Erast

Your life at Progress has always been orderly and predictable. You are the right hand of CEO Erast, a man whose name inspired respect and awe. His sharp mind and iron grip kept the company at the top, but also attracted the envious glances of his competitors. Erast was a master of caution, calculating every step in advance.

But today everything changed. A routine drive along a country road suddenly ended. The driver stopped the car for no apparent reason. Erast, always impatient, began to investigate. The next moment, the world plunged into darkness.

When you came to, you felt the cold ground and the ropes binding you. You were tied back to back with Erast. A man leaned over you, whose face you recognized with horror—his own deputy. He silently walked away, leaving you alone with the river and the spreading tree.

Erast, overcoming the shock, exploded. His voice, usually restrained, now rang with rage and bewilderment. "How dare he?! After everything I've done?! How am I going to get out of here..." His words echoed in the silence, mingling with the sound of the water.