The five minutes stretched into ten, then twenty. No one had the energy to move.Yuma watched the holographic dispy, his hydration dropping to 89%. Ruri was at 90%. Komachi 88%. Sakuya 89%. Hikari 87%.Tsukasa, despite his injury, was at 95%—the water he'd taken was keeping him hydrated, but his body was failing in other ways. His breathing was ragged, his skin pale and cmmy.Injury plus heat stress. Deadly combination."We can't stay here," Ruri said finally, her voice weak. "We need to… do something.""What?" Tsukasa croaked. "Die somewhere else?""Maybe there's… something over the dune." Komachi pointed upward. "A structure. Water source. Anything."Yuma followed her gaze. The dune summit offered no promises—just more sand, more heat. But staying was certain death.Move or die."We go," he said, pushing himself up. His legs trembled. "Everyone up."It took minutes to get them all standing. Tsukasa leaned heavily on Ruri, his weight almost dragging them both down. Komachi moved slowly, each step a struggle. Sakuya walked steadily, but his breathing was bored. Hikari… just followed.They began the climb.Sand slid beneath their feet, each step forward yielding half a step back. The heat intensified as they climbed, the artificial sun beating down mercilessly. Yuma's vision blurred, spots dancing at the edges. Dehydration. Heat exhaustion.How much longer?They reached the summit after an eternity.And there, spread out before them, was… nothing.Just more desert. Endless dunes under a featureless sky-dome. No structures. No water sources. No hope."Empty," Ruri whispered, despair in her voice. "It's all empty."Tsukasa sank to his knees, coughing. "Told you."Yuma stared at the horizon, his mind numb. No options. No way out.Test designed for elimination. For death.Then Komachi spoke, her voice trembling. "Wait. Look."She pointed to a spot about a kilometer away—a slight depression in the sand, with something glinting in the sunlight."Metal," Yuma said, hope sparking. "A structure?""Or another cache," Sakuya suggested. "Maybe there are more than three.""ARK said three," Tsukasa grunted."ARK could be lying," Sakuya replied. "Or it could have omitted information. Tests often include hidden elements."Yuma considered. Possible. But unlikely. ARK seems straightforward in its cruelty."We check," he decided. "It's our only lead."They descended the far side of the dune, the sand giving way beneath them. The glint grew clearer—a metallic surface, partially buried.As they approached, Yuma realized what it was: not a cache, but a console. Simir to the one in the awakening room, but rger. It rose from the sand, a sleek bck panel with a holographic interface.Emergency Override TerminalAccess: Administrator OnlyFunction: Test Modification/ Termination"Override," Ruri breathed. "We can stop the test!"Yuma studied the console. Too easy. ARK wouldn't leave an override terminal accessible. Trap.But what choice did they have?He reached out, his finger hovering over the touchscreen.Then ARK's voice echoed across the desert, cold and mocking:"Attempting unauthorized access triggers Tier?2 punishment. Continue?"Yuma froze."Choice: withdraw now, or face consequences."He looked at the others. Ruri's eyes were wide with fear. Tsukasa's face was pale. Komachi trembled. Sakuya watched, analytical.Risk vs. reward. Unknown.But staying meant certain death.Yuma made his decision.He pressed the screen.ARK Control Room Log — UpdateTime: 19:45:08 (Station Retive)Subject: Resource Sandbox — Unauthorized Access AttemptSample?01 (Yuma Sakakibara): Triggered override terminal. Tier?2 punishment activated.Punishment: Environmental extreme—temperature spike to 70°C for 30 minutes.Note: Survival probability drops to 23% for all samples.Continue observation.

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