Sam walked briskly, brushing leaves from his hair as he pushed through the tall ferns. He pretended that he was looking for Ethan. But really, he'd been waiting for the right moment. The creatures chasing the group only made it easier to slip away unnoticed.
He checked over his shoulder, searched the trees for cameras, then he buried the knife he used to stab Ethan with.
No one was following.
He exhaled, relieved.
Then a voice whispered from the shadows. "Sam?"
Sam flinched, his head quickly turned.
Mark stepped out from behind a cluster of thin trees, his face tight with worry. Elena followed him, clutching the straps of her backpack. Both of them looked exhausted. It wasn't their first time encountering the creature, but they were worried about the others.
"You're okay," Elena breathed out in relief. "We heard a scream, and then everything went silent. We didn't know if anyone survived."
Sam forced a shaky smile, "Oh ha...yea I'm fine. I'm glad you two are too."
Mark approached him, concerned. "Where's the rest of your group?"
Sam hesitated.
He could lie and say he didn't know, but his father's voice echoed in his head:
"...Stay in character. And remember—they are not your friends. If anyone interrupts the mission...eliminate them."
And yet Mark and Elena weren't part of his group. But they knew too much about this place, and this ruins his chance of being a 'hero'. They were outsiders to him.
Maybe leading them away was safer, for him at least.
"They ran East?" Sam said softly. "Trying to throw the creature off. But they're far, too far. I lost them in the chaos."
Elena asked, "East? That's terrible terrain… the cliffside is steep there."
Sam pretended to look troubled. "I know. But it was the only direction they had."
Mark rubbed the back of his neck, the way he always did when he was overwhelmed. "So what now? We can't go after them if the creatures are still around."
Sam nodded, lowering his voice. "Then stay with me. For now. We'll regroup later. It's safer if we move."
Elena looked at him with fragile hope. "Do you think they escaped the monster?"
"I'm sure they did," Sam lied smoothly.
Mark glanced north, squinting through the dark trees. "We were heading back toward the river before the scream. If we move fast enough, we can catch up to them before nightfall."
Sam nodded. "Then let's go."
He took the lead.
Beneath the surface, he was calculating. Every step. Every turn. Every word he fed them.
Mark and Elena followed close behind, trusting him—completely unaware that Sam's mind was miles ahead of them.
Mark pointed right. "That way leads back toward the river."
But Sam shook his head, "No. We can't go that way. I saw one of those creatures heading in that direction."
Elena swallowed hard. "We should take the left, then."
Sam started walking left without waiting for their agreement, knowing they would follow, and they did.
Mark kept glancing at Sam's back, worry etched deeply in his face.
Finally, he asked, "Sam… are you sure you're okay? You look pale."
Sam tightened his jaw, "I'm just tired," Sam answered. "It's been… a long day."
Mark nodded. "We'll regroup with the others soon. We just need to make it through tonight."
Sam then said with a faint grin, "Yes, I hope we make it through tonight, wouldn't want the others to worry...Let's rest somewhere."
Mark didn't notice the meaning under his words. Neither did Elena.
The forest became quiet...too quiet.
Maya and Rory pushed forward through the bushes, calling out for Ethan and Lena, trying not to draw attention from the creatures. The afternoon light begins to fade, and the weight of everything that had happened pressed heavier on Maya's chest with each step.
Rory kept scanning the trees, his fingers wrapped around the small stone he'd picked up earlier as if it counted as a weapon.
"Do you hear anything?" Maya whispered.
"No...," he murmured, searching his pocket, "I still don't know where my knife went, it's always in my pocket."
"Maybe it fell out when we were climbing the ridge," Maya said.
Rory responded with a sigh, "I doubt that."
Then a faint sound reached them—a human groan, somewhere beyond a trees.
Maya darted forward before Rory could stop her.
"Ethan!? is that you?"
There he was...Ethan laying on the ground, partly hidden under branches. Dirt smeared across his face, his breathing uneven and shallow. His left shoulder was badly bruised, and there was a fresh stab wound in his abdomen, his shirt soaked in blood.
But he was alive.
"Oh, thank god— Ethan!" Maya dropped to her knees. "What happened? Can you hear me?"
His eyelids fluttered. "Maya…?" His voice was rough, barely a whisper, "Rory…?"
Maya quickly tore a strip from the bottom of her shirt and pressed it gently against Ethan's stomach wound, tears pooling in her eyes. He winced in pain.
"I thought—" Ethan swallowed hard. "I thought I wasn't going to make it."
"You're not dying," Maya said firmly, tying the cloth tight. "Not today. Not while we're here."
Ethan managed a shaky smile.
