Then stay!

Rick sat in a sterile, white room, his gaze fixed on the monitor in front of him. The screen displayed a memory game, but he wasn't paying attention to the task at hand.

Instead, he was lost in thought, wondering how he could escape this place and return to his normal life. He had been a prisoner of the Vita Research Center for not too long, but the monotony of his daily routine was slowly driving him insane.

As Rick sat there lost in thought, a guard suddenly appeared. Before he had time to react, the guard tasered him with a stick, causing him to convulse on the ground in pain.

Once Rick had recovered, the guard stood behind him and watched as he completed the memory game.

Life in the Vita Research Center wasn't exactly ideal, but it wasn't terrible either. Most of the patients had grown accustomed to the routine of the days, which consisted of regular meals, exercise, and mind games like the one Rick was playing now.

As he sat there, staring at the monitor, he thought about his life before he got here. He missed his family and friends and yearned for the freedom that had been taken from him. Rick knew that if he ever had the chance to escape, he would take it without hesitation.

But for now, he had no choice but to endure his captivity and hope that one day he would be free once again.

As he focused on the game, Rick couldn't help but wonder what the purpose of all of this was. Why were they being subjected to these mind games? Was it for their own benefit, or was there something more sinister at play?

On the other side of a two-way mirror, a couple of men in lab coats watched Rick closely, monitoring his every move. They seemed pleased with his performance, commenting on his near-perfect score.

Dr. Huang, one of the scientists, stepped forward to take a closer look at Rick's results. He studied the monitor carefully, a smile spreading across his face.

"Promising," he murmured to himself. "Very promising."

Turning to his colleagues, Dr. Huang announced his decision. "He will be our next test subject. Ready the new prototype."

****

Arvish led the group of slaves towards the edge of the camp, on one side the darkness of the forest looming ahead of them, while on the other the open surface stretched out towards Eferdom city. The group of slaves followed him, their eyes fixed on him with hope in their hearts.

As they reached the edge of the camp, Arvish turned to the group and spoke in a low voice. "We're free now," he said. "Follow me, and I'll lead you to safety."

The group murmured in agreement, their eyes shining with joy and excitement. Arvish began to lead them toward the city, his heart beating fast with pride.

After a few steps, however, he began to hear murmuring from behind. He turned back and saw that the group wasn't moving. One of the slaves was whispering to the others, his voice barely audible.

Arvish walked back to them, his eyes searching their faces.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

The whispering guy stepped forward, his eyes darting nervously from side to side. "You want to take us into the open ground?" he asked. "It would have been better if you left us in those cages. They will hunt us down quickly out there."

Arvish's heart sank at these words. He had not thought of this before. He knew that the road was dangerous, but he had not realized how much danger they would be in if they ventured out into the open.

"So you want to stay?" Maria asked, stepping forward. "Then stay!"

Arvish remained standing there, his heart heavy with sorrow. He had hoped to lead these people to freedom, but now he realized that he could not assure everony safety. He looked at the group of slaves again, his eyes searching for a solution.

"What do you guys want, then?" he asked.

"I will go into the forest," said the guy who had been whispering before. "I have a much better chance there to escape. They can't use their vehicles there to catch up."

The other slaves murmured in agreement, their eyes fixed on the forest ahead.

"We don't have time for this," Maria said, stepping up to Arvish. "If you want to join the resistance, you need to come with me."

Arvish took a last look at the group he had just helped to escape. He knew that he could not force them to follow him, and he needed to find answers to a free life, and he knew that the best way to do that was to join the resistance in Eferdom city.

The group of free slaves didn't waste any time. They knew that they needed to escape quickly, and so they ran towards the nearby forest, the guy who had been whispering leading the way.

Arvish and Maria looked out towards the open surface, then began to run, their eyes fixed on Eferdom, far away.

****

Bezix's heart was pounding in his chest as he searched for Arvish. He knew the consequences of failing to retrieve his target, and the thought of Gorgon's wrath sent shivers down his spine.

As he arrived at the slave quarters, Bezix was taken aback by the sight before him. The cages were empty, the slaves nowhere to be seen. He made his way to the slave master. He found the man fast asleep. Bezix didn't hesitate to wake him up with a kick.

The slave master was visibly shaken as he scrambled to his feet, his eyes darting around in confusion. Bezix grunted in frustration, the slave master nodded in response, knowing they were both in trouble now, as Gorgon would not take kindly to their incompetence.

The slave master rushed to a nearby bell and rang it with all his might. The piercing sound reverberated throughout the camp, stirring the rest of the gang from their drunken slumber.

Gorgon emerged from his tent, his imposing figure illuminated by the light of the rising sun.

"Arvish," Gorgon snarled through his gritted teeth.

****

The rising sun beat down mercilessly on the group as Gorgon, the slave master, and Bezix stood in the same spot where Arvish had been not too long ago. Bezix was sweating profusely under his mask.

"So, where did they go, Bezix?" Gorgon growled, his impatience growing with each passing moment.

Bezix knelt down to examine the tracks, sweat running down his face. He saw clearly what had happened, and stood up to signal with his finger that two of the slaves had fled into the open ground, while the other had taken refuge in the nearby forest.

Gorgon wasted no time in issuing his orders. "Listen up, boys!" he barked, turning to address his gang. "The slaves have escaped, and they're on the run. They entered the forest to take refuge. Grab your weapons and bring them back - dead or alive!"

The gang hollered in response, eager for the hunt. They grabbed their weapons and set off in the direction indicated by Bezix, their eyes filled with a hunger for blood and vengeance.

Gorgon selected two of his henchmen and gestured for them to follow him. "You two are coming with me," he said, his voice low and menacing.

With the slave master gone too, just Bezix was there still. Gorgon turned to him, "I have no use for you, at least bring a couple of slaves back."

Bezix remained standing in the sand, watching as the rest of the gang disappeared into the distance. He felt a seething anger building within him, directed both at himself for allowing the slaves to escape and at Takah, who had caused the trouble that led to this situation. He gritted his teeth and vowed to make Takah pay for what he had done.

As Gorgon and his men jumped in one of the cars, Gorgon behind the wheel thought, 'I will hunt you down Arvish and you will pay for this.' He was determined to show to everyone that there was no escaping his grasp, and that anyone who tried would face the consequences.