To the dark future

by Overlard77

Lincoln Loud embarks on an unwanted journey into an alternate distant future, where things are totally different and he will see humanity like never before.

8. Chapter 7: The Initiation Test

Two hours had passed since the trial began. Without wasting any time, Lincoln and the others set off across these wild and isolated lands, far from any sign of civilization.

They knew where they had to go, simply reaching Mount Kalo. It wasn't difficult since it was visible to the naked eye; they just had to keep moving forward, and everything would be fine. Of course, they'd need to take breaks every now and then to eat, sleep, etc. Oh, and be cautious of the native wildlife - keeping their eyes open and being vigilant was a rule in this situation. They had three days to get there, so anything could happen within that time.

As they advanced, the group looked around cautiously, but also with a certain curiosity, since many had never seen nature before. For Lincoln, this wasn't entirely new, except for being on another world with completely different fauna and flora. He gazed with almost childlike curiosity and fascination. At first glance, the landscape didn't seem much different from a regular forest, but along the way, Lincoln spotted plants that looked nothing like anything from Earth. He also heard the sound of birds, or so he thought, since it didn't resemble any animal call he had ever heard.

He noticed his companions' reactions, and although they initially seemed startled, they didn't go on high alert and continued walking, so it wasn't a cause for concern, for now.

This situation reminded Lincoln of when he and his family went to Grand Venture Park, and how his day almost got ruined because of his supposed death, predicted by his sister Lucy. That day was spent in fear, avoiding any possible danger, and in the end, it was all an exaggeration. There was no life-or-death situation. He even saw the active geyser, something that's hard to forget. But this situation was different, not so innocent, more like the time he and Clyde got lost trying to survive (only now in another world). Lincoln did have certain fears about how this test would end.

After a long walk without anything interesting or dangerous happening, they arrived at a dead-end path, or rather, no way to continue, at the edge of a precipice. Some peered over and quickly retreated when they saw the height - a nine-meter drop. Although it wasn't extremely high, it was still a problem since they'd have to find another route to descend and continue. But Lincoln already had a plan in mind. For now, they took a brief break. The group settled not far from the precipice, taking seats on nearby rocks. Lincoln and others sat on large boulders scattered around.

"Hey, shouldn't you save the food?" another recruit asked.

"Well, I'm hungry, and they didn't give us food before we left, so I'll eat now and save the other can for later," the happy boy replied as he ate, but his brief joy vanished when he took his first bite of the canned food. The others shared his hunger but wanted to conserve their reserves. Then, the rest of the group turned around upon hearing another can being opened. Lincoln pulled out his spoon and prepared to eat.

"You too?" Rubén asked, sitting beside him.

He was hungry, and hadn't meant to set an example, but judging by his companion's face, he could already imagine the taste of the food. Still, he preferred to eat now to gain some strength for the journey. He also hoped that, with his experience and the information from class, he might soon find some edible fruits they had mentioned, or catch something in a river or lake along the way - maybe.

"Well... I couldn't resist either," he replied. And then, as if considering it, Rubén decided to pull out his can to eat. Like a domino effect, the rest of their companions thought about it, and some, driven by hunger, began to open their cans. Soon, almost everyone followed suit. That moment was perfect - a brief group break - when one of them decided to speak.

"Well... I think this would be a good time for us to introduce ourselves, don't you?" asked the boy with the gun. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a medium-brown complexion. When he suggested it, the others agreed.

Since the test began on the path, the group members had exchanged words, usually brief questions, but now they would engage in conversation to get to know each other as future companions.

"I'm Darek Calder," he said with a friendly smile to the rest, then his gaze shifted to the two in front of him.

"So... what are your names?" Darek asked Lincoln and Rubén, in a friendly and curious tone.

"I'm Lincoln Loud," He responded with a friendly smile.

"and I'm Rubén Lore," Rubén added beside him.

"Nice to meet you," Darek said with a friendly smile. At that very moment, another girl spoke up.

"Well, now we know your name," added a girl sitting next to three other boys, near Darek, with a happy tone.

Lincoln and Rubén turned to look at the girl, who was gazing at Lincoln. She then quickly added:

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend or anything, let me explain. I meant because we'd already seen you around in classes and training, and you, Rubén. You're not hard to miss, being the only kid with completely white hair."

At that, Lincoln couldn't help but roll his eyes while eating, and he also couldn't hide his distaste for the canned food. Then, she continued.

"Oh, it's my turn to introduce myself," she said, seated, and everyone turned their attention to her. She was a girl with light brown hair, tied up in a ponytail, and freckles scattered across her face.

"I'm Hannah Kefka, and this here is Franz Diamant," she said happily, nodding towards the boy beside her. He was slightly taller than the rest, with a shaved head and brown eyes. He greeted the others with a hint of embarrassment.

"And next to him is Thomas Freudenberg," the girl continued, introducing him. Thomas was a boy with short, blond hair and amber eyes, an uncommon color. Like Franz, he looked embarrassed by Hannah's enthusiastic introduction. Just as she was about to continue, she was interrupted.

"I can introduce myself," Marlowe said firmly but politely. "Hi, I'm Marlowe Wagner, but just call me Marlo." Marlowe was somewhat tall, though not as tall as Franz, with a fair complexion, short black hair and a faded undercut, and dark brown eyes.

He received a greeting from the others, and then the remaining unknown individuals continued to introduce themselves. Two of them were eating, and it was at that moment that one of them spoke up.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Josh Jenkins, but just call me Jenkins," he said with a smile. Jenkins had a bronzed complexion, blue eyes, and a shaved head. Then, he nudged his friend to introduce himself. His friend, a fair-skinned boy with blue eyes and blond hair, paused mid-bite to greet the others, and spoke with his mouth full.

"Kengry Kenngmath" was all they could make out. Hannah, perplexed, asked for clarification: "Kengry Kenngmath...?"

"No, no," Jenkins clarified, chuckling. "It's because he's got a mouthful. His name is Kenny Kennath."

Now that was cleared up, everyone turned their attention to their missing companion. They recognized her as the girl who had raised her hand when they landed. However, her question for the instructor remained unanswered.

She was slender, with fair skin, dark brown eyes, and long, straight black hair that fell just short of her back.

She sat with her arms crossed, slightly apart from the others, y a diferencia del resto, ella no estaba comiendo. Perhaps she was conserving her rations or put off by the others' disgusted expressions after trying the canned food. Since she hadn't spoken up, Jenkins asked, "So, what's your name?"

"Heather, that's my name," she replied with a hint of annoyance. "Heather what...?" Thomas asked.

"Just Heather, fine" she said, as if the matter was of no concern to her.

"Nice to meet you, Heather," Hannah said cheerfully, but Heather seemed unfazed.

Following the introductions, there was a brief moment of silence, which was broken by Jenkins.

"And are you guys excited about the test?" he asked the group, and everyone looked at him, but it was Heather who responded first.

"Well, to be honest, I don't see why I'd be excited. I mean, I'm not exactly the wilderness type. I'm more of a city girl."

"Yeah, I'm not saying I don't want to take the test, but I can't help feeling nervous. Honestly, I didn't think it would be held here." Thomas said.

Jenkins, after hearing his two companions' responses, wanted to share his opinion.

"Hmm, I'm actually excited. I've been in nature before, I'm from the outskirts of the city and I love these kinds of places."

"Have you been directly in a place like this, far from civilization?" Marlowe asked.

"Oh, well... not as far from civilization as now, but yes, I've been to a place like this with my family before."

Lincoln, who had been listening until now, also wanted to speak up, "I've also spent time outdoors in nature with my family."

"Really?, I didn't know that" Rubén said to him.

"That's awesome!" Jenkins said cheerfully, then asked, "So, do you also have experience making campfires?"

Before Lincoln could respond, he stopped as he felt something hard while chewing, spat it out into his hands and brought it closer to examine the object, and upon seeing what it was, he only had more questions and a certain... unease. "A... bullet?" he said to himself.

At that moment, Lincoln had no idea how a bullet ended up in his food, and frankly, he no longer wanted to know. He lost his appetite, pushed his food aside, and tossed the bullet away. Those closest to him saw him discard the small metal piece and felt uneasy about their own food. However, unlike Lincoln, some continued eating, driven by hunger.

To change the topic, from that scene Marlowe asks a question

"Well, then you two could help us, do you have any experience with wild animals?"

Both Lincoln and Jenkins were about to respond, but Heather interrupted them. "No offense, but I don't think you guys know what we'll be up against. I have to remember, how those instructors hide every detail."

