Bab 34: Fourth test detected...

Lionel sat on the scorching desert sand, his legs crossed in a meditative position. The black fabric of his trousers protected him from the blistering heat, though it did little for the tension radiating through his body.

He slipped the storage ring off his left hand, his fingers trembling as memories of Karvin's death surged to the surface. His chest tightened, the weight of loss pressing heavily on his heart.

Lionel wasn't always this way—stuck in an unforgiving world where survival was a gamble. He had once been a carefree guy from Earth, content with gaming marathons and teasing his dad. Life was simpler then, even enjoyable.

He had a mother, a family, and a future he could dream about. That illusion of happiness shattered the day his mother died, exposing the cracks in the foundation of his world.