Li Chuan clenched his fist instinctively, feeling the slight pain in his fingertips. This was real. But how…?

Images from the outside world flooded his mind—escaping, fighting, constant danger… Yet everything around him now seemed as if the disaster had never happened. It was peaceful. Too peaceful.

"Something’s wrong..." A warning echoed from deep within him, but the warmth of this place made it hard to pull away. His friends were still fighting, bleeding for survival. Meanwhile, he was here, basking in the sunlight.

A soft voice broke through his thoughts. "What are you staring at?"

He turned and saw her—Suna. Her smile was as warm as ever, her eyes filled with concern. That familiar warmth melted his defenses, unraveling his caution.

Li Chuan remained silent, the weight of loneliness and exhaustion pressing down on him. The crushing reality outside seemed distant, insignificant in her presence.

"If this is a dream, I’d rather never wake up," he whispered, the struggle within him fading as the desire to stay overtook his doubts. Just one more minute away from the endless war.

He pulled Suna into a tight embrace, silent tears tracing down his face, resting on her collarbone as his body trembled. For the first time, he found an outlet for his pain.

"Too much pressure?" Suna gently patted his back, her voice soft with tenderness.

His mind told him that this world didn’t belong to him. But the warmth, the peace—it was so hard to let go.

Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, snapping Li Chuan from his thoughts. He looked up at the darkening horizon.

The commander checked his watch. Eight minutes left.

In eight minutes, the space would seal permanently.

His analysis of Li Chuan’s psychological profile showed an 85% probability that Li Chuan would choose to stay. All he had to do was wait for the final eight minutes.

The seconds ticked by, the commander’s expression cold, his lips curling into a faint smirk. His calculations were flawless.

Just a few more minutes, and Li Chuan would be trapped here forever.

Back on the battlefield, Suna was in a state of disbelief. Li Chuan had vanished right before her eyes, and she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. The deafening roar of artillery broke through her confusion as Old Zhao pulled her down into cover.

"Listen, Suna! Li Chuan still has a chance—that’s a quantum space disruptor. We have less than eight minutes. Take their position, capture the device, and open the tunnel to get him back!" Old Zhao’s voice snapped her back to reality.

She shook off her daze, her mind sharp again.

Zhang Nan, observing the battlefield through the thick smoke, spotted a weakness. The enemy on the east side reacted a beat slower than the others. Frowning, he turned to Gao Qiang. "Feint on the west, draw their forces."

Gao Qiang didn’t waste time with words. Leading his soldiers in alternating attack formations, they launched a false assault on the western flank.

Zhang Nan glanced at the clock. Less than five minutes.

"Old Zhao, cover the front! Keep up the pressure!" he commanded.

"Got it!" Old Zhao barked back.

Zhang Nan led the strike team forward, Suna and Xiaobai close behind.

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"The western defense is under heavy attack. We’re losing ground!" one of the enemy’s aides reported.

The commander nodded, unfazed. "Hold the line." His voice remained calm, as though everything was still within his control.

"Zhang Nan, I’ve prepared a little surprise for you." He watched the enemy formations on his screen, a faint grin tugging at his lips. The delayed eastern defense had been a calculated move, a trap set for a worthy opponent.

If the enemy advanced too far, he’d crush them with artillery. They wouldn’t see it coming.

On a quiet lakeside path, Li Chuan and Suna walked side by side. The soft scent of Suna’s perfume only deepened the sense of reality in this world. Around them, nature was serene, sunlight warm on their skin, flowers dotting the lush grass. Everything was perfect, as though war had never touched this place.

"Is there anywhere special you want to go?" Suna asked lightly.

Li Chuan smiled. "I’ve always wanted to see Mount Everest. They say you can see the Milky Way and the snowy peaks all at once. It must be beautiful."

Suna turned to look at him, her gaze soft. "Let’s go together."

Li Chuan paused, a sharp pang in his chest. If only this were real.

