The Last Hope

Ethan's eyes scanned the device's screen, his mind racing with the possibilities. They had to crack the code, but it was proving to be a challenge. The ancient civilization had been masters of cryptography, and their methods were far more advanced than anything they had seen before.

Dr. Lee's voice was calm but urgent. "We have to move faster," she said. "We're running out of time."

Ethan nodded, his focus intensifying. He worked tirelessly, pouring over the code, trying to find a pattern or a weakness.

And then, suddenly, it clicked. He saw it – a hidden pattern, a sequence of numbers that seemed to be a key to unlocking the code.

He spoke quickly, explaining his discovery to Dr. Lee. She listened intently, her eyes widening as she understood the significance.

Together, they entered the code into the device. The countdown paused, and the screen flickered as the device processed the information.

And then, in a flash of light, the screen cleared. A message appeared, written in bold letters:

"THE END IS COMING. SEEK REFUGE IN THE HOLLOW TREE."

Ethan felt a surge of hope mixed with fear. What did it mean? Where was the Hollow Tree?

Dr. Lee's eyes met his, filled with determination. "We have to find out," she said.

They quickly packed their bags and set off towards the location indicated by the message. As they journeyed through the ruins of the ancient city, Ethan couldn't shake off the feeling that they were running out of time.