The cart creaked along a winding dirt path, wheels jostling over roots and loose stone. The canopy above thickened with every passing minute, sunlight thinning into fractured beams through tangled leaves. The road would end soon. Then it would just be them—and the jungle.
Ace sat near the front, hunched over a blinking black cube in his hands, jaw tight. The signal hadn't changed. Still life-threatening. Still silent.
Behind him, Andrew Sterling leaned back lazily, legs crossed at the ankle, flipping through a folded newspaper. "Today's horoscope says I shouldn't be outdoors," he muttered. "Mercury's in retrograde. Says miscommunication could lead to severe consequences."
Ace didn't look up. "You're reading horoscopes during a rescue mission?"
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "You're trusting a box that blinks?"
Ace finally glanced back. "This 'box' took me six months to develop. Calibrated to sync with life signs and movement data."
"Well, mine's printed daily by a certified astrologer," Andrew replied coolly, adjusting the small teddy bear hanging from his belt. "And it says I should avoid swamps."
Ace sighed, rubbing his temples. "You realize your decisions are based on planetary movements from light-years away."
"And yours are based on data from people who might already be dead."
Silence stretched—though not entirely. In the back corner of the cart, Marie sat still, arms tightly wrapped around her knees. She hadn't spoken the whole ride.
Ace gave her a glance. "You okay?"
Marie didn't answer right away. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon—where the trees grew darker.
"What if it rains?" she whispered.
Andrew blinked. "Then we get wet?"
"No, no, no," she muttered. "What if it rains hard? Like, flood-level rain. What if the ground turns to mud and we can't walk? Or if we have to swim? What if someone's sick and we can't carry them? What if—"
"Sharks swim into the jungle rivers and eat us?" Andrew offered helpfully.
Marie clutched her sleeves tighter. "Don't joke. That's a real possibility if the current gets strong enough."
In the middle of it all, Daisy Brook sat quietly, her blonde hair pinned back, medical satchel slung over one shoulder. Her fingers absently traced the rim of a sealed container of aether-laced chocolates. She glanced between Ace and Andrew, then Marie.
She didn't speak, but her eyes said enough: These are the people I'm supposed to keep alive.
The cart jolted to a stop.
The driver motioned ahead. "This is it. Road ends here."
Ace stood, pocketed the cube, and jumped down. The earthy, wet breath of the jungle drifted out to greet them like a warning.
Andrew followed with a theatrical sigh. "I'm walking into my own doom. Again."
Marie didn't move.
"You coming?" Ace asked.
She slowly slid off the cart, muttering, "This is a terrible idea."
Daisy came down last, heels crunching lightly in the dirt. She took one deep breath, then said quietly, "Stick close. We don't know what's waiting in there."
And just like that, the four of them stepped into the green. The trees closed behind them, and the cart rolled away.
Hours passed on foot, and the jungle only grew thicker, the air heavier. Vines hung like curtains across their path, brushing against shoulders and catching on belts. Leaves dripped moisture that never quite dried, and every insect in creation seemed determined to make its presence known. The breeze here was different—chillier than the dry warmth of the buzzing town they'd left behind. It carried a damp, earthy smell tinged with something sharp—like wet bark and distant ash, as if the jungle itself were holding its breath.
Ace led the way, a folded map in one hand and a brass compass in the other, brow furrowed in focus. "Topography lines match… If we're reading this right, we're about two kilometers away from where they should be according to my calculations"
Andrew swatted a fly off his neck. "You sure we're not just going in circles and passing the same cursed fern over and over?"
Ace didn't look up. "Yes."
"Because I swear that fern waved at me," Andrew muttered, adjusting the teddy bear keychain hanging from his belt.
Marie stumbled slightly, nearly tripping over a root. "Do we have to go so fast? We're not even sure what's waiting out there. Could be an ambush. Or poisonous frogs. Or plants that eat you alive—"
"Plants can't eat people, Marie," Ace cut in.
She shot him a look. "Oh, can't they?"
Daisy, bringing up the rear, finally spoke. "Let's just hope we don't get separated. The canopy's getting denser, and it's hard enough seeing ten feet ahead."
