"Almost there! Just a little further!"

Fueled by survival instincts, Reagan sprinted desperately ahead, leaving a trail of blood and vomit.

There was no indication of him slowing down. In a frenzied sprint, he eventually glimpsed the towering walls of the base.

He understood that once he passed those walls, safety awaited him. The base held the promise of an antidote among its stockpile of elixirs and remedies.

A spark of hope lingered, and the prospect of survival felt attainable.

"Open the gates! Hurry, open the gates!"

Reagan staggered to the base of the towering wall, his resolve on the brink of collapse.

Every fiber of his being trembled with instability, and the toll of his struggle manifested prominently on his face.

Black blood oozed persistently from his mouth and nose.

As his plea reverberated, a multitude of ballistae released a storm of hefty bolts from the fortress walls. Each ballista packed formidable power and had the potential to inflict substantial damag