That was true, and everyone couldn't help but agree, everyone remembered the classes and the instructions on what to do in every possible situation, such as what to do in case of injury, or how to treat certain wounds, and how to distinguish poisonous plants, and when it came to local wildlife, they were very selective.

But for now, he would let those thoughts go, he wouldn't worry about it, not yet.

As time passed, the group started asking more questions, some personal, others about what would be assigned to each of them after leaving this place, and more. And someone didn't hesitate to ask: 'Why is Lincoln's hair white?' It was Thomas who asked. The rest of the group was also curious.

After finishing their break, everyone got moving, preparing to find a route to descend and continue their journey. They didn't know how long it would take, but every second counted. That's when Lincoln stopped them all to share his idea. He explained how they could descend the cliff without having to walk so far. Heather told him that if he planned to climb down alone, he should forget it, even if the height wasn't that great, no one would do that, they weren't agile enough. But Lincoln assured them his plan was to descend, just not by clinging to the rocks. Instead, he suggested making a rope.

He told them how he and his friend had created a rope using plants and vines in the past, a skill he learned from his sister Luna. For a brief moment, Lincoln fell silent, reminiscing about his older sister (though no one noticed), but then continued. He didn't share many details and tried to be quick to avoid questions. The group had mixed opinions about Lincoln's idea, but after a brief discussion, they decided to go with his plan. They returned to the area they had passed through earlier, gathering plants and vines from nearby trees. Everyone helped, though some were less enthusiastic about tying knots, and others didn't put in much effort (Heather). Following Lincoln's instructions, they eventually managed to create a long rope and secured it to a rock for a safe descent.

It goes without saying that no one volunteered to go first, so the white-haired one became the guinea pig for his own idea.

He wouldn't lie, he had some fear that the rope might snap or not be secured properly, but luck was on his side, and he successfully descended with his backpack and all. Then, one by one, they began to follow: Darek was second, now feeling confident; Rubén was third, followed by Marlowe, Thomas, Jenkins, Kenny, Franz, who volunteered before Hannah, and finally Heather.

They made sure to tie the rope securely, and everyone put in effort to make sturdy knots. However, whether due to each person's weight or someone's lack of attention to securing it firmly, no one noticed how the rope was gradually unraveling. It had held the weight of nine, but now the last person descended unaware of the risk.

She was halfway down, and although it was a significant drop, it was only about nine meters, relatively shorter than other cliffs. Heather avoided looking down due to fear or vertigo, and truthfully, she was doing well. But then, the rope began to snap.

The group gathered below watched in horror as their companion almost fell, the rope beginning to snap. Urgently, several shouted for her to descend faster. Heather froze initially, gripping the rope tightly, but then reacted, hastening her descent. Seeing this, everyone quickly positioned themselves underneath to catch her, and they managed to. The rope broke, and Heather plummeted, screaming in terror, into the waiting arms of Rubén, Jenkins, Kenny, Thomas, Darek, and Lincoln.

It was fortunate that it wasn't a higher drop, or the fall would have been much worse. Those who bore the brunt were Rubén, Lincoln, Darek, and Kenny, as they were directly underneath.

After going through that terrifying moment, the girl stood up, annoyed, and shouted directly at Lincoln, "Did you want to kill me?!'"

Lincoln and the others on the ground slowly began to stand up, nursing various aches and pains in their bodies.

"Hey, can you calm down, please? You're safe, and... What do you mean?" Lincoln asked, confused and in pain, and she responded, at least lowering her voice.

"You're the one who told us how to make that rope, or are you going to tell me it wasn't your idea?" Lincoln was indignant at being blamed, as if he had planned her fall. He was about to respond when someone else intervened.

"Hey, it wasn't his fault, it's not like he planned it." Rubén came to his defense after standing up from the ground, being the first, and then the rest got involved.

"He's right, I mean, that rope, made by us, held up well enough to lower ten... Well, almost all of us without a problem, and we all helped make it, so you can't put all the blame on him," Darek said.

"Yes, I mean, the important thing is that we're all okay, no need to get so upset, we all helped each other, we're in this together, right?" Hannah said to Heather in a concerned and friendly tone.

"That's true, I mean, no one died and we all made it down, so we're good and now we can move forward without any issues." Jenkins added with a nervous smile, chiming in.

After their brief argument, the group decided to put it behind them and continue on their way.

As Lincoln adjusted his backpack, after making amends with his companion Heather, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Thomas with a friendly smile.

"Hey, don't feel bad, okay?, besides, your idea helped us get down, so let's move on, alright?"

He thanked him, then saw Rubén and Marlowe approaching them, Marlowe looked up and said "now there's no turning back".

"Ah, you know... We're in a test and it's not like we could choose to stay up there, we have a place to reach". At Lincoln's comment, Rubén let out a small laugh, Marlowe simply ignored him. Then the four of them turned around and joined the others on the path to their objective, though Lincoln took one last look back at the descent and couldn't help but think about what Marlow said before continuing.

This was where things would get complicated for the team of young recruits, as they ventured deeper into the wilderness, and now they would face the real dangers.

As they pressed on, a growing sense of unease settled over the group. They had been traveling for some time since the trial began, and the nerves were starting to fray. They had passed through numerous trees before, but these were different - towering giants that blocked out the sun. The familiar peak of Mount Kalo was now lost from view, and everything seemed darker, more ominous. The strange, twisted plants and massive tree roots only added to the feeling of foreboding.

All of this made Lincoln feel as if he was actually in the scene of a science fiction and adventure movie, but it was all too real, and definitely not a movie he wanted to be in.

After a while, some members of the group requested a stop to use the restroom. There was some concern, mainly due to their location, as being in the middle of a wilderness area wasn't ideal for answering nature's call. No one wanted to take unnecessary risks, at least not until they found a safer spot. However, they decided to allow a brief pause for relieving themselves, as the saying goes, "when nature calls, you answer".

The girls went one way and the boys the other. They were warned not to stray too far, but Heather was hesitant to go, unwilling to do her business in the middle of the wilderness where someone might see her. Meanwhile, the men were almost done with their necessities.

Lincoln, after finishing his business, went to sit on a log, using some of his water to wash his hands, rationing it for when he'd need it most. After putting on his gloves, he sat there, lost in thought. Questions swirled in his mind: How would they overcome this challenge? How would he find food in this unknown territory? Then, his thoughts turned to his family, his home, and his friends. He thought of Clyde, Ronnie Ann, and the others. What were they doing without him?

As he continued to be lost in thought, Rubén called out to him and then sat down on another nearby log. Lincoln, snapping back to reality, turned to face him.

"Are you still thinking about what happened with the rope?"

"No, of course not, besides, that's already past"

"Sorry for asking, I saw you looking worried and thought... Never mind, besides, you know it wasn't your fault what happened." He paused briefly. Then asked something he'd been wanting to say for a while "Hey, how do you think Kron's doing?"

This brought to Lincoln's mind his other companion with a rougher demeanor. It's true, he hadn't known him for as long as Rubén or Harold, ...Harold... Now that he thought about it, he hadn't said goodbye to him, since he didn't return to his room. Well, it's not like he wouldn't see him again.

Shaking off his thoughts, Lincoln looked at Rubén and replied, "You know, I don't think he's in danger or anything. I mean, we're doing okay, and Kron seems like a tough guy. Plus, it's only been a day, but still, you shouldn't worry. Look, without sounding selfish or anything, just focus on us," he added with a hint of humor to lighten Rubén's mood.

Rubén smiled and replied, "You're right, I just want to go back home." Lincoln looked at him, and Rubén continued, "Listen, I'm excited to be here too, but I can't help feeling nervous, and I left my book in my room." As soon as he mentioned the book, Lincoln knew exactly which one Rubén was talking about. He recalled Rubén sharing the story of how his father gave him that book, and how hard it was to come by.

Lincoln considered asking a question, but upon seeing his friend, he noticed Rubén gazing around their surroundings and asked, "Is something wrong?" Rubén looked at him and replied.

"Have you noticed it's quiet?" Lincoln found it odd, and now that he paid attention to their surroundings, there was complete silence. No birds chirping, no wind rustling, just the occasional murmur of their companions. He recalled Rip Hardcore's survival shows, where he warned that eerie silence often signaled danger. Rubén's eyes widened as he remembered a similar scenario from his book, specifically a mission of Ciaphas Cain's, where unusual quietness foreshadowed trouble.

Both of them felt a bad omen.

Kenny couldn't hold it anymore; he knew he shouldn't wander off, but they hadn't encountered any danger so far, so he let his guard down just a bit. He slipped away from the others, feeling a bit self-conscious around his fellow companions. He reached a spot with thick bushes that formed a natural wall, glanced around one last time, and then lowered his pants, relieved to finally be able to urinate.

