The guard on the wall frowned as he looked down at the small group gathered beneath the gate, his gaze sweeping across their anxious faces before settling on Helen again. He wondered how stupid they were to step outside.
"You want the gate opened?" the guard repeated slowly.
"Yes," Helen replied without hesitation, her chin raised stubbornly as though she had already made up her mind and nothing anyone said would change it.
The soldier hesitated for a mont before signaling to another guard standing nearby.
"Inform Captain Enzo," he said quietly.
The other soldier nodded and quickly disappeared down the stairway leading to the control room.
Below, the group shifted from one foot to the other nervously as they waited, so glancing toward the dark sky beyond the massive iron gates while others whispered among themselves as if suddenly realizing the gravity of what they were about to do.
Luke leaned slightly toward Helen. "Do you think they will allow it?"
Helen snorted quietly. "They can’t keep us imprisoned here forever."
Minutes passed before hurried footsteps echoed along the wall, and the soldier who had been sent earlier returned accompanied by another guard who imdiately began relaying the ssage through the communication radio connected to the command sector.
Inside the command building, Enzo was still reviewing patrol reports when the ssage reached him, his brows pulling together as he listened to the guard’s explanation about the group demanding to leave the fortress in the middle of the night.
"Seventeen people?" Enzo repeated. "Did they lose so nuts or what?"
"I think so, Captain," the voice on the radio replied. "They insist on leaving imdiately."
Enzo rubbed his temple briefly before replying, "Hold them there. I will inform the commander."
He ended the transmission and quickly headed toward Laurel’s office.
The corridor was quiet, the soft glow of ergency lamps illuminating the concrete walls as Enzo knocked once before pushing the door open.
"Commander," he said respectfully.
anwhile inside the space house, Ling Xuan and Laurel held the knocking sound and the voice of Enzo.
"I’ll talk to him." She said imdiately.
Ling Xuan stepped out of the space sitting on the chair, while pretending to review the docunts that lay on top of the table.
"What is it?" Ling Xuan asked calmly.
Enzo stepped forward. "There are residents gathered at the outer gate demanding to leave the fortress."
"They want to leave?" Ling Xuan drawled, her face straight.
"Yes," Enzo replied. "Seventeen of them."
Ling Xuan leaned back slowly in her chair, her expression remaining calm as she processed the information, because although unrest within the fortress had been one of the possibilities she and Laurel had discussed earlier, she had not expected people to attempt leaving so quickly.
She remained silent for a mont, her fingers tapping lightly against the desk as she considered the implications of the situation, because forcing the residents to remain inside the fortress could easily create resentnt and panic among the civilians, yet allowing them to leave might encourage others to follow.
However, after only a brief mont of thought, Ling Xuan made her decision.
"Open the gate," she said calmly.
Enzo blinked slightly. "Commander?"
"Open the gate for them," Ling Xuan repeated without hesitation.
"You’re letting them go?" Laurel whispered in her head.
Ling Xuan’s expression remained indifferent. "No one is being held here against their will." She paused briefly before continuing. "But once they leave, they are no longer residents of this fortress."
Enzo imdiately understood what she ant. "Yes, commander."
"If they choose to leave the protection of the fortress, then they must accept the consequences of that choice." She added.
Enzo straightened slightly. "Yes, Commander."
He turned and left the room without delay.
"If people believe they can co and go freely, panic will spread and half the fortress might try leaving tomorrow." Laurel thought inwardly.
"Cleaning the fortress is also not a bad thing." Ling Xuan muttered under breath, one side of her lips pulling up faintly.
...
Back at the outer gate, the soldiers were still watching the restless group below when Enzo finally arrived, his presence imdiately drawing their attention as he stepped onto the wall and looked down at the residents gathered beneath the towering steel doors.
Helen folded her arms when she saw him. "So?" she called up. "Are you going to open it? If you do not, we are going to cause a riot, we have freedom to choose whatever we want for ourselves."
Enzo studied them briefly before speaking. "The commander has given her order."
The group glanced at each other nervously.
Then, the massive gate chanisms began rumbling as the soldiers moved into position. But before the gate could open, Enzo raised his voice so everyone could hear clearly.
"The gate will be opened for you."
A few people sighed in relief. However, Enzo’s next words quickly wiped the relief from their faces.
"But once you leave the fortress, you will no longer be allowed to return."
The group fell silent.
Helen’s brows knitted slightly. "What do you an?"
Enzo’s expression remained calm. "I an exactly what I said."
His voice carried clearly through the night air.
"The mont you pass through that gate, you are no longer residents of this fortress, and if you attempt to return later, you’ll be shot on sight."
Several people imdiately began whispering nervously among themselves.
"Is this really worth it?"
"We have food and shelter, and even the opportunity to earn more here."
"I don’t know what to do."
Luke looked uncertain for the first ti since the plan began.
Helen’s eyes hardened. "You’re threatening us? You can’t do that to us."
"No," Enzo replied calmly. "I’m informing you of the consequences of your choice."
The massive gates began creaking open slowly. Beyond them stretched the dark and silent wasteland. For a brief mont, none of the people moved. Fear flickered across several faces.
"Don’t worry we won’t be coming back." Luke said, reinforcing the people’s morals.
But Helen stepped forward first. "We’re leaving," she said firmly.
Luke followed after her, though the hesitation in his steps was slightly more visible.
One by one, the others began walking toward the opening gate.
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