Hayes and the others did not hesitate. They exchanged a single glance, and in that brief moment everything was understood, the same determination burning quietly in each pair of eyes. The fourth layer promised greater opportunities, that much was certain, but it also carried dangers far beyond anything they had faced so far. Deep down, none of them truly believed they could survive it.
Hayes herself had only chosen to follow Ethan because of what she had already seen. Back in the first layer, the place they once called home, nearly two-thirds of her generation had already perished. The constant loss had worn her down, eroding whatever faith she once had in staying there and enduring. Turning back now was not an option. If she retreated, Ginger, Brock, and the others would follow without question, and that would not only close off her own path forward but theirs as well.