He exhaled with relief, eyes closed, so focused on his needs that he didn't notice the bushes in front of him beginning to stir. He was almost finished when he heard a nearby noise, and upon opening his eyes, he looked around, but saw nothing. As he started to pull up his pants, he glanced up towards the bushes. That's when he saw massive jaws with razor-sharp teeth emerging from the leaves.

He didn't have time to scream as the massive jaws lunged forward and closed, crushing his head.

Now that everyone had finished their tasks, with only Kenny still missing, and considering he had wandered off a bit too far, Jenkins volunteered to go look for him. Just then, everyone felt footsteps approaching their direction.

And then they saw it. Lincoln had jokingly thought there might be dinosaurs in this place. Well, here was the next best thing. The creature before them was a massive reptile, around two meters tall, with spines on its back, a short tail, scaly green skin, large claws on all four legs, and hanging from its razor-sharp teeth was Kenny's lifeless body.

The massive creature gazed at the gathered group before it, still chewing on Kenny's lifeless body. And it seemed to make a decision: one bite wasn't enough.

It dropped Kenny's body and began to prepare for a charging attack. Everyone was terrified by the beast's presence. And the sight of their companion's lifeless body, covered in blood, only made things worse.

"They killed Kenny..." Jenkins whispered, his voice trembling with terror at the sight of his dead friend.

Lincoln, standing beside Jenkins, couldn't help but recall a certain cartoon character upon hearing those words. On another occasion, he might have laughed, but not now. Now, he only felt terror.

In that moment of panic, as the beast charged towards them, everyone scattered in different directions. But Jenkins, driven by courage or raw anger over his friend's death, drew his sword and steeled himself for the beast's attack.

Despite its size, the ferocious beast moved swiftly. As Jenkins prepared for the attack, he wasn't quick enough, and massive claws struck him, making him the second victim of this monster.

In an instant, another companion fell to the massive creature.

Lincoln didn't look back, he just ran randomly without a clear direction. Then he heard a sound right behind him. The massive creature was now after the pale-haired boy. But just then, Lincoln heard another noise, familiar from his sister Lisa's experiments. It was Darek firing his gun. After overcoming his fear, the young man pulled out his weapon and started shooting directly at the creature's face. However, the truth was that it didn't help much, as the laser gun was ineffective against the beast's thick skin. In fact, the creature merely flinched at the shots, as if being bitten by mosquitoes. The creature decided to eliminate that nuisance; that small being would be the next to die. Abandoning its pursuit of the pale-haired boy, the creature began to run towards Darek.

The young man continued firing in desperation, even as he saw the shots having no effect on the beast. He began to back away in an attempt to run, and then something else happened. Other footsteps, just as powerful as the beast's, echoed through the air, and even the massive animal halted its advance, mere inches from tearing apart the small figure before it.

Not far from Darek, another beast emerged from the trees on the boy's right side. Another massive reptilian beast of the same species as his current attacker, which was preparing to devour Darek. The boy fell backward onto the ground in shock, and just as the creature was about to seize its prey, it was pushed by the other beast. The push was so forceful that it knocked the creature to the ground. Within seconds, it quickly rose and let out a roar at its opponent before attacking. It was knocked down with force, falling mere inches from crushing Darek. The small boy was frozen in shock, but in that instant, driven by sheer will or fear, he began to crawl away from the confrontation and then stood up to flee.

But his luck ran out, as the beasts noticed him and chased after him, shoving each other to reach their prize. They didn't seem to be social creatures, but rather competitive, which had been an advantage, but now he was running out of time. Then, one of them spotted movement not far away, in a tree with a small hollow. Rubén had slipped in, hoping to go unnoticed. But he wasn't the first to arrive there, "Hey, find your own shelter" Heather whispered urgently, her voice barely audible.

"Sorry, but I don't want to die," the little boy replied, his voice trembling with urgency and fear.

He tried to make room in the small space, while Heather pushed him away. Just then, they felt heavy footsteps approaching, and both froze. Massive claws attempted to rip away the wood, and they both screamed in terror.

Outside, the situation was no better. Lincoln, who had stopped after seeing the creature shift its target from him to Darek, watched in horror. One creature tried to reach its target inside a large tree, while the other stopped chasing Darek when it spotted Thomas, struggling to climb a tree, halfway up. The whitehead couldn't deny it; he was terrified, panicked. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to run nonstop. He saw Kenny's and Jenkins' bodies lying in the distance. He shouldn't be there; he just wanted to go home.

But he couldn't just leave them there, Darek had almost died saving his life. What could he do? He saw his sword and then looked at these... monsters, and fear and panic set in. He wasn't brave or super athletic. But he was someone with plans, even if they weren't always brilliant. He noticed these creatures were competitive, and an idea struck him. It might be foolish and reckless, but he'd do it.

Thomas, clinging to the tree, was mere inches from being caught, when "HEY, STUPID LIZARD OVER HERE!" It wasn't hard to grab its attention. And in an instant, Lincoln found himself running for his life, feeling the footsteps behind him, trying not to look back, his focus fixed on the goal ahead. He had to succeed.

The massive beast managed to grab a foothold inside the tree and started pulling, but then it spotted a white-haired figure passing beneath its legs. This prey was within its reach. It prepared to pounce, but was knocked down by its competitor. It tried to get up and then furiously pushed its rival, and in an instant, the two began fighting again.

Lincoln took advantage of the distraction to approach the tree and saw his two companions. He called out to them to get out of there as fast as they could. They managed to escape, and Thomas, who had climbed down from the tree, joined Darek and Marlowe, fleeing as quickly as possible. Nearby, they also met up with Hannah and Franz.

After managing to escape the danger, all team members gather, exhaling with fatigue and tension from the recent attack. Some glance around to ensure they're safe, and then someone breaks the silence. That someone was Thomas.

"WHAT... in the world were those... things?!" he asks, panic-stricken and breathless. The others are equally stunned, unsure of what to say, until Lincoln decides to speak.

"Listen up, guys, I don't think we should stop. I mean, those things could be close right now, we need to keep moving." He said, and at that very moment, a distant roar was heard, alarming everyone. Then they all ran together in one direction. After being far enough away, and taking a moment to make sure there was no danger, they realized they had no idea where they were going, with the recent attack and the large trees blocking their view of their goal, they were basically lost.

Heather suggested climbing a tree for a better view, as if it were an obvious idea, and in truth it was a good idea, or the only option.

It was only a matter of seeing who would go. Lincoln would have offered again, but Rubén volunteered first to climb a tree, after checking which one would be the best to scale. The others kept watch for potential danger. It didn't take long for Rubén to come down with a small smile. He told them he had managed to see Mount Kalo and made sure to note the direction. They quickly set off.

Finally, they managed to find a secluded spot where they could rest, and with the sun setting on the horizon, they decided to camp there. They struggled to start a fire, tasking Lincoln with the responsibility, but he struggled to get it going. That's when Darek tried using his laser gun, and after a few attempts, they finally managed to get a fire going.

No one could let their guard down at that moment. The fear of being attacked by another creature like the one that killed their two comrades, or something worse, kept them on edge. They discussed what to do, proposing to divide and take turns, so one group could sleep while the other kept watch. Lincoln suggested that Darek hand over his gun to be used while they slept, and then pass it to the next person. Lincoln and Marlowe took the first watch.

Although they had to be vigilant for potential threats (and they were, initially), the two young men eventually began conversing quietly while the others slept. Marlowe was candid about their situation but tried to remain optimistic, saying that in the face of their comrades' deaths, they should honor them by not giving in to fear and pressing on. It was clear that despite not knowing them well, Marlowe felt a deep sense of sorrow, something Lincoln admired.

Lincoln shared those feelings, and the terror of potentially meeting a similar fate in this unforgiving environment haunted him. Yet, his mind was elsewhere, fixed on the firearm in his hand. He didn't feel safer. His experience with laser tag hardly qualified him as proficient with a laser gun.

The fact that the very same weapon had proven ineffective against the monster that killed their friends left him questioning its utility. Did it truly offer protection against predators, or was it merely a tool, like starting a fire?

Tired of questioning himself, Lincoln tried to clear his mind and started scanning his surroundings for potential dangers. Then, he looked up and gazed at the night sky.

He had already seen the planet's massive moon, Suran, if he remembered correctly. During the day, he had caught glimpses of it on their journey, and he couldn't deny the beauty of the sight.

But seeing it at night was a different story, something breathtaking. It was larger than Earth's moon and a beautiful shade of blue, surrounded by stars that made it utterly perfect.

