Commissioner Lian's room was still quiet after Mei brought Rin out with the fake pretext of an incident in the Training Arena.
Rin stood in the corridor outside. Her breath was still ragged. Her hands trembled, not from fear, but because the green pattern on her arm had been vibrating intensely since meeting her father in the Yellow Zone.
Mei closed the door carefully, making sure no one was following. Then she looked at Rin with a serious gaze she rarely showed.
"We have five minutes before they realize I lied," Mei said quickly. "After that, the entire dome will be looking for you."
Rin looked at Mei with a mix of confusion and despair. "Why are you doing this? If they find out, you'll also—"
"Because I know what they do to people like us," Mei interrupted. Her voice was cold, but there was a slight tremor there. "They won't help you, Rin. They'll make you an experiment. Or worse, they'll eliminate you before you become a threat."
Rin felt her chest tighten. She knew Mei was right. She had seen it happen to Kai.
"So what should I do?" Rin asked. Her voice was almost a whisper.
Mei looked towards the large window displaying a view of the distant Yellow Zone. The green mist moved slowly, like a living creature.
"We have to leave the dome," Mei answered. "Now. Before they activate the lockdown protocol."
"Leave?" Rin swallowed. "Where to? The Yellow Zone? We just came back from there!"
"Not the Yellow Zone," Mei answered. She pulled a small tablet from her jacket pocket, opening a digital map showing the entire East Asia region. "We have to go to the Red Zone. And from there, to the Black Zone."
Rin froze. "Are you crazy? That's suicide!"
"Or stay here and wait for them to capture you," Mei replied coldly. "Choose."
Silence for a moment.
Rin looked at her hands. The green pattern moved under her skin, as if something alive was there. As if something was waiting to come out.
Her father had said, "You must destroy the Mycel Heart before it's too late."
But how?
And did she really want to do it?
"Rin," Mei said, softer this time. "I know this is scary. But you're not alone. I'll come. And we'll find the others too."
"The others?" Rin asked.
"Akira, Jian, Shun," Mei answered. "They're our team. They should know."
Rin was silent for a long time. Then finally nodded slowly.
"Okay. But how do we leave without being caught?"
Mei smiled thinly, for the first time, a smile that wasn't just formality.
"I've prepared a route. Follow me."
They moved quickly through the back corridors of Sector-3, a route rarely used and not heavily monitored by cameras.
Mei moved like a shadow. Her steps were silent, her movements precise. Rin tried to follow, but almost tripped several times from nervousness.
"Calm down," Mei whispered without turning. "If you panic, you'll make mistakes."
Rin took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart.
They arrived at a corridor intersection. Mei stopped and peeked around the corner.
Two security officers stood at the end of the corridor, chatting casually.
Mei pulled something from her pocket, a small cylindrical device. She threw it in the opposite direction.
CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.
The device made a strange sound like a broken machine.
The two officers immediately turned. "What was that?"
"Check over there. Might be a malfunction."
They went towards the sound, leaving the corridor empty.
"Now," Mei whispered.
They ran quickly through the corridor, heading towards the emergency elevator at the end.
But as they neared it.
"STOP!"
Rin turned quickly. One of the officers had returned, his hand already on his weapon.
"Shit," Mei muttered.
The officer advanced, his eyes sharp. "You two! Identification!"
Mei did not answer. She just glanced at Rin briefly, then whispered quickly, "Run. I'll hold him off."
"What? Mei, no."
"RUN, RIN!"
Mei ran towards the officer. Her knife came out of her waist sheath with a swift motion.
The officer reflexively stepped back and drew his stun rod.
ZZZTTT!
Mei dodged with a circular movement. Her knife slashed the officer's arm.
SLASH!
The officer yelled. His rod fell.
But the sound attracted the attention of the other officer.
"CODE RED! INTRUDER IN CORRIDOR B-7!"
Alarms began to sound.
Mei looked at Rin with a serious gaze. "GO! NOW!"
