The group's attempt to retrace their steps and escape the bizarre landscape proved futile. No matter how far they walked, the day-night dichotomy persisted. Suddenly, TJ whose at the back, turned around, and his eyes landed on John's remains - or rather, his head and neck - standing in the dark part of the landscape. Despite the darkness, John's body was visible, a gruesome sight that made TJ's blood run cold. His face was battered, his eyes almost dislodged from their sockets, his nose bleeding, and his neck brutally mutilated.
"J... J... Jo..." TJ's voice trembled as he tried to call out to John, his heart racing with fear. It was as if no one else could hear him, and he felt like he was the only one speaking to himself. The others seemed oblivious, busy walking ahead without a care. Summoning all his strength, TJ attempted to run towards them, but his leg collided with an invisible stone in the dark part of the landscape, sending him tumbling to the ground.
The sound of his fall caught the attention of the others, who turned around and began searching for him in the darkness. "TJ!" they called out, their hands extended as they felt their way through the night-shrouded area. But TJ was frozen in fear, unable to utter a word or respond to his name.
After what felt like an eternity, Mike's leg bumped into TJ's prone form. "TJ!" Mike exclaimed, but there was still no response. "TJ, is that you? Grab my leg and get up," Mike coaxed, but TJ remained silent, paralyzed by shock.
The others rushed to Mike's side, and he used his hands to locate TJ's position. As Mike helped him to his feet, TJ's eyes were wide with fear, and he pointed silently towards the direction where he had seen John's remains. The others followed his gaze, but there was nothing there. John's body had vanished once again.
"What? What did you see?" they asked, confusion etched on their faces. "John! I saw John," TJ finally stammered, still pointing. "John?" they echoed in unison, surprise written all over their faces.
"Let's keep moving," Mike suggested, leading TJ along. "Who knows, we might find a way out into the daylight." The others trailed behind, but before they could take more than a few steps, another voice boomed from afar, accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps. It was a single voice, but the footsteps seemed to belong to multiple people.
As the voice drew closer, the footsteps grew louder, but their number seemed to decrease. It was as if the voice was shedding its accompanying footsteps as it approached. "Yo! Yo! See?" "I told you, John's here" "Hehehehehehehe! Hehehehehehehe! Hehehehehehehe! He's here!" The voice cackled maniacally, repeating itself as it drew nearer.
When the footsteps had dwindled to just two, the voice declared, "We are here." The group exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what to make of the voice's words or who was speaking. They stood frozen, like statues, their minds reeling with questions.