Morning came wrapped in thick fog—like the sky forgot how to breathe. You could barely see past your fingertips. Whole camp was on hush mode.
Even Kiki was quiet, tail twitchin', snout sniffin' the air like somethin' felt... off.
Echo hovered low. "Atmospheric distortion detected. Visibility down 80%."
Tam peeked through a scope. "Y'all seein' this? That fog's not just hangin'. It's movin'. Like it's got a target."
Yen loaded her darts. "Feels like we're in a jungle horror sim, and we just triggered the next scene."
Arka zipped up his jacket, grabbed his tracker slate. "Time to see what this fog's hidin'. Core trail says there's a memory node not far. Might be why it's actin' up."
🌫️ Mission Ping: Locate the Fogborn Memory Node
They moved slow—silent steps, barely breathin'. The trees looked taller somehow, warped by the mist. Every snap of a twig made hearts jump.
Then...
Boom. A low pulse shook the ground. Not loud. Just deep—like the jungle was speakin' from its chest.
They found the node. Buried under vines, surrounded by broken statuary. Looked ancient, but still blinkin'.
Arka placed a hand on it.
The world glitched.
🌀 MEMORY ECHO UNLOCKED
They saw flashes—builders in strange suits, growin' trees with tech, mixin' circuits with seeds. A city made of leaves and light. Then... collapse. People runnin'. Something huge movin' in the smoke.
"Verdant Core failing. Last hope: The Fogborn Protocol."
Snap—vision ended. Everyone stumbled back like they just left a dream too fast.
Mira whispered, "Fogborn. That's not just mist. It's... memory. A defense."
Echo chimed in. "Residual echo suggests sentience. Jungle may be protecting secrets."
Yen looked around. "Or tryna make us forget."
🧠 Lore Drop: Fogborn Protocol
Back in the day, when the Core was dyin', the builders made a failsafe—Fogborn Protocol. A memory cloud that cloaked places too important, too dangerous, or too loaded to be left open.
Problem is... the fog forgets to let go.
So it traps memories, people, sometimes even creatures. Like a living lock on time itself.
Mira pulled out her data crystal. "We can mark these spots. Unfog 'em. Bit by bit."
Arka nodded. "Let's make a map. Start clearing the jungle's head."
🔓 UPGRADE UNLOCKED
🌫️ Memory Map Activated
Can now mark and clear Fogborn Zones
Arka's Trait: "Echo Touch" – unlocks deeper visions in memory sites
Kiki's Perk: "Silent Paw" – less noise when moving in dense fog
Base Expansion: Fog Shelter Unlocked
Later that night, the fog rolled back just a little.
They sat by the fire, each one starin' into the flames like they were lookin' at old lives. Nobody talked much. Just felt the weight.
Arka finally broke the silence.
"Y'all feel it?" he asked.
Tam nodded. "Like the past's tryna come home."
Yen smirked. "Or warn us before it kicks the door in."
They all laughed, but it didn't last.
Above them, the jungle canopy shifted.
Somethin' was comin'. Not now. But soon.