This was something Lincoln could gaze at for hours. His sister Lori would have taken pictures nonstop with her phone, but the white-haired boy wouldn't deny that if he had his phone, he'd snap a photo to remember this moment. If there was one thing worth experiencing since his arrival, this was undoubtedly it.

But he was interrupted by Marlowe: "Hey, don't get lost in the sky, keep an eye on our surroundings, remember?"

"Ah... Sorry, I couldn't help but stare at the sky, it's breathtaking."

Marlowe glanced up at the sky, then returned his gaze to Lincoln. "Yeah, it's true, but what's so special about it? I mean, it's just the moon, it always looks like that."

Lincoln forgot for a moment that he was from another planet, Earth, and seeing something like this was unprecedented and would be a spectacle. But this view, to Marlowe, like the rest of his companions and, in general, the people of this world, must be common and mundane.

Lincoln simply apologized and continued his watch. He occasionally glanced up at the sky before returning to his routine. This continued until the shift change, when Darek and Thomas took over. That night, they were lucky to avoid an attack, and Lincoln was able to sleep through until the next day.

It was already morning, the second day of the trial. Everyone woke up, some faster than others, but they all got up and prepared to move on. They had a quick breakfast; no one wanted to try the canned food again, but hunger prevailed. Even little Heather ate her canned meal.

Unlike yesterday, when the group chatted with some excitement, now they ate in silence. Luckily, Lincoln didn't find another bullet in his food, or anything else.

After that, the group set off, making sure to fully extinguish the campfire. The last thing they wanted was to spark a forest fire. They continued on for a while, now more vigilant of their surroundings. At some point, they began to emerge from the tree-lined path, and the view of Mount Kalo became visible again. This lifted the group's spirits, but a new challenge soon appeared before them. Instead of a lake, their path was blocked by a vast, swampy wetland stretching for kilometers. Some groaned in frustration.

From a vast forest to this, they'd surely waste more time backtracking, not to mention several of them couldn't swim. "Well, what now?" Heather asked, visibly annoyed. The rest of the group understood her frustration. Building a raft was out of the question; it would waste even more time, and none of them had the expertise, including Lincoln. However, he had an idea upon spotting large logs nearby.

That's how they made two improvised rafts. Essentially, they were just two logs with makeshift oars crafted from branches and sticks. Lincoln, Rubén, Darek, and Thomas rode on one, while Heather, Hannah, Franz, and Marlowe traveled on the other. The two rafts moved side by side through the water.

They continued on for a while, deeper into the swamp. They took turns rowing every so often, and to pass the time, they started talking.

"Hey, do you guys think that when we overcome this challenge, they'll give us a lot of food, or at least something decent?" Franz asked while rowing. His companions from both rafts looked at him. "I'm starving, those cans are basically all we've eaten for days." That was true; they hadn't been able to find any edible plants, and they hadn't had time to fish while preparing to navigate. Not to mention that several of them were almost out of water.

"Yes, it's true, I also want to eat, Franz," his friend Hannah replied, rowing from the other side.

"Please don't talk about food, I can't take it either," Thomas responded from the other raft.

"Hey, try not to think about it, maybe when we get to the other side we'll find something," Marlowe said to alleviate the feeling of hunger.

And so each one began to fantasize about what they would eat.

"I crave my mother's fried fish," Darek said.

"I crave some froc sweets," Rubén added happily, imagining trying such treats.

"You stole my thought," Heather replied with a small smile while sitting and looking at her nails.

"My parents used to buy me those sweets, and they're delicious."

As everyone expressed their desires, Lincoln's thoughts slipped out:

"I'd love to eat some hotcakes with cream on top, and then a delicious mint ice cream with chocolate chips."

He expressed his desire to his companions, who looked at him confused and curious.

"What are Hot Cakes?" Rubén asked.

"What's mint ice cream... with chocolate chips?" Darek added.

Upon hearing those questions, Lincoln quickly put two and two together and had to suppress a deep sigh of frustration. If they're asking about such treats, there can only be one reason: either they don't know what they are because they have different names here, or they're unfamiliar with those delights because they... Don't exist here.

As if the danger here wasn't enough, and if what he'd eaten so far wasn't bad, Lincoln couldn't imagine living here. He could only internally lament. He told his team a small lie, saying they were family homemade dishes, trying to avoid further questions. Luckily, Heather diverted the topic, grabbing his attention.

"Hey, greybeard"

"Lincoln. That's my name" he corrects her with some annoyance.

"Whoops, sorry" Heather apologizes with a faux tone, continuing "Look, I just wanted to say, or rather, apologize for my attitude until now. I was rude to you in general, especially about the rope, and you saved me and Rubén when we were inside the tree. Oh, and Rubén, I also want to apologize to you. I know I didn't do right when I was trapped with you there."

Rubén rubbed his foot, where the creature had clawed him, though he could walk, it still hurt a bit. "It's okay, and I also thank you, Lincoln, for saving our lives" Rubén replied dryly to Heather, but sincerely to Lincoln.

Lincoln felt something upon hearing Heather's words; he didn't know why, but he felt pity in her tone. Yet, something didn't quite convince him. For some reason, he recalled his sister Lola when she tried to manipulate him.

"Ah, it's okay, I also wanted to apologize to Darek for not acting after you saved me from that creature" Lincoln said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Hey, what are you talking about? I just did the first thing that came to mind. And you, with that strategy to trick the two big ones into fighting each other, that was brilliant!" Everyone agreed.

"But... I didn't plan that, it was also the first thing that came to me, and honestly, I had many doubts... and fear" He replied.

"But you did something, we didn't" Franz says.

"Yeah, we just ran" Marlowe adds, with a hint of shame.

After that, they continue chatting as they approach the shore. The landscape around them changes, becoming more of a swamp with large trees and murky water, surrounded by strange plants. Everything seemed fine.

"Hey Lincoln, it's your turn" Thomas says.

Lincoln nods and takes the oar. He was getting tired of rowing. He just wanted to reach the shore.

Rubén, who was gazing bored at the water waiting to disembark, notices something and starts to move closer to the water.

Darek, who notices him, calls out.

"Hey Rubén, what's up?, Did you see something?"

Rubén steps away from the water and looks at Darek.

"I thought I saw something move" he responds with doubt, but also with a hint of fear.

This brings both rafts to a halt. Everyone exchanges fearful glances, with Hannah trying to calm them:

"Hey, don't be afraid, Rubén probably saw something, but it's just a fish from around here."

Heather thought similarly, but after the creature attack, she couldn't shake off the fear. She looked away, and that's when she noticed something moving in their direction.

"Hey, guys..." she didn't get to finish when something collided with their raft.

"What... what was that?" Franz asked, his voice laced with nerves.

In the other raft, Thomas was about to respond when his raft also lurched violently.

And then, from the water, a massive fish-like monstrosity emerged.

Everyone stared in shock at the enormous fish, but that astonishment quickly turned to terror when the marine predator crashed onto the raft carrying Lincoln, Thomas, Darek, and Rubén.

The trunk capsized, and all four plunged into the water.

The four struggled to stay afloat, weighed down by their swords, and complicated by Thomas and Rubén's inability to swim. They clung to the overturned raft.

In the other raft, Franz and the others rowed frantically to rescue their companions, shouting:

"Hurry up, climb up!" Franz yelled, extending the oar for them to grasp.

Darek was the first to reach the oar, and with a collective heave, they pulled him to safety.

But in the chaos, they failed to notice the massive fish closing in.

As their friends shouted warnings, Darek tried the laser pistol once more. However, just like in the forest with the giant reptiles, it proved ineffective.

Every second, the swamp monster drew closer to its prey. Lincoln tried to help Rubén, who couldn't swim or move well. He told him to let go of the trunk that was their raft and grabbed his hand, pulling him.

Thomas, weighed down by his sword, began to sink, running out of air. Slowly, he descended.

He opened his eyes to get a better look at the sea monster. It was an enormous fish, with a beastly face and what appeared to be whisker-like barbels, reminiscent of the ancient catfish of Earth (though he didn't know that).

The fish seemed like a prehistoric creature, with thick scales and glacial eyes. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth, ready to devour its victims.

His mind was consumed by terror as he continued sinking. In desperation, he tried to swim backward, flailing his arms until he felt something behind him.

He looked back and saw a large submerged trunk. With haste, he hid in the hollow, just in time as the predator's jaws tried to bite him, but missed.

The massive fish tried to bite harder, failing to reach its prey. Thomas felt horror; this was the second time a massive beast nearly devoured him, and he was running out of oxygen.