Rin hesitated for a moment, then finally ran towards the emergency elevator.
She pressed the button with a trembling hand. The elevator opened. She entered and pressed the lowest floor, External Access Zone.
The elevator doors began to close.
The last thing she saw was Mei fighting two officers at once. Her movements were fast, but she was starting to be overwhelmed.
Then the doors closed completely.
Rin fell to her knees inside the elevator. She gasped for breath.
Mei… forgive me.
But she knew, if she went back, both of them would be captured.
The elevator moved down. Fast.
Rin looked at her hands. The green pattern was moving faster than ever.
And the network's voice whispered again.
"You are making the right choice. Now keep moving forward. Don't stop."
Rin shook her head hard. Quiet. I don't need you.
But the voice just laughed softly.
The elevator stopped at the lowest floor. External Access Zone, the area where transport vehicles and drones enter and exit the dome.
Rin exited carefully. The atmosphere here was different. Dark, noisy, full of machine sounds and officers moving quickly to transport goods.
No one noticed her, at least for now.
Rin walked quickly, trying to look like a regular officer. She pulled her jacket collar high, hiding her face.
But then.
"HEY! YOU!"
Rin froze.
An officer in a black uniform approached with a suspicious gaze. "Identification! Show your access card!"
Rin frantically searched her jacket pockets. She didn't have an access card.
The officer came closer. His hand was already on his weapon's handle.
"I'm waiting."
Rin swallowed. Her mind raced. What should I do?
And then.
"SHE'S WITH ME."
The voice came from behind Rin.
Rin turned quickly.
Akira stood there. In a slightly oversized transport officer uniform. His face was calm, but his eyes looked at Rin sharply, as if saying, follow me.
Akira walked over and showed a fake access card to the officer.
"She's a new trainee. I'm supervising her."
The officer looked at the card suspiciously. "Trainee? I didn't get a report about a new trainee."
"Because it's a sudden program," Akira answered quickly. "If you want to confirm, contact the Logistics Division. But they're busy handling the incident in the Training Arena."
The officer hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright. But both of you, don't cause trouble."
"Understood," Akira answered, giving a brief salute.
The officer left.
Rin looked at Akira in disbelief. "Akira, why are you—"
"Later," Akira cut in quickly. "Now follow me. Quick."
They walked quickly through the loading dock area, where large vehicles were parked. Akira led Rin to one of the empty transport trucks.
Once inside, Akira closed the door and looked at Rin seriously.
"Mei sent me a message ten minutes ago," Akira said. "She said you were in danger. And she said you had to get out of the dome."
Rin looked at Akira for a long time. "You. You believe her?"
Akira was silent for a moment, then answered in a tone softer than usual.
"I believe you, Rin. And if Mei says you have to go, it means the situation is serious." He paused again. "So, do you want to tell me what's really going on?"
Rin felt her chest tighten. She didn't know where to start.
"I. I don't know how to explain it."
"Try," Akira said. "I'll listen."
Rin looked at her hands. Then slowly, she opened her jacket, showing her arms.
The green pattern covered almost her entire arms up to her shoulders. Moving like a pulsing vein.
Akira stared at it with wide eyes. His face turned pale.
"Rin. That's—"
"I'm infected," Rin said softly. Her voice was almost inaudible. "Since I was a child. My father injected spores into my body to protect me. But now, those spores are growing. And in two weeks, I'll start to change."
Akira was silent for a long time. He didn't move.
Then he spoke in a very soft voice.
"So. You'll become like them? Like those monsters?"
Rin nodded slowly. Tears began to fall without her realizing.
"If I don't find a way to stop it."
Silence for a moment.
Then Akira did something Rin didn't expect.
He hugged Rin.
Tightly.
"Rin. You idiot," he whispered. His voice trembled. "Why didn't you tell me from the start?"
Rin couldn't answer. She just cried.
"Because I was afraid," Rin finally answered. "I was afraid you would leave me. I was afraid you would see me as a monster."