Andrew groaned. "This is why Mercury being in retrograde is a real threat. Miscommunication, anxiety, potential doom—it's textbook. We are a textbook."
Ace muttered under his breath, "You're an unedited draft with typos."
"Hey," Andrew grinned. "I may be chaotic, but at least I'm entertaining. Unlike you, Mister Compass McSeriousface."
Then—a sound.
Leaves rustled violently to the left, then behind them. A low huff echoed through the trees. Something heavy. Something close.
Everyone froze.
"…That wasn't the wind," Marie whispered, inching closer to Ace. "Tell me that was you."
"No," Andrew said, immediately reaching for his sniper and unlocking the holster from his belt. "That was the jungle watching us. Told you."
Ace dropped to a knee, quickly scanning the ground. "Footprints… deep. Four-legged. Heavy. We're being followed. It's circling."
Another sound—branches cracking. A blur in the leaves. Something big moved, fast and low.
Marie's eyes widened. "Is it wolves? Please don't let it be wolves. Or a panther. I read panthers can mimic sounds to lure prey. What if it's mimicking a baby crying next?"
Then came the growl—deep and guttural.
They turned toward the sound, but it was already gone. Then another snap of leaves—this time ahead.
Ace's voice was calm but clipped. "It's fast. Judging by the size and speed… 500 to 600 pounds. Quadruped. It's testing us."
"I knew we were going to die in this jungle," Marie whispered. "I wrote it down in my will. 'Jungle-related death: extremely likely.'"
Then, from the underbrush ahead—a flash of eyes.
Glowing green.
Daisy's voice was ice. "Shit. It's mutated."
A blur exploded from the tall grass, barreling straight at them.
A bear. But not like any natural bear. Its fur was mottled with patches of roughened skin, glowing veins running beneath its hide like molten cracks. Its eyes burned an unnatural green. It moved too fast—too smart.
"Move!" Ace barked.
Andrew sprang into action, using a low-hanging branch and two bounding steps off nearby trunks to launch himself into a tree. "I'll get eyes from above!"
The remaining three snapped into position, forming a defensive triangle, backs to each other.
"Center formation!" Ace called. "We protect the middle—don't let it isolate us!"
Marie's hands trembled as she drew her hand daggers. "I hate this. I hate this. I should've stayed home"
Daisy kept her eyes locked on the rustling leaves. "Wait for it… Wait…"
The bear dove—not at the group, but straight at Ace.
He barely had time to react.
The bear lunged.
It was a blur of muscle, fur, and rage, launching itself from the grass straight at Ace.
Daisy and Marie fell apart.
Daisy stumbled back with a gasp, reaching instinctively for Ace, but her foot slipped on the wet earth. Marie screamed and dropped to her knees, hands over her mouth.
Ace didn't even get to raise his arms—his head slammed against the ground with a thud, eyes dazed, blood already trickling from his temple.
The mutated bear landed inches from his chest, steam rising from its snout.
CRACK!
A sharp bullet rang through the jungle air—Andrew had fired.
From above, he'd lined the shot perfectly: behind the ears, where the skull thins.
But the branch beneath him snapped.
His aim shifted.
The bullet grazed the bear's head, catching only the edge of its ear.
The creature roared and reared, wild with pain. Andrew fell from the tree, crashing into a lower branch before hitting the ground hard.
The bear turned on him—enraged. It charged, jaws wide open, rows of serrated teeth ready to rip his entire head from his shoulders.
Andrew had just enough time to roll, scrambling for his Kar98. He swung the rifle up defensively.
SNAP.
The bear bit down hard, fangs cracking the wood stock. One of its teeth broke.
It didn't care.
With a violent shake of its head, it hurled Andrew aside like a ragdoll, gun and all. Andrew's hand slipped from the nozzle as he flew through the air and slammed into a tree trunk.
The rifle—split in two.
Andrew groaned, stunned. The bear turned to him again, nostrils flaring, the broken tooth hanging, green saliva dripping from its jaw.
It charged again, faster this time.
