The storm roared outside the tunnel, but ihe world was eerily quiet. Ethan's hover truck hummed as it glided forward, the dim lights from the dashboard casting long shadows on the rough stone walls surrounding him. The tunnel was narrow, just wide enough to fit the truck, and the echoes of the engine reverberated around him, amplifying every creak and bump iructure.

  Ethan's mind was still rag from the enter with the strahe figure had vanished into the storm as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving behind more questions than answers. What had they meant by "the storm is just the beginning"? And who would be out here, in su unfiving enviro, without a vehicle or any visible prote from the elements?

  "Iris, s the tunnel," Ethan ordered, his voice low as he tried to shake off the feeling of unease.

  "Running sow," Iris responded. Her voice, cold and devoid of aion, was a stark trast to the storm that had been howling moments ago.

  Etha his eyes on the road ahead as Iris processed the data. The turetched far into the mountains, and even with the limited visibility, Etha would take him at least another half-hour to get through it. The narrow walls made him feel like he was driving through the throat of a beast, and the occasional tremor from outside didn't help.

  "Tunnel is structurally sound," Iris reported. "No signs of colpse detected. However, I'm pig up fai signatures further ahead."

  Ethan tensed, his hand h near his sidearm again. "Heat signatures? How far?"

  "Approximately 1.3 kilometers ahead. Unknown number of individuals. The readings are weak, likely due to interference from the surrounding rock."

  Ethan narrowed his eyes, his mind immediately going to the stranger iorm. Could it be them again? Or was it something else? He didn't like surprises, especially not in fined spaces like this. Whoever or whatever was ahead of him, he o be ready for anything.

  "Keep an eye on those signatures," Ethan muttered, pushing the truck forward at a steady pace.

  The tunnel seemed to stretdlessly, with only the faint glow of the truck's headlights illuminating the path ahead. The walls were rough, carved out of the mountainside by miners long ago, and the occasional support beams looked like they had been hastily put in pce, as if the ehing could e crashing down at any moment.

  Ethan's eyes flicked to the radar, watg for any sudden movements. The heat signatures were still there, faint but stant. He could feel his pulse quiing as he heir location.

  Suddenly, a tremor shook the tunnel, sending small rocks and dust casg from the ceilihan cursed under his breath, gripping the steering wheel tightly to keep the truck steady. The tremor passed quickly, but it left behind a sense of growing tension in the air.

  "That didn't feel good," Ethan muttered. "Iris, is the tuill stable?"

  "Minor seismic activity detected," Iris responded. "Tunnel remains stable for now, but further tremors could increase the risk of colpse."

  "Of course," Ethan muttered. "Let's just hope we get through before that happens."

  As the truck rolled forward, the heat signatures on the radar grew stronger. Ethan squinted into the darkness, his grip tightening on the trols. The faint glow of something ahead began to take shape, the shadows shifting as the truck's headlights cut through the gloom.

  Then, he saw them, figures huddled he walls of the tunnel. At first, they were just dark shapes, but as he got closer, he could make out the details. A small group of people, covered in ragged cloaks, sat huddled together around a weak, flickering fire. They were a pitiful sight, their faces gaunt and hollow, their clothes worn and covered in dust.

  Ethan slowed the truck to a crawl, unsure of what to make of the se. These weren't bandits or meraries, at least not ohat were ready for a fight. They looked more like refugees, dispced and desperate.

  "Iris, any signs of ons?" Ethan asked, his eyes sing the group.

  "ive. able energy signatures or visible onry," Iris replied.

  Ethan exhaled slowly, though he didn't fully rex. Desperation could make anyone dangerous, and he wasn't about to let his guard down.

  The truck came to a stop just a few meters from the group. Ethahe engine running as he stepped out, keeping his hand on his sidearm. The group watched him warily, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and caution. There were about five of them, three adults and two children, all looking thin and malnourished.

  One of the adults, a man with a scruffy beard and deep-set eyes, stood up slowly, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "We don't want any trouble," he said, his voice hoarse from the dry air.

  "her do I," Ethan replied, keeping his voice even. "What are you doing out here? This isly the safest pce to be during a storm."

  The man g the others, then back at Ethan. "We got stuck here a few days ago. Tried to make it to the outpost, but the storm hit, and we couldn't go any further. The tunnel's the only shelter we could find."

  Ethan frowned, gng around the tunnel. It oor shelter, at best. With the sting outside and the risk of colpse from the tremors, it was only a matter of time before things went from bad to worse for these people.

  "We're just trying to survive," the man added, his voice tinged with desperation. "We didn't think anyone would e through here."

  Ethan weighed his options. He had a mission to plete and supplies to deliver, but leaving these people here didn't sit right with him. They wouldn't st long in this tunnel, not with the storm outside and the risk of more tremors. But his hover truck was already loaded with cargo, and there wasn't much space left.

  He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I 't take all of you," he said. "I've got a job to finish, and my truck's full. But I at least take the kids and one of you to the outpost. Once I get there, I'll send help for the rest."

  The man's eyes lit up with hope, auro the others, who nodded in agreement. One of the women, likely the mother of the two children, stepped fathering her kids and moving toward the truck. The man helped her, givihan a grateful look.

  "Thank you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You're saving their lives."

  Ethan just nodded, helping them into the back of the truck. It wasn't much, but it was better than leaving them to die iorm.

  As the truck rumbled back to life, Ethan g the group o time before pulling away. He would finish the mission, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that this was just the beginning of something bigger. The storm outside was fierce, but the shadows lurking in the dark seemed far more dangerous.