[Father is calling you!]
[ACCEPT]
[DECLINE]
Ren froze. His arms hung mid-air, his grip on the pickaxe weak. Exhaustion hit him all at once. His vision blurred, the edges darkened, and black spots danced before his eyes. For a moment, he thought he'd collapse right there inside the cave.
He staggered, leaned against the wall, and took a long, steady breath to calm his racing pulse. His palms trembled. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
He glanced at the glowing screen hovering before him. His father's name pulsed faintly. He hesitated.
Part of him wanted to ignore the call and keep mining. Every second was precious. He was just one step away from reaching his goal.
But another part—deeper and heavier—reminded him of his past.
What if something happened? What if it was urgent?
He clenched his fists. He couldn't forgive himself if he ignored it and something went wrong.
Ren exhaled and pressed [ACCEPT].