Andrew blinked up at the beast, his chest heaving.
He didn't move.
He closed his eyes.
This was it.
Then—
SMACK!
A stone hit the bear's face.
Not hard. Not damaging.
But enough to distract it.
The bear stopped and turned—slowly, ominously—toward the thrower.
Marie.
She was trembling uncontrollably, wide-eyed, crouched low and frozen in fear. The stone had been a desperate, shaky throw. But it had worked.
The bear roared, lifting both its massive front limbs, shadow stretching over her.
Marie let out a tiny breath and fell back onto the ground, helpless.
Andrew's hand twitched. He blinked back into motion.
With a grunt, he pulled the throwing knife from his belt—his last chance.
He didn't think. He just aimed and threw.
Thwack!
The blade sank deep into the bear's ear canal, burying itself in soft tissue.
The beast howled in agony, staggering sideways, swiping blindly at the air.
Marie's breath hitched.
Ace's voice cut through the chaos like a blade—sharp, urgent.
"Marie, go!"
Something cracked inside her. A sound that didn't come from the jungle or the beast, but from the coil of panic twisting in her chest. She surged to her feet with a scream, dagger drawn, and charged at the monster.
If I'm going to die here, I'm taking it with me.
This is it. I fight or I become mulch in this cursed jungle.
But the bear turned toward her with a guttural snarl, eyes glowing brighter than firelight, fangs gleaming. It reared up on its hind legs, casting a shadow so large it devoured her.
Then it made that noise.
Not just a roar—no, worse. A deep, sick, wet howl that vibrated through her ribs and settled in her spine.
She froze.
This was stupid. What was I thinking?
I won't survive things like these.
I am not strong enough
Her feet rooted to the ground. Her dagger shook in her hand. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
The bear stepped forward.
In that moment, she saw herself as she always feared she was—helpless.
Frozen.
The bear moved in.
Ace's voice cracked through the air:
"ANDREW!"
Andrew barely heard him. His ears rang. His vision blurred. His back screamed where he'd hit the tree. But Ace's voice—that he heard.
He turned his head.
Saw the bear looming over Marie.
Felt a jolt of panic— No. Not her. Not now.
Ace tore the knife from his belt and flung it. "UNDER HIS FORELIMB!"
The blade spun mid-air, fast and true.
Andrew's fingers caught the hilt like instinct. His eyes sharpened.
One chance.
He ducked low, pain flaring through his ribs. Rolled beneath the beast's bulk, barely dodging a massive paw.
Then—he saw it.
That patch. Just beneath the front limb. Bare skin. Exposed. Unarmored.
He struck.
Once. The blade sunk deep.
There.
Twice. Same spot.
Again. Again. Again.
Just die already.
Six strikes. Precise. Ruthless.
The bear let out a distorted, choking screech. Its limbs twitched.
Then—collapse.
A shaking mountain of fury and flesh crashed to the earth.
Silence.
The jungle held its breath.
Marie gasped. Her knees buckled, but she didn't fall.
Daisy, still standing behind the line, stepped forward, hands clenched, lips pressed into a thin line, ready to leap into the fray.
But Ace, blood streaking down his temple, held out an arm.
"Hold yourself, Daisy!" His voice was firm. Not harsh. Not angry. Just grounded.
She looked at him, furious. "He was going to die—!"
"And so would you," he said. "You're our medic. We rely on you for healing. We can't afford to have you injured."
Daisy's hands trembled. "I could've—"
He cut her off, gentler now. "Medical aether fights only to defend themselves. Those are the rules."
Daisy stared at the collapsed bear, breathing hard.
That could've been Andrew.
But if I get hurt, they all fall. I know that. I know that.
Still, it burned.
Only their panting filled the void. Blood splattered the grass. The forest stood still, like it, too, was holding its breath.
Ace glanced down at the beast, the knife still stuck in its ear. He smirked. "Nice aim, Andrew."
Andrew gave a weak thumbs-up, his hand still trembling but still managed to wink. "Told you precision is high today."
Ace rolled his eyes
Daisy, already moving to check on the group, spoke urgently as she began tending to their wounds. "Let's hurry and find Desmond's team. The longer we wait, the harder it'll be to track them."
