.
"No. No. No."
Before he could lift himself, the river tossed him over the edge, sending him into free-fall.
For a moment, nothing but air.
Then—crash.
He struck the pool below, the force driving the air from his lungs again. Pain coursed through his body as he sank beneath the surface.
But this time, the water was calm.
Shallow enough for him to swim towards the top.
Ethan burst through the surface, choking for air.
Once, he bobbed, letting the current haul him towards the shore, his body too spent to force it.
Then—his fingers brushed against solid earth.
He crawled up onto mud riverbank, inching forward inch by inch before collapsing, chest heaving.
He'd done it.
Just.
---
2:40 AM – The Silent Woods
Ethan lay quiet, his ears attuned to the sounds of the night.
The only noise he could hear was the distant thunder of the waterfall, the creaking of the trees, and his harsh breathing.
No alarms blaring.
No shouting.
No footsteps behind him.
He was alone.
But for how long?
His body protested with agony as he heaved himself onto his hands and knees. He was wet through, chilled, bruised all over. His hoodie was a weight of lead holding him down, heavy and muddy.
But he had lived.
He had to keep moving.
---
2:45 AM – Lost and Hunted
The trees that loomed around him were thick, stretching out infinitely in all directions. The moonlight fought to penetrate the giant trunks, sending long shadows across the wet earth.
Ethan tried to steady his breathing.
His mind reeled with all that had happened.
He had been kidnapped.
Dropped into a kill pit.
Chased by a deadly syndicate.
And now… he was alone in the middle of nowhere.
His heart pounded.
Where was he?
How far had the river taken him?
Could he even make it back?
The questions swirled, but one thought stood out above all else.
They think I'm dead.
And that meant—
Lena, Mason, and Jayden think I'm dead too.
Ethan's stomach twisted.
He had seen the terror in Lena's eyes before he fell. The anger in Mason's face. The shock in Jayden's expression.
They had witnessed him die.
And now they still remained in that hell, thinking they lost him for good.
He clenched his fists.
I must return.
But first—he had to figure out where the devil he was.
And before the men in masks found their mistake.
---
3:00 AM – The Awakening in the Facility
Lena Rivera sat on the tile floor of the facility, her eyes fixed on the vacant spot where Ethan had lain.
Where he had fallen.
Her mind refused to accept it.
Ethan was dead.
She was gasping for air, her body trembling. The others—Mason, Jayden, and the rest of the kidnapped students—were standing around her, silent, stunned, broken.
No one spoke.
Because what could they say?
He had saved them time by being the distraction. And they hadn't been able to save him.
Mason's fists were balled so tight his knuckles were turning white. His entire body was tense, like he wanted to punch something—or someone.
Jayden just sat there, shaking his head, his mouth pursed.
The guards were at the sides of the room, standing there watching them like caged animals.
Then, the Masked Leader walked in.
Lena's breath caught.
Without the mask, his face was hard, unreadable, but his expression was serene. Too serene.
He looked at the group for a moment, then spoke to them.
"Now that the distractions are out of the way, let's begin Phase Two."
---
3:05 AM – The Decision
Ethan's clothing was still damp, but he barely felt the cold.
He leaned against a tree, attempting to think.
What was next to do?
He lost his phone. No way to call for help. No one knew he was alive.
There has to be a town somewhere nearby. A road. Something.
The building was too big to be in the middle of nowhere.
He needed to find civilization. Get people informed. Get people informed at the facility before it was too late.
His friends were still in there.
And now, because the kidnappers thought Ethan was dead…
What did they have planned next?
A chill ran down his spine.
He couldn't wait to find out.
He had to get moving.
Sheer willpower, or perhaps mere stubbornness, drove him to his feet.
The woods stretched out before him, dark and apparently endless.
Somewhere out there was an exit. A homecoming.
A way to wake up from this nightmare.
And Ethan Carter was going to find it.
No matter what.