The fish, unable to catch its prey, surfaced.

Thomas, desperate for air, saw his marine assailant retreat and panicked. In a desperate move, he grabbed the fish's tail as it rapidly rose to the surface.

Though the fish thrashed about, he managed to hold on until he broke the surface, gasping for air.

As Lincoln and Rubén boarded the raft, they faced a new problem: the raft was sinking under their combined weight.

They spotted Thomas struggling to swim, with the first fish closing in.

Before they could react, Hannah shouted, and they turned to see the water churning towards them.

A second monstrous fish appeared, passing beneath them and dragging the raft.

"Oh, son of b...!" Lincoln was about to curse their situation.

But he didn't finish, stumbling as he regained balance. The fish dove, leaving the raft closer to Thomas, who grasped the trunk.

Thomas, exhausted, made it onto the raft, but his respite was short-lived. The second fish emerged behind them, ready to strike.

With two monstrous fish surrounding them, there was little to do. Then Lincoln spotted the laser gun at his feet, likely dropped by Darek without noticing.

He grabbed it, determined to act.

Lincoln began firing at the closer fish, aiming for its head in a desperate bid, as it approached to ram and sink the raft. And then, in a lucky shot, he hit the fish's gaping eye. Scaring away the big fish

"Let's go, we need to get out of here!" Lincoln shouted,

But his victory was short-lived, as the second fish attacked from the other side. Lincoln barely managed to steady himself, dropping the laser gun, which sank into the swamp.

As the fish emerged, trying to snatch a prey, Marlowe, Franz, and Hannah drew their swords to stab the fish in the head.

Hannah embedded her sword in its eye, and Franz and Marlowe struck its mouth, causing significant damage.

The monstrous fish retreated, but their swords remained lodged in its head, leaving them disarmed.

"Damn!" Franz exclaimed, frustrated by losing his weapon.

"It doesn't matter! We're alive!" Hannah replied, panting.

Seeing the shore not far away, and with the sea creatures temporarily retreated, the team decides to move forward.

"It's our chance, we have to row!" Heather shouts with urgency and fear.

"We don't have oars anymore," Marlowe replied hastily, feeling the water at his feet as the raft sank.

"Then let's use our hands or whatever, quickly!" Lincoln shouted.

Everyone started rowing with their hands, getting closer and closer. But just as it seemed there was no more danger, one of the giant fish returned, intent on getting at least one bite.

The raft was almost completely submerged, with no other option, everyone was forced to try swimming. Luckily, being close to land, they could walk or try to.

Lincoln and Darek pushed some, like Rubén and Thomas, out of the water. Lincoln wasn't a professional swimmer, but he knew the basics.

They also helped Heather by dragging her onto land. As soon as they stepped onto dry land, they ran or crawled, moving as fast as they could away from the water.

While Hannah and Franz barely crawled, Heather, after being left by Lincoln, continued on her way, passing them.

Everything seemed safe. They escaped death, and this time without losing anyone; everyone breathed heavily, panting anxiously before collapsing to the ground, and then...

Lincoln was about to say something when suddenly, one of the large fish emerged from the water, dragging itself towards him. In a swift movement, the boy moved as far away as possible from the marine jaws, narrowly avoiding being devoured.

In that instant, Lincoln felt himself being grabbed by the shoulders; it was Thomas and Rubén who hastily pulled him away.

The giant fish continued to drag itself, but after everyone had moved far enough away, realizing it was pointless to continue, the beast began to retreat, returning to the water.

Finally, everyone was safe. And only then did they take a true moment to rest and dry off. No one said a word at that moment, perhaps due to shock or exhaustion, they simply continued.

The sun was still visible, so it couldn't be too late. The spare socks had come in handy, at least for those whose backpacks hadn't gotten wet, unlike Thomas's.

Everyone attended to their own needs. Darek, who wanted to explore a bit, didn't go far, understandably warned: just close enough not to get lost or to shout for help. He didn't want to end up like Kenny.

Then he shouted: "Hey, come here!" The whole group went, and there Darek was, next to a small stream of crystal-clear water. Although Hannah and Lincoln cautioned him about shouting too loudly, he apologized, unable to contain his excitement.

Finally, they had fresh water to drink, fill their canteens, and clean off the remaining mud from the swamp.

In the brief moment of joy, no one noticed the large bushes moving. Only Rubén and Marlowe realized it when they shouted. Everyone turned around hastily, fearing the worst.

They were confused when they thought they heard children's voices, and they seemed to be arguing. And then...

"I swear, why did I get stuck with you? You're a..." There, a girl in mid-argument stopped when she saw another group in front of her.

"Hey, I already told you!..." And then another boy emerged from the bushes, halting his argument upon seeing the group ahead.

These two appeared out of nowhere, looking tired and wet, just like them.

"Thank the emperor. I was right," she whispered softly to herself.

"I thought I'd be stuck with this... lost brute until I died," the girl said, relieved and exhausted.

The team stared at the pair, especially Lincoln and Rubén, who recognized the dark-skinned boy.

"Unbelievable... bastards You two are alive!" Kron exclaimed, raising his voice, with some excitement as he approached to slap both Lincoln and Rubén on the shoulder.

"Ouch!" they both said in unison.

"Was that necessary?" Lincoln asked, annoyed.

"Well, of course. It's obvious you two are tougher than you look", he replied with some joy.

"And you're doing well too", Rubén said, rubbing his shoulder.

"You doubted?" Kron asked with a smug grin, only to be hit on the head by his companion.

"Will you stop already?" she hissed softly, her short, straight brown hair framing her pale skin and matching brown eyes.

Lincoln and Rubén seemed to recognize her, and then remembered - she was Kron's rival in the sword match a few days ago, the same one who knocked him to the ground.

"Talk to your friends later," the girl orders with an unhappy glance, and then her face changes to a more relaxed one. Then she turns to face the group.

"Sorry about that. My name is Ana Lonan. Listen, I..." pauses to sigh and continues.

"We got lost, separated from our team, and that was hours ago. Then I heard a scream, so I came here, and... I guess it's okay if we join you?"

Upon hearing that, Darek speaks up first.

"Of course, I mean we don't have any problems."

Lincoln adds. "Yeah, the more the better, I don't recall a rule that forbids it."

Everyone agreed with that statement, and Hannah welcomes them happily.

"Well, welcome to the team. Now everyone, I think we should keep moving. Uh, if you don't mind me asking, why are you guys wet?"

Ana looks at Kron beside her and then speaks: "Where do I even start?"

Kron, beside her, adds seriously: "You have no idea what dangers we've faced."

Then he adds with curiosity: "And what about you, what's your story?"

After brief introductions and resting as needed, the group set out. The team shared with Ana and Kron the hell they went through and how they lost two of their members. And after that, they did the same.

xxx {flashback}

That night, Kron took the watch, guarding his companions as they slept. They hadn't encountered many problems since they left and began their journey.

Kron and Ana's team encountered only a few difficulties, one of which was running into a species of insects the size of their hands, similar to ancient earth's ants. They were numerous, like a small swarm trying to climb on top of them. Some were bitten, resulting in small bruises.

They also struggled to find fresh food, mainly because they couldn't hunt any local animals. Naturally, their companions debated over who should cook, i.e., gut and clean the animal, if they had caught one, and no one volunteered.

Overlooking all that, he couldn't deny the excitement of his situation. He wanted to do something thrilling, and this wasn't bad. He was a city boy, specifically from the lower districts, and had never seen areas like this, only hearing about them. Though he would've preferred more action.

It was nighttime now, and he volunteered for the first watch shift, simply because he was bored and still wasn't sleepy.

Rubén and Lincoln weren't around. Although he hadn't known them for long, and didn't consider them his closest friends in this place (yet), he wondered how they were doing. He didn't include Harold since he had already gone through the trial and wasn't even here. Still, he had stuck with them, perhaps because they were the first ones he met or because he started considering them his group. Honestly, it would be hilarious to see their faces if they encountered the same insects he and his team found.

As he remained lost in thought, he thought he heard something, like a footstep, which prompted him to quickly stand up and point his gun in the direction of the noise. Nothing happened, he stayed for a while to make sure, and after confirming it was nothing, he sat back down.

"How boring," he said to himself. He then drew his sword again, but this time he didn't feel like he used to.

He was previously just bored, but now he felt uneasy. Like the feeling when someone is watching you.

He looked around again, this time with some unease, but still saw nothing.

He stood up again, slowly with sword and gun in hand, discomfort growing more intense. Looking around, he saw Ana sleeping nearby and considered waking her with a gentle kick, just in case, but likely she'd only be annoyed or scream and alert potential predators. Seconds ticked by, nothing happened, yet the feeling of unease and tension persisted.

