Wandering aimlessly, Ethan found himself in the belly of Omega Fortress, deep in the fifth underground level. The boiler room was a cavernous, industrial space, its air thick with the acrid scent of burning coal. The rhythmic hum of machinery and the distant hissing of steam provided a constant, oppressive soundtrack. Massive boilers lined the walls, each one feeding the fortress with the power needed to keep everything running. The sheer heat radiating from the enormous furnaces made the air shimmer, distorting the already bleak surroundings.

Victor, the boiler operator, stood out in the harsh environment like a relic of a bygone era. Nearing 70, his hair was a dull silver, the wrinkles on his face deep and permanent, etched by years of grueling labor. Yet, despite his worn appearance, his eyes twinkled with a mischievous cheer, a stark contrast to the drudgery around him. There was something disarming about him—he seemed oddly at peace in the heat and grime.

"Hey, you stupid kid, what are you doing here?" Victor’s voice cut through the haze just as Ethan, lost in thought, nearly stumbled into a pile of glowing, hot coals.

Victor’s warning barely registered, and before Ethan knew it, his foot met the searing heat. The pain was instant, scorching, tearing a cry from his throat.

"Ow, ow, ow! My toes!" Ethan yelped, hopping on one foot, tears prickling his eyes from the shock.

Victor, laughing softly, helped him to a nearby bench. "You little fool," he teased as he disappeared into his small hut, returning moments later with a tube of burn ointment. "What were you thinking? You weren’t thinking, that’s the problem," he added, smirking as he handed the ointment to Ethan.

Ethan grumbled as he applied the cooling ointment to his foot. "Old man, don’t blame me! Why didn’t you warn me those coals were hot?"

Victor shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I did warn you! You just didn’t hear me. Serves you right." He stuck his tongue out playfully, like a child mocking a friend, his old pocket watch swinging loosely from his chest.

As the moment of pain passed, the tension in Ethan’s shoulders eased. They began to talk, and Victor’s cheerful nature quickly put Ethan at ease. The two exchanged stories, and Ethan found himself recounting the strange events of his day—the examination, the pregnant men, the failed escape. As he spoke, Victor listened, occasionally nodding, his face growing more serious.

Ethan's tone shifted, and a shadow fell over his expression. "Old man, did you know the outside world is gone?" There was sadness in his voice, a heaviness he couldn't shake.

Victor leaned back, lighting a cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke that hung in the air like a dark omen. "Of course I know. I've lived here for decades. There's nothing I don't know," he said, thumping his chest with a forced bravado. But as his eyes narrowed, Ethan could tell there was more to the story than Victor was letting on.

"Come on, tell me more!" Ethan urged, his curiosity piqued. He needed answers, something to make sense of the chaos he had found himself in.

Victor took a long drag from his cigarette before speaking again. His voice was lower now, almost conspiratorial. "Those monsters outside... they were created by a Russian reproductive scientist due to a failed experiment. Back in 2032, eight years ago, he started tampering with nature. At first, he tried implanting human embryos into female chimpanzees, but every attempt ended in miscarriage."

Ethan frowned, the absurdity of the story crashing against his sense of reality. "That guy ruined the entire world. What kind of scientist does that?" he muttered, frustration bubbling up inside him.

Victor ignored the comment, shoveling more coal into the roaring furnace as if to punctuate his words. "Things took a darker turn in 2035. After countless failures, the scientist changed his approach. He started recruiting human female volunteers, paying them large sums of money to carry chimpanzee offspring. Of course, they didn't know the truth. He lied to them."

The flames from the furnace flickered, casting eerie shadows across Victor's lined face. His eyes seemed darker as he continued. "Ten months later, these women gave birth to something... different. These creatures were blind at birth but had heightened senses, grew rapidly—over four meters tall within months. Strong, fast, and aggressive."

Ethan’s skin crawled as he imagined these monstrous hybrids, roaming free, terrorizing the outside world. "But what happened next?" he asked, leaning forward, desperate for more.