"Maybe… someday," he whispered, unsure how to continue. A gnawing unease stirred within him, but he pushed it aside, unwilling to break this fleeting peace.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and the wind picked up. Dark clouds gathered, and a storm loomed on the horizon. Li Chuan and Suna looked up at the sky, their moment of peace shattered.

Meanwhile, the battlefield reached a fever pitch. The enemy’s counterattack came in waves, relentless and fierce. Gunfire and explosions filled the air as Zhang Nan’s strike team pushed through the east flank. The air was thick with smoke, the distant rumble of artillery never ceasing.

"Almost there!" Zhang Nan gritted his teeth, waving his team forward. They could see the enemy’s position now—the quantum disruptor at the center, faintly glowing.

"Charge!" Gao Qiang barked. The soldiers surged forward, rushing the last line of defense as bullets whizzed past their ears.

Several soldiers leaped onto the ruins, providing covering fire as the battle intensified. The enemy fought desperately to hold the line, bullets and explosions raining down.

Zhang Nan and Suna made a break for the quantum disruptor, their boots slick with blood. Zhang Nan kicked aside an enemy soldier and finally reached the device.

"We’ve got it!" Zhang Nan shouted, turning to Suna.

Xiaobai’s fingers flew over the control panel of the disruptor, but suddenly, he froze. The screen blinked red, a warning flashing across it.

"Lockdown initiated. Device frozen."

"What?!" Zhang Nan’s heart raced, alarms blaring in his mind.

"Can you override it?" Suna’s voice was sharp with urgency.

"Not enough time… I’ll try…" Xiaobai’s lips pressed into a tight line, sweat beading on his forehead.

Zhang Nan slammed his fist against the console, but the device remained inert. He scanned the area—less than two minutes left. They were out of time.

One minute left.

"Something’s wrong…" Zhang Nan bit down hard, sweat dripping from his brow. "It’s a trap! Fall back!"

The soldiers reacted instantly. Gao Qiang and Old Zhao led the strike team in a hasty retreat. In the distance, enemy artillery had already begun to lock onto their position.

Xiaobai hesitated, fingers still flying across the keys. Suna, torn between staying and leaving, was yanked away by Zhang Nan.

At the same time, the enemy commander stood at the far end of the battlefield, watching the action unfold on his holo-map. His lips curled into a cold smile as his finger hovered over the control terminal, then pressed down on the button to launch the remote artillery.

"It’s over," he whispered, his voice dripping with triumph.

The countdown hit zero.

Zhang Nan’s focus was fixed on the battlefield, ears ringing with the sound of explosions. Each blast shook the ground beneath their feet, inching closer and closer. The enemy’s artillery was deadly accurate, tightening the noose around their escape route.

Gao Qiang glanced back, sweat sliding down his temple through the dust and smoke. His breath came in ragged gasps. "We were just there!"

Each explosion seemed to mark their shrinking distance from death.

Zhang Nan remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning the battlefield, quickly analyzing their situation. The enemy’s firepower was concentrated on their front and retreat path. The flank—particularly the ruins—remained untouched.

"Wait." Zhang Nan stopped abruptly, pulling Gao Qiang back as he prepared to accelerate.

Gao Qiang stared at him, confused. "What? We’re not retreating?"

Zhang Nan didn’t answer, eyes fixed on the distance. Through the enemy’s firing patterns and targeting locations, he realized something—their attention was on the front, but the flank was a blind spot. The ruins offered them cover and an opportunity for a counterattack.

He pointed to the left. "Look there. The enemy isn’t hitting that area."

Gao Qiang followed his gaze, noticing the lack of fire in the ruins. His breath hitched, understanding Zhang Nan’s plan.

"You’re saying… we can counter from there?" Gao Qiang’s voice held a mix of excitement and surprise.

Zhang Nan nodded, his voice steady. "Yes. The enemy’s focused on our front. They won’t expect a strike from the side. Those ruins will get us close to their command."

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Nan made his decision.