And then he saw it. Not far away in the darkness, where the firelight barely reached, he saw a pair of amber-colored eyes, or so he thought. He didn't know what to do, as a wave of fear flooded him for a few seconds. In the darkness, the creature's shape was unclear, but its silhouette seemed almost human-like (he thought). Its legs were extremely thin, and it appeared to be on two legs, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was exactly where it was standing.

Less than a meter away from one of his companions, who was sleeping a bit farther from the group. Fabián was his name, and now he was on the brink of death. In a swift motion, the creature closed in, grasping the boy's leg with its jaw, and for just that moment, in the firelight, he saw that the creature was far from human. It had a massive jaw with razor-sharp teeth, and that was all he could distinguish. Overcoming his fear, he aimed his gun and began firing at the beast, not even checking where he was shooting, he just did, and nearly hit his companion, who was moving in panic, now awake from the creature's jolt, and starting to scream.

The group was jolted awake by screams and gunfire, only to witness one of their own being dragged into the darkness. Panic set in as they scrambled to their feet, Kron leading the charge in pursuit of his captured companion. The others followed closely, but the nocturnal creature's speed proved overwhelming, leaving them struggling to keep up and rescue their friend.

A blood-curdling scream of terror and panic shook the air, Fabián's voice piercing the darkness. But its source remained elusive, leaving the group disoriented. Then, a haunting, otherworldly howl erupted, sending shivers down their spines. The nocturnal beast's triumphant cry echoed through the night, celebrating its captured prize. As Fabián's desperate cries for help faded into the distance, his teammates were left paralyzed with horror.

That night, no one could manage to sleep, and they could only search for a safer place to shelter from the dark and accursed night.

xxx (end of flashback)

What they heard was more disturbing than they had imagined. They too had a terrible night, fearing attack from unknown forces. Those reptilian beasts only left them more fearful, and in their desperation, they could only pray and hide.

However, Kron and Ana's account left the group even more terrified. Realizing that giant lizards and fish weren't the only inhabitants of this land, many wondered what would have happened if they had been in their shoes. This thought only strengthened their resolve to escape that cursed place. Afterwards, the two continued sharing their story, recounting how they got lost; it was due to an attack while they were en route to their destination, exhausted and anxious, still reeling from the loss of a team member. They stumbled upon a river to refill their canteens, and that's when the beast attacked.

It was the same species of giant reptile that killed Kenny and Jenkins. Everyone tried to flee, and the beast fixed its gaze on Ana, the young woman standing at the river's edge. She drew her sword in a futile attempt to defend herself, but it would be no match for such a massive creature. That's when Kron appeared, and in a swift move to save Ana from death, he leaped, pushing her, and both were swept away by the current, followed by a waterfall. An eleven-meter drop.

Ana's frustration boils over. "I could have drowned, for all you know! I don't even know how to swim, and now my sword is gone too." Kron's simple reply, "Me neither", only deepens her scowl. Weary and exasperated, she presses on: "Never mind. Let's just focus on moving forward, shall we? We have a mission to complete, and I'm done wasting time".

After finally clearing up everything, the group, now with their two new members, set off.

Ana initiated a lively discussion with the female members of the group, sharing stories and laughter, as Kron gravitated towards the male contingent, bonding over shared experiences.

As they moved forward, not far from where they rested and met, the group saw something that caught their attention, and a few were thrilled to remember their survival classes. Before them was a large bush with small, sky-blue fruits, similar to pears but smaller, about the size of a strawberry.

Lincoln pointed them out: "I remember these fruits, they showed us pictures in class. They're edible... Ah, they're called...", Lincoln trailed off, trying to recall the name, and Rubén chimed in: "Cadurus, that's their name. I remember it too, I read it in a book a while back."

"Hey, no needed to share that, Rubén, but yeah, I remember something from class too", Thomas said. "Wait, how do you know it's actually a Cadurus and not just a lookalike?", Heather asked, wary of accidentally poisoning herself.

"That's true, no offense, but I don't want to poison myself", Franz added with some doubt. Other group members shared the same concern. To ensure it was edible, Lincoln and Rubén tested one. After a few minutes passed without incident, Kron was the second to try it, followed by the rest.

It was safe to say that this small bite was the most delicious thing the whitehead boy had tasted since arriving at this place. It surpassed everything he had tried so far, even the school food and the unpleasant canned food. If he remembered correctly, this fruit had a flavor similar to peaches. It wasn't much, but compared to the rest, it was a welcome taste. The good news was that there was enough to take on the road, satisfying their hunger. Each one gathered some and stored it in their backpacks.

With the group's hunger now satisfied, they continued on their way to their objective. Having left the swampy terrain behind, Kron asked the boys for more details about their recent "battle" against the sea monsters.

"It wasn't a battle, it was a desperate survival situation", Lincoln replied, his voice laced with exhaustion, as his companion continued to pry for more details about something that was clearly far from enjoyable.

It was strange, Lincoln and Rubén thought. Kron seemed to be the unfriendly type, or at least that's the impression he gave when they first met. But now he appeared to be in a better mood. He even seemed happy to see them again, which was understandable, considering being lost in the wilderness wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, especially for kids. They were naturally more prone to fear, like Lincoln himself, not because he was cowardly, but simply because of his age.

As they continued on their path, they noticed the increasing density of foliage. Those still carrying swords used them to clear the vegetation. They decided to take another brief break after a while of walking without encountering any danger.

The group of young recruits realized that time had passed. Looking at the horizon through the trees, they saw that although sunset was still afar, the light was already beginning to fade, causing concern to slowly creep in. Not only did they need to find shelter from nocturnal threats, but it also meant one less day to reach their objective. And they feared they weren't even close.

Right there, Rubén pointed out something not far away. As they approached, they saw it was a small cave, more like a crevice in the middle of a stone wall. Without warning, Kron decided to venture inside, disregarding potential risks. The others cautioned or tried to shout, but not too loudly, fearful of attracting nearby danger.

It didn't take long for Kron to reemerge, safe and sound. He looked normal, not scared or nervous. Instead, he reported that, despite the darkness, the cave had a possibly lengthy tunnel.

"I don't think it's a good idea to stay there for the night. What if it's already occupied by some beast?", Rubén argued, concerned.

"I say we keep moving forward. We still have time before darkness falls and we need to hurry up and reach that damned mountain", Kron added.

"And then what?, running into who-knows-what in the darkness?. No thanks, I'm not taking that risk", Heather said with some fear.

"Well, I also suggest we take advantage of daylight to build a fire. To avoid problems later", Lincoln added, making everyone look at him. "What? I'm just saying. It's true, we no longer have the laser gun, and we can make torches to keep moving in the dark, in case we start moving now". After finishing his advice, the others remained thoughtful. And Darek decided to speak up first.

"You know, he's got a point, and I agree. Let's start a fire now", Darek said. The rest also agreed.

Ana then asked who knew how to make a fire, but only received headshakes in response. After that, Ana offered to do it, since she already knew how. Kron didn't help, as his experience wasn't any better than his companion's.

In that brief moment, Ana successfully lit a fire. Meanwhile, Kron took the opportunity to tell them he'd go explore not far off to check for any danger nearby.

The group was divided on the issue. Given their past experiences, some agreed, while others thought of the risks they'd already faced in the area. Marlowe and Darek offered to accompany him, which improved the idea of a companion going to explore, as it was better than going alone.

Kron said nothing and simply set off, with the others following behind.

"That guy's an idiot. He's always looking for trouble or getting into it. After everything we've been through, you'd think he'd be more careful around here. But nope."

"Yes, you're right, he can be rough", Rubén said, pausing to rub his shoulder where he was hit. "But he's also the one who saved you from that creature in the river, just by pushing you."

Ana and the others looked at him, and she replied: "Yes, but I could have drowned", she said, her voice devoid of emotion.

Lincoln shared his thoughts on Kron: "Listen, it's true. Ever since we arrived at this board.. Schola, he's been distant and a bit rough, and maybe not the brightest. I mean, he just walked into a cave without knowing what was inside. But he reacted fast when he pushed you."

She looked at him, and he continued: "What I'm trying to say is that those things are fast and strong. We already told you about our two friends... they were killed," he finished with a tone of sorrow.

"Yeah, and I don't think a sword would've helped much," Rubén added with a nervous chuckle, noticing his companion's annoyed glance.

"Whatever," Ana said neutrally.

After that brief conversation, they decided to try making torches.

