Morning light filtered through the dense jungle canopy, casting speckled shadows across the AMP Squad's half-packed campsite. The air smelled like wet moss and citrus, and cicadas buzzed in the background like nature's alarm clock. Zora blinked awake, disoriented but alert. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, catching whispers nearby.
"Guys... my hands were literally glowing last night," Blair said, holding up her fingers. Faint traces of blue light still shimmered across her skin. "It wasn't a dream."
Zora stared, suddenly wide awake. "You saw that too? I swear I heard... a voice. Like something was calling me in the forest."
Athena, wrapped in her hoodie, nodded slowly. "I thought I imagined it, but... same. And I found this under my pillow." She held up a shimmering gold bracelet etched with strange runes. It sparkled even in the shade, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
"Okay, wait," Asher muttered from the front of the van, typing furiously on his laptop. "No signal. Not even a blip. I can't connect to satellites, WiFi, or anything. It's like we've been erased from Google Maps."
"Same with my GPS," Enzo said, flipping through his notebook. "I marked out the trail we took yesterday, but now it's just... gone. Like the jungle moved."
"It did move," Sylvia said. "I went back to that tree where I hung my scarf, and it's not there. Like someone picked up the entire forest and rearranged it."
Ace opened his sketchbook, looking uneasy. "Y'all are gonna think I've officially lost it, but I drew this last night in my sleep." He held up a page. It was a glowing city surrounded by cliffs, waterfalls, and twisting jungle paths—almost too detailed to be imagined.
"You didn't draw that just now?" Zora asked, eyes wide. "I saw you open your book, but your pencil didn't even touch the page."
"Okay, nope," Axel said, finally awake and brushing leaves out of his hair. "That's freaky. And kinda cool."
"Guys..." Sylvia murmured, pointing to the digital map on her phone. "See that canyon? The one we crossed yesterday? It's not on the map anymore."
Asher stood up and stretched. "Whatever this place is, it doesn't play by Earth rules. Something's off."
Zora took a deep breath and slowly raised her hand. A soft vibration filled the air—and with a hum like an echo, a pulse of energy rippled out from her palm, knocking over a water bottle.
Everyone froze.
"Okay, so... Zora's got sound powers," Blair said, trying to keep her cool. "Nice."
"I think mine's light," Blair added. "I made a flash orb earlier. Accidentally blinded myself in the process."
"Mine might be nature?" Sylvia said. "I touched a tree and the cut on my wrist literally disappeared. I jumped like... ten feet too."
Enzo nodded, flipping through his notebook again. "When I concentrate, I can see things. Like memories stored in the ground beneath us. I saw someone walking here... a long time ago. Wearing all white."
Athena clutched her bracelet. "I can manipulate objects. I touched my sketchbook and it recreated one of my designs. With real fabric."
Axel crossed his arms. "Super strength, probably. I lifted the van tire with one hand and freaked myself out."
Asher's eyes gleamed. "I hacked a password-locked phone just by touching it. Tech powers, maybe? Whatever it is, I like it."
Ace looked dazed. "I sang, and the trees responded. I swear they leaned in. Like they were listening."
They all exchanged glances. Whatever was happening, it wasn't random. It wasn't just a dream.
"I think something chose us," Asher said.
"And it's calling us deeper," Ace added, tapping the glowing city on his sketchbook. "To Keitha."