Victor lit another cigarette, exhaling slowly. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. "The scientists panicked. They knew they'd created something they couldn’t control. They locked five of the mutated apes in a sealed lab, hoping to keep the world from ever knowing what they had done."

Ethan’s throat tightened. "But how did they escape?"

Victor's face grew grim. "On a stormy night, a lightning strike caused a blackout in New York. The lab's generators failed, and in the chaos, the creatures broke free. They slaughtered everyone in the lab and then stormed the city. From there, it was all downhill."

Ethan’s chest felt heavy, the weight of Victor’s words pressing down on him. What chance did humanity have against creatures like that? His mind raced with the implications. If the outside world was destroyed, what hope was there for him in Omega Fortress?

Victor leaned back, taking another drag from his cigarette. "We couldn't defeat them. Their mutations made them unstoppable. Our weapons were useless."

A long silence stretched between them, the only sound the crackling of the furnace. Ethan sat there, lost in thought, his mind swirling with everything he had just learned. This place… this fortress… it wasn’t just a sanctuary. It was a cage. He had to get out, but how?

Victor broke the silence with a warning tone. "Ethan, listen to me. You need to adjust to this place, fast. Wilson runs the show here, and he’s not someone to mess with. He’s got two lieutenants—Sherry, sharp as a knife, and Butter, the guy who runs your work. Don’t cross them. Got it?"

Ethan nodded, the gravity of Victor's words sinking in.

Lunchtime rolled around, and Ethan found himself in the central cafeteria, hungrily devouring his meal. His stomach had been growling all morning. As he enjoyed his tomato soup, he failed to notice that the three pregnant men from earlier were still around, looking for their next target. Since Arya had protected Ethan earlier, they hadn't dared to mess with him. But now they had set their sights on another man at the table in front of Ethan—a scrawny, weak-looking guy who seemed harmless enough.

The leader of the bullies, George, poured his leftover bowl of bones into the man's tomato soup, while others cheered and some even banged on tables in support.

Ethan was disgusted. These guys seemed to assert their dominance in Omega Fortress through bullying. And it wasn't just the three of them. Others joined in too, as if it were an unwritten rule here: bully or be bullied.

The scrawny man kept his head down, enduring the humiliation. Ethan couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up, grabbed the bone-filled soup bowl, and dumped it over George's head.

"You nasty piece of work, I've had enough of you! What kind of dog are you, raised with no manners?" Ethan's outburst stunned everyone. George was furious, wiping the bones off his head. His once-styled hair was now drenched in tomato soup, making him look utterly ridiculous.

"Boys, get him!" George shouted, and the three of them chased after Ethan. They grabbed nearby chairs and utensils, hurling them at him.

Ethan dodged the flying cutlery, slipping under a table. But one of George's cronies saw him and called out, "Boss, over here! He's under here!"

George yanked Ethan out from under the table, lifting him off the ground. With one powerful punch, Ethan's eye was bruised, turning into a panda-like black eye.

"Enough!" A voice suddenly rang out from across the cafeteria. It was William, a man who had been quietly eating his meal. He set down his fork and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.

"And who the hell are you to tell me to stop?" George sneered, showing no sign of letting up. But William made a small gesture, and his group of followers quickly surrounded George and his cronies.

Some punched, some kicked, and others even used bowls to hit them. Within moments, George and his gang were beaten black and blue, fleeing for their lives. Thanks to William, Ethan only suffered minor injuries. These scuffles were common in Omega Fortress. In the beginning, someone might intervene, but eventually, everyone just turned a blind eye, even the leaders.

"Thanks for helping me out. What's your name? I'll repay you someday," Ethan said, rubbing his bruised eye.

"Name's William. And you?" William asked, sipping his coffee, his pinky finger slightly raised as he held the cup handle.

"I'm Ethan. Ethan Black," Ethan replied, getting ready to leave.

"Wait a minute. I saved you, and you're not even going to stay for a drink?" William's voice was gentle, but his eyes held a strange intensity.

What's going on? Ethan wondered. As he pondered William's offer, the scrawny man Ethan had stood up for passed by, returning his tray. He whispered just loud enough for Ethan to hear.

"He's gay…"