ESCAPE

Emma couldn't fully comprehend her mother's words. Her ears were ringing, and the only thought racing through her mind was: We have to get out of here.

Richard grabbed her arm and pulled her.

"Emma, not now! We need to leave!"

Emma glanced at her mother one last time. She wasn't moving, standing still as if she had already accepted everything. The Sentinel members were now in motion. From their looks, it was clear that escaping this place would be nearly impossible for Emma and her friends.

"Should you try to leave through that door, we won't let you," one of the Sentinel leaders said coldly.

Richard and Victoria immediately pulled back, but Sheila stepped forward.

"Don't you want to talk? No matter how many secrets you hide, we know a lot now!"

Her mother looked at her and shook her head.

"You still don't know anything."

Emma could no longer listen. She was the first to act. Swiftly, she ran toward the door, with Richard and the others following. The Sentinel agents chased after them.

They ran toward the tunnel. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the dark passage like the beats of their hearts.

"We need to reach the door!" Richard whispered.

But gunfire rang out from behind. Bullets struck the walls, sending dust and debris into the air. Emma held her breath and darted toward the steel door ahead.

"Sheila, open it!" Victoria shouted.

Sheila pulled a small key card from her pocket. She had taken a copy of it before they ran from the Sentinel base. She quickly typed the code, but the door didn't open.

"Hurry!" Richard urged.

"It's locked!" Sheila whispered angrily.

Emma glanced back. The Sentinel agents were closing in. Her mother was still standing silently at the tunnel entrance, her face unreadable — neither angry nor loving. Just a look.

For a moment, everything stopped.

Then Emma made her decision. If the door wasn't going to open, she had to find another way. Looking around, she spotted an old gas pipe on the wall.

"Move aside!" she yelled and struck the pipe with all her strength.

A sharp smell of gas filled the air. The Sentinel agents noticed and began to retreat.

"Richard! Do you have a lighter?" Emma quickly asked.

Richard understood. He pulled a small lighter from his pocket.

"This will blow us all up!" Victoria protested.

"We don't have another choice!" Emma shouted.

Sheila entered the code one last time, and this time the door opened.

"Run!"

They all rushed out. Emma was the last to go. She looked back at her mother. Her face still held that calm expression.

Then she threw the lighter.

The explosion shook the tunnel. Flames engulfed everything, and screams could be heard. Emma fell, but Richard caught her and pulled her outside.

They were finally free.

But this wasn't the end. Emma knew this was just the beginning.

Because now, she was the enemy of Sentinel.

And this was the beginning of a war.