They gathered branches from the surrounding area, which wasn't difficult given the abundance of trees. After successfully lighting some as a test, Thomas wanted to see the cave. Just to take a look, not venture too far in. Hannah and Franz also offered to go, carrying their torches.

Lincoln felt curious but hesitant, as darkness didn't sit well with him. For a brief moment, he recalled the time he went to the basement to return the light and watch his favorite ghost show.

Rubén, on the other hand, felt curious and asked his white-haired friend if he'd join them. Seeing his young friend's expectant look, Lincoln thought it over and, with some doubt in his mind, finally decided to go. (At least he wouldn't be alone).

Ana, wanting to join in, lit a torch and headed towards the cave.

As Ana was about to enter, she noticed her companion Heather sitting on a rock, staring at her nails. She was the only one from the group left behind. Ana approached her and asked:

"Are you joining us?"

Heather just looked at her and replied:

"I'm not interested. And you know, someone should stay outside to wait for the others and tell them where we are."

Ana thought about it and realized it made sense for someone to wait for the others and let them know where they were, just in case they returned suddenly. "Okay, you're right" and continued on her way.

Lincoln and Rubén, who had witnessed Ana's invitation, looked at Heather, and she gave them a gentle smile. The two simply ignored her and headed inside.

The moment they left, she wiped the smile off her face and whispered to herself: "Idiots".

Now alone, Heather gazes around her, bored, until hunger strikes. She rummages through her backpack, recalling the fruits they picked not long ago, eager to end this madness and get out of there.

Her thoughts are interrupted by footsteps and rustling bushes nearby. Reacting swiftly, she stands up, dropping her backpack, and peers through the trees to see the three missing members running towards her; she calms down momentarily.

Fearing a predator's attack, she prepares to ask them about their haste, but hasn't the chance when she sees more bushes move, followed by heavy footsteps in the distance. She also misses the terrified looks on the three boys' faces.

And only then does she realize. They're fleeing.

Then she saw it. The same damned reptilian beast that killed those two boys, that nearly devoured her in the hollow of that tree, and almost killed Ana. Now it was coming straight for her.

Instantly, panic took hold of her, sending her running for her life towards the cave, abandoning her backpack.

Darek and Marlowe were following Kron. Only when he nearly stumbled due to a misstep did the two overtake him.

The predator's footsteps and roars drew closer and closer, with just meters to go. Darek crossed the threshold first, followed by Marlowe, and finally Kron, narrowly escaping the snapping jaws by mere centimeters.

They were lucky the entrance wasn't large enough for the massive reptile to fit through, allowing it to insert only its head.

Kron hastily began crawling to escape the jaws of death. When the beast realized it couldn't reach him, it used its limbs to try and snatch its prey with its claws. But Kron adjusted his movement, quickly getting up and sprinting away.

The creature's forceful attempts to push itself further into the narrow tunnel caused the ground to shake violently. None of the boys noticed until they felt earth falling on their heads. Then, they saw the beast retreat and charge unsuccessfully against the cave.

The rest of the team, who had followed Heather after seeing her rush towards them, arrived to find their missing members and the chaotic scene. And it was then that they noticed the ceiling collapsing.

Now, driven by panic and terror of being crushed, everyone ran together, deeper into the cave. More and more rocks fell; no one stopped, not even when the trembling ceased.

Only after a few moments did they finally stop, and upon seeing their only exit route, they realized their predicament.

A tense silence fell over the group. No one spoke for several minutes, the only sounds being their ragged breathing. Some stared at the blocked tunnel, while others gazed into the dark void beyond the reach of the torches' light. The torches, in fact, were their sole source of illumination.

The silence was shattered by Ana's outburst: "What the curse just happened?!" Everyone turned to look at her, equally confused and frightened.

"Okay, let me tell you what happened. We were exploring just fine, when we saw something in the distance. It was that damned huge thing with claws and teeth that nearly killed you at the river! It started following us all the way here, until it couldn't fit because it was too big, and then it caused this cave-in with its strength! Does that make sense to you?"

Kron finished recounting the events to Ana. She turned to him with evident anger on her face, looking like she was about to scream, but instead, she brought her hands to her hair and let out a deep sigh. "Why, of emperor?, Why?"

"You could have been killed," Franz said.

"Great, and to top it off, I left my backpack," Heather replied, frustration evident in her voice. Some turned to look at her, but ignored her. Yet she had a point: they were all trapped.

"Oh no, what are we going to do now?" Rubén asked, his voice trembling with fear.

"There has to be a way out, I don't think the entrance is the only exit," Darek replied, attempting to sound confident but failing.

"Of course, there's a way out," Lincoln replied, catching everyone's attention. "Look at the torches, they haven't gone out. Do you know what that means? It means oxygen, which means there's air." Lincoln's explanation was straightforward, a simple logic he learned in elementary school, reinforced by his sister Lisa. Not everyone understood, but that wasn't the point. The point was to get out of there as soon as possible.

Unaware, Lincoln watched as the torch in his hand was taken by his companion Kron. Kron moved forward without looking back and said, "Well, we're not staying here. Shall we proceed?"

The others look at each other and begin their march to escape. With no other option, they press on. As they follow the only path, they clarify a few details, such as rotating the torches among those who have them and those who don't, in case they spend an extended period there. But they hope that won't be the case.

And to their misfortune, they indeed spent a considerable amount of time. When Kron mentioned it seemed deep, he had no idea how right he was. So far, they had been lucky not to have encountered multiple paths to choose from, which would have added to their decision-making woes. However, this didn't lift the overall morale.

Minutes ticked by, and a possible exit seemed nowhere in sight. Everyone was frightened, nervous, and filled with bleak emotions, Lincoln being no exception. He too was scared and on edge, not just now, but also when he had explained the fire-oxygen connection. He had hoped he was right.

The prospect of being trapped in a dark, unknown cave, with no idea what lurks in the shadows, is deeply demoralizing.

More time passed, or so it seemed. Without the natural light of the sun and beset by nerves, stress, and anxiety, it was hard to tell. It might have been less time than it felt.

The path continued to twist and turn. At times, they found themselves descending, only to ascend again, and then descend once more. The route shifted to the right, and they followed. The passage narrowed, forcing them into a single file, and then widened, allowing more freedom of movement. Yet, this didn't alleviate their unease."

The feeling of being trapped and surrounded by darkness was unnerving, exacerbated by the fear of encountering some creature. The fact that they were confined only added to their distress. The only sounds breaking the silence were their footsteps and the flickering torches.

But that changed when they arrived at a slightly larger chamber, and realized the path had forked into three separate routes.

"Well, great, which one should we take now?" Heather asked, annoyed. Kron once again took the lead, choosing the right path. It didn't take long for them to hear a loud "ECOOOO". Everyone rushed to see what had caused the outcry. Before them lay only darkness. It wasn't the outside, and it was night, as they saw no stars or moon above, just more darkness. "This path is ruled out," Thomas stated the obvious, and no one disagreed. Darek picked up a small rock nearby and threw it.

They all watched as the rock vanished into the darkness, waiting to hear the sound of it hitting the ground, but there was only silence. Stepping back from the edge, they gathered to make their next decision. "Okay, now we're down to two paths... Which one do we choose?" Rubén asked.

"Why don't we split up? That way, we can explore both paths and see which one is the right one, then signal the other group" Thomas suggested.

"Well, what if both paths lead to an exit, but in different directions?" Heather asked, arms crossed. "And how would one group even notify the other? What if both paths are equally long?"

"Ah... I agree with her" Marlowe said.

"Let's pick a path quickly and just move forward. And if it's not the right one, we'll try the other" Darek said.

It seemed like everyone was about to chime in, sparking a debate. Lincoln intervened: "Alright, let's keep calm. How about we send a group to scout out one of the paths, take a quick look, and report back on its length? Then we can discuss our next move."

"Alright, then suggest a path for us to take now, so we can move forward" Ana replied seriously.

Everyone looks at Lincoln. He sighs, gazes at the two paths, takes a moment to think, and then says: "Left, let's take the left path, just a quick look... So, who's coming?" He asks, scanning the group. Kron steps forward, saying: "I want to get out of here ASAP." Darek, Franz, and Rubén also volunteer.

As they took the left path, the small group hastened forward. Kron led with his stolen torch and sword in hand, followed by Lincoln, then Franz and Darek, and Rubén at the rear. Lincoln mentally counted the seconds to gauge their progress. With little to distract him, he lost track for a moment but estimated they'd been walking for around ten minutes, give or take.

