The dirt is damp beneath your hands as you inch forward, heart hammering in your chest. The drone hums overhead, its red scanning beam flickering against the bark of the fallen log. You press yourself closer to the earth, moving slow, deliberate, controlled.
The drone hovers. It lingers. The sound drills into your ears.
Then—your foot hits something.
A brittle, hollow branch snaps beneath your weight.
The drone reacts instantly. The red light swings back, fixing on your hiding spot. A high-pitched whine fills the air—an alert.
You’ve been detected.
The Regulators are coming.
💥 Pain explodes in your ribs. It's got you.
The last thing you hear is the whir of gears, the hum of the drone, the cold grip of steel hands closing around your arms.
Then— you are off to Dominion.