She pressed a simple bandage against the cut on Ace's forehead, then turned to Andrew, who was clutching his shoulder where the bear had slashed him. Carefully cleaning the wound, she placed her glowing palms over it. A soft green light bloomed beneath her touch as she murmured, "Return to rhythm." The torn skin began to knit together slowly. Once the worst was sealed, she wrapped it in a fresh bandage to continue healing it over time.
The team quickly brushed themselves off, adjusting gear and weapons. They were ready to move out, the tension in the air now replaced with an urgency to press forward.
After approximately 40 minutes on foot, Ace stopped, scanning the horizon. He turned, pointing west. "We need to go that way."
He started walking, glancing back to ensure everyone was following. After two minutes, he slowed, his eyes narrowing. "Anywhere here."
They emerged into a small clearing—and froze.
And there it was.
Luis. Desmond. Derek
And a fourth.
Burnt.
Unmistakably human, but charred beyond recognition. The ground beneath him blackened into a perfect scorch mark, as though lightning had kissed the earth.
Ace's voice dropped. "It really looks like whoever did this was in a rush…"
Daisy darted ahead, dropping to her knees beside Luis first. Her hands moved in practiced rhythm. "He's unconscious," she called. She crawled to Desmond. "He's critical. Internal bleeding, maybe."
Then—Derek.
She reached his neck.
No pulse.
Her blood ran cold.
"No… No no no," she whispered, then shouted, "Andrew, I need you now! Ace, Marie—get the silver bottle from my left pouch and tend to Luis and Desmond! Electrolytes—small sips!"
Andrew knelt beside her immediately.
"He's not breathing," Daisy snapped. "Start compressions—I'll handle the breaths!"
Andrew's hands pressed firmly onto Derek's chest. "One, two, three—"
Daisy leaned in, pinched Derek's nose, gave two rescue breaths, then backed off.
"Again!"
Marie scrambled for the silver bottle and tossed it to Ace, who caught it and unscrewed the cap. He knelt by Desmond and gently supported his head while Marie lifted Luis's chin and poured a controlled sip into his mouth.
"Easy… Come on, wake up…" Marie muttered, brushing hair out of Luis's eyes.
Back at Derek's side, Andrew was sweating. "Still nothing—"
"He's not dead!" Daisy barked. "Keep going!"
She gave two more breaths.
"Come on, Derek," Andrew muttered under his breath. "Don't make her do this for nothing—"
Suddenly, Derek's body convulsed—a choking gasp escaped his lips. His eyes flew open, wild and unfocused. He tried to sit up but collapsed back in Daisy's arms.
"He's breathing," Andrew exhaled, stunned. "He's actually breathing—"
Daisy stayed still for a heartbeat, frozen. Then her shoulders shook. "Thank you," she whispered to no one in particular. "Thank the stars…"
She moved fast now, crawling back to Luis and placing her palm over his chest. Her aether pulsed dimly, but it worked—cuts began to be sealed "Return to rhythm," the blue tint on his lips softened.
Desmond groaned faintly as Ace tilted his head and gave another sip. "He's stabilizing," Ace said. "Barely."
Marie's hands trembled, but she focused, gently cleaning blood from Luis's temple with the edge of her sleeve.
Then Daisy returned—her movements slower now. She pressed her hands to Desmond's side "Return to rhythm," and a soft light glowed beneath them.
One by one, Daisy moved between them, healing just enough to get them stable. By the time she reached Derek again, her glow had faded to a flicker. She gave one final surge of energy—just enough to steady his breathing—before stumbling to her feet.
"They'll walk," she murmured. "But they'll need days to fully recover… I can't…"
Her knees buckled.
"Daisy!" Andrew caught her before she hit the ground, gently easing her down.
"She's unconscious," he said, checking her pulse. "Worn out. She pushed too far."
Ace knelt beside them. "She did enough. We've got them back."
Marie exhaled, shaky. "We need to set up a camp. Get her warm and keep them safe until tomorrow."
No one argued.