"I'm so bored, there's no action here," Kron said aloud. "Actually, I think it's better this way," Franz replied. "I'd rather get out of here than get trapped." The others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I want out too, but I also want some real action," Kron replied. The others exchanged glances, Darek about to ask Kron something when he cut in. "We won't be long, so relax, you'll see your girlfriend again soon."

The others turned to Franz, who flushed bright red. "Hey, wait, Hannah's not my girlfriend, understand? We're just friends", he stuttered.

"Why're you too embarrassed to admit it?" Kron asked, his tone dripping with mockery.

"I got that vibe too, you guys are pretty close", Rubén chimed in, prompting chuckles from Lincoln and Darek.

"Oh yeah? What about you and Ana? You two seem like a couple that's always at odds", Franz shot back, his tone accusatory, causing Kron to turn and stride towards him.

"Trust me, there's nothing between that bossy woman and me, so shut up" Kron growled, his words ending in a threat to Franz, until Lincoln intervened.

"Maybe she's bothering you because she's into you," Lincoln says with a chuckle, until he meets Kron's glare. "What did you say?" Kron asks, his tone menacing.

"Uh, well, I... I'm speaking from experience, I could be wrong, you know?" Lincoln says, speaking off the cuff, and then the others stare at him, Darek asking, "Do you have a girlfriend?" The rest wait for an answer, leaving Lincoln unsure of how to respond.

His relationship with Ronnie Ann is something he himself doesn't like to bring up, mainly because of his sisters. Yes, he feels something for her, but he's not exactly eager to admit it.

But did it matter right now?. They wouldn't know her, he was from a different world, would it affect him in any way?, Would he ever see her again?. He pushed those thoughts aside for now, especially the last question. He took a deep breath and responded

"Yeah, I've got... a girl I like... and, she likes me too", he said, hesitating over how to respond. The others didn't seem satisfied with that answer.

"Are you dating someone or not?" Kron asked. "And how do you know she's into you?" Rubén added.

"My relationship with her is... complicated. We're more like friends. And how do I know she's into me? Well, she used to tease me and play pranks on me." The expressions on his friends' faces weren't exactly thrilled or satisfied with that answer, so he continued. "Yeah, I wasn't thrilled about it either, but... my sisters told me that when a girl teases you like that, it means she's interested. And it turned out to be true, because I kissed her and she hit me, but then she secretly apologized and said she liked me."

As he finished his story, the others fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts and opinions about the matter.

"That was stupid," Kron replied bluntly, to which Lincoln responded:

"You know, at least I kissed a girl," he finishes with a smile, which disappears when Kron approaches him, almost menacingly, but relaxes when he starts smiling. "Yeah, if you want to be happy with someone who's going to mock you and treat you like trash before admitting publicly that they like you, that says a lot about you. And I thought only your hair and name were weird."

"By the way, Ana is bossy and seems to enjoy yelling. If there's one thing I can appreciate about her, it's her tough attitude. That's the only thing, because the rest of her..." He trailed off, turning around and walking away.

The others remained silent for a few seconds. Then Rubén approaches Lincoln and asks, "So, what's it like kissing a girl?" Lincoln and the others turn to look at him, the little boy maintaining a curious expression, awaiting the answer. He notices the team's gaze and quickly adds, "Never mind," though his question is already answered by someone else.

"You know, I also kissed a girl," Darek says with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Your mom doesn't count," they heard Kron say from up ahead, and although they couldn't see his face, they knew he was laughing.

"NO! I'm serious!" Darek responds defensively, but Lincoln, Rubén, and Franz burst into laughter after a brief silence.

"And what about you? Franz, have you kissed your girlfriend yet?" Darek asked in a mocking tone, causing Franz's face to turn bright red again.

The atmosphere had been somewhat tense initially, but now the group's mood had lifted slightly. Just then, their hike came to an abrupt halt as they caught sight of what lay ahead.

"Damn emperor," Kron muttered, annoyed. Before them lay the end of their path, a dead-end route, or rather, a massive stone wall. "Great, no way out," Darek complained.

With their path coming to an end, they realized their only option was to take the middle route. As they discussed it briefly, they hastened their pace to retrace their steps and rejoin the others. However, upon arrival, they found that everyone was gone.

"Where did they go?" Rubén asked.

"Isn't it obvious? They didn't wait for us and left that way," Kron responds, pointing to the middle path. "What are we waiting for? Let's go," Franz says with some urgency.

They were about to follow the path when Kron handed the torch to Lincoln and walked towards the abyss. The others went to see what he was doing and realized he was urinating, right at the edge of the void. When they scolded him, he simply said he had to go and wasn't going to hold it in.

"Seriously?" Darek asks. "Yeah, I couldn't hold it, so what? Peeing here doesn't bother anyone." After finishing, he dried his hands on his shirt and stepped back. But before they left, someone else approaches the abyss: Rubén.

"Sorry, I couldn't hold it either", Rubén said with some embarrassment, as he also started urinating into the void. They waited a bit longer, and when Rubén finished, he washed his hands with some water from his canteen and they continued on.

"Hey, do you guys think there's something down there"? Franz asked, curiously gazing back into the darkness.

"I doubt it. We would've had issues already if that were the case," Lincoln responded confidently, aiming to calm the group, as they finally moved away from the area.

"¡RAAAAWWWWRRRR!"

A deafening roar echoed through the tunnels, causing the walls to tremble briefly. The five froze in place, slowly turning their heads toward the source of the sound. In the right path, where no path existed, only darkness lingered. None saw anything but the dark void. Yet, the five felt, whether due to imagination, fear, or something else, as if something returned their gaze.

The roar was deafening, implying something massive had made it, and no one wanted to stick around to find out. In an instant, they all sprinted down the middle path, not daring to look back. No one spoke, and it seemed they wouldn't stop anytime soon. They just kept going.

Their frantic pace didn't let up for a moment. They were in such a rush to escape that none of the five realized they had stumbled into a larger area where the rest of their team was waiting.

"Hey, stop!" Ana's voice rang out, and only then did they halt. But fear still lingered.

"What happened?, Why were you running?" The group bombarded them with worried questions, until Lincoln silenced them, catching his breath.

"Didn't anyone hear it?!" he yelled in panic.

"We felt a tremor, I was about to check it out when you guys arrived" Marlowe replied hastily.

"There was something at the bottom of that huge hole! It roared so loudly that it made the walls shake! How didn't you hear it?" Franz almost shouted.

"Wait... So... Something's following you?" Heather whispered, her voice trembling with fear. At her words, everyone hastily turned to face the path they had fled down, but there was nothing, no one.

"We need to keep moving, now. We don't know if something's following us" Rubén said, his fear plain in his voice.

After that, the group reunited and moved forward, though no longer running, they proceeded with great haste. As they walked, they recounted what had happened: how the left path turned out to be a dead-end that led them back to the center, where they again saw the dark abyss and heard the loud roar that made them flee. They also asked, "Why weren't you there?" The others replied that they had wanted to explore a bit more and then return. It was then that they felt the tremor and arrived running.

They spent their time questioning and discussing as they continued on the path, still chilled by the abyss's roar.

They had moved far enough away, or at least they thought they were safe. After all that time, they arrived at a narrow passageway, where they had to crawl to get through. In a small area, they decided to take a break. Everyone sat in a circle and took advantage of the moment to eat and drink a bit. Except for Heather, who didn't have her backpack and had to ask her companion Hannah for some.

"Well, I don't think anything that big can fit through here," Kron said, relieved.

When that loud roar was heard, everyone froze in fear, and even Kron couldn't help but feel terrified.

"Was that entertaining for you?" Darek asked with a playful tone, recalling what Kron had said when they took the left path. His remark earned him a swift kick to his right leg.

"Hey! You're the one who said it, didn't you forget?" Darek complained, rubbing his leg.

"Yes. It's true. I just hope that the next thing to appear is something I can see and can face" Kron answers.

The others just watched the exchange, then Lincoln added, "I saw your face when we heard that roar, your eyes were wide open, but I don't blame you." He finished with laughter until he saw Kron's face, which showed annoyance and some anger, but then he just smiled and said, "Fine. Say what you want, I'm not the one with, or without, a jealous girlfriend. And does she know you've been eyeing another woman?"

"She is not my... Wait, what are you talking about? She's not mine..." Lincoln started, but Kron cut him off,

"I saw you the day before we came here, during that lecture. You were checking out Battle Sister, and the look on your face... if Ronnie Ann saw you" he finished with a chuckle, enjoying Lincoln's nervous and accusatory gaze.

Hearing this made the rest of the group start asking questions.

"Wait... Lincoln has a girlfriend?"

"What's she like?"

"Have you kissed her already?"

"You saw Battle Sister too?"

The