Akira released the hug and looked directly at Rin.
"You're not a monster, Rin. You're my best friend. And I won't leave you."
Rin felt something warm in her chest. Something she hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
"But," Akira continued in a more serious tone, "if you have to leave the dome to find a way to stop this, I'm coming."
"Akira, no."
"I don't accept rejection," Akira cut in firmly. "You've saved me many times. Now it's my turn."
Rin looked at Akira for a long time, then finally nodded slowly.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Akira said with a faint smile. "We haven't left the dome."
Twenty minutes later, they managed to board one of the transport trucks that would go out to the Yellow Zone to collect samples.
Rin and Akira hid in the back, among boxes of equipment.
The truck started moving. Rin could feel the engine vibration beneath them.
"We're exiting through Gate A-5," Akira whispered. "That's the least monitored gate. But we still have to be careful."
Rin nodded.
The truck passed the first checkpoint. The sound of an officer talking to the driver.
"Destination?"
"Yellow Zone, Sector-9. Routine sample collection."
"Manifest?"
"Already sent via the system."
"Okay. Proceed."
The truck continued on.
Rin held her breath. Her heart pounded hard.
Second checkpoint. Stricter.
The officer's voice again. "Open the back. Routine inspection."
Rin and Akira looked at each other in panic.
If they were caught here, it was all over.
They heard footsteps approaching. The back door began to open.
Light entered.
Rin and Akira pressed themselves deeper between the boxes.
The officer shone a flashlight inside. The light moved slowly, sweeping every corner.
Rin squeezed her eyes shut. Don't get caught. Don't get caught.
The flashlight stopped right in front of the box they were hiding behind.
Rin felt the green pattern on her arm suddenly grow hot.
And the network's voice whispered again.
"Let me help. I can make him not see us."
No. I won't use you.
But the voice kept whispering.
"If you don't use me, you'll be caught. And everything will end."
Rin bit her lower lip until it hurt.
Then.
"Clear. Proceed."
The officer closed the door again.
Rin opened her eyes, gasping for breath.
Akira looked at her worriedly. "Rin, are you okay?"
Rin nodded weakly. "I'm. I'm fine."
But in her heart, she knew.
She had almost lost control just then.
And that scared her.
The truck finally passed the last gate and exited the dome.
Rin felt the change in the air. More humid. Heavier.
They were in the Yellow Zone.
After a few kilometers, the truck stopped at a sample collection point.
The driver got out. The sound of footsteps faded away.
Akira whispered, "Now. We get off now."
They got out of the truck carefully, making sure no one saw them.
Once off, they immediately ran into the mist.
Away from the truck. Away from the dome.
Away from the only place they had ever known as home.
An hour later, they stopped under a giant fungal tree.
Their breath was ragged. Their bodies tired.
But they had succeeded.
They had left the dome.
Rin sat down. Her back leaned against the fungal trunk. Akira sat beside her.
Silence for a moment.
Then Akira spoke in a tired tone.
"So, what's our plan now?"
Rin looked towards the green mist in the distance.
"We find the others," she answered. "Jian. Shun. And Mei."
"Mei is still in the dome," Akira said. "She might have been captured."
"Or she escaped," Rin countered. "Mei is too smart to be caught."
Akira smiled faintly. "You're right."
Rin looked at her hands again. The green pattern was moving slowly.
"After that, we go to the Red Zone. And from there, the Black Zone."
"To find the Mycel Heart?" Akira asked.
Rin nodded.
"And destroy it before it's too late."
Akira looked at Rin for a long time, then nodded.
"Okay. I'm with you until the end."
Rin smiled faintly. A sad smile, but full of determination.
"Thank you, Akira."
They sat there in silence, watching the mist move slowly.
In the distance, the sound of monsters echoed faintly.
The world outside the dome was full of danger.
But now, they had no other choice.
Their escape had just begun.
And there was no way back.