Rory slid Ethan's arm over his shoulder, helping him stand. "Can you walk?"
"Yeah. I think so."
They moved slowly through the forest, Maya supporting his other side. Every few steps, Ethan hissed with pain, but he kept going, one foot at a time. Not long after, they saw a trembling figure appear from between some trees. Her hair was messy, her face stained with tears, and her legs wobbled, unable to walk straight.
"Lena?" Maya rushed to her, trying to calm her down, "We found you. It's okay. We're here."
Lena blinked, then suddenly threw her arms around Maya in a desperate, almost childlike grip.
"I thought— I thought I was going to die," she choked, sobbing, "I'm sorry for leaving you guys...."
"I know," Maya whispered, stroking her hair. "But you're safe now."
"You're the best friend any girl can ask for," Lena said sincerely.
Rory gently helped Ethan sit against a fallen tree trunk. "We need to keep moving soon. We can't stay here."
Maya nodded, but Lena shook her head wildly. "No... that thing it's—"
A branch then snapped behind them.
Rory stiffened, looking toward the sound, then he whispered, "Maya…you heard that right?"
"I hear it." Her blood runs cold.
Multiple footsteps were heard, and two of the same creature appeared in front of them, growling, their red eyes piercing. Lena tried her hardest to compose herself, not to scream.
"Everyone, stay still," Rory whispered.
The creatures came closer. Rory held Maya close, heart pounding so hard it hurt.
Ethan pushed himself up on shaking legs.
"Rory," he said quietly, eyes fixed on Maya, "take them. Slowly."
"What? No—" Maya grabbed his arm. "Ethan, what are you doing?"
"They're not going to stop following us until they get what they want. You two still have a chance," he said as he wipes her tears, "You guys are going to be ok. Let me protect you for once."
Rory stepped forward, voice low and worried. "Ethan, don't...please. We can figure something out—"
A deep growl cut him off. One of the creatures stepped closer.
Ethan looks at him with a warm smile, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You're a good man, Rory. Take care of the girls. And..." He pauses, his eyes watering, "When you guys get out of here, tell my wife I'm sorry. Go. Now. Please."
Before they could stop him, he grabbed a broken branch from the ground, snapped it loudly, and shouted, "HEY! OVER HERE!"
Both creatures jerked toward him.
"ETHAN!" Maya screamed as Rory pulled her back, grabbing Lena with his other hand.
"Run!" Ethan exclaimed.
Maya sobbed as they ran. She didn't dare to look back. Her heart burned. Rory held her hand tightly, trying to hold back his tears. Lena followed quickly behind. They didn't stop running. The sky had gone dark, night settling in quickly. The temperature dropped, the air heavy with fog. Lena stumbled, clutching her chest.
"We… we need shelter," she whispered, shaking uncontrollably.
"Over there," Rory said, pointing to a cave hidden beneath a canopy of trees.
They entered the cave cautiously. Rory lit a small flame using a piece of bark and a lighter he had taken from the camp days ago. The faint glow illuminated the cave. Lena sat down, hugging her knees to her chest, eyes fixed on the ground.
Maya leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breath as tears kept flowing. Her legs buckled. Rory slowly knelt beside her, his expression unreadable.
"We're okay," he whispered, though he wasn't sure he believed it.
Maya covers her face, "Ethan didn't deserve to die for us like this. I should have stopped him—"
"Maya..." Rory said softly, "Ethan was a great leader, my best friend ever since I came here...Even though him and I had our quarrels, I never once regretted meeting him. He wants us to get out of this cursed forest alive. Let's not take his death in vain. You're not alone, so don't blame yourself for anything."
He then hugged her tightly, and she leaned into him, wiping her tears. Lena watches them, a smile on her face.
After a while, Maya calms down, and Lena talks with her.
Rory walked deeper inside the cave, scanning the ground. "Something's here."
Maya slowly stood and joined him, "What is it?"
He knelt, brushing away a thin layer of soil. Wooden edges appeared beneath the dirt.
"A box…?" he said.
Maya helped him clear the rest until a small wooden chest was fully visible, its surface scratched but intact. Rory lifted it carefully; the latch wasn't locked. They shared a glance… and opened it.
Inside was a small golden key. Perfectly preserved.
Rory took it out, examining it, "Is this... the key Elena and Mark were telling us about?"
Maya gasped, "It has to be right? For that door, they said, up North."
Lena lifted her head, voice trembling. "So there really is a way out?"
Maya looked at the key again, hope flickering inside her for the first time in days, "I think so," she whispered.
Rory closed the box, holding the key firmly.
"Then tomorrow," he said, voice steady, "...we find Mark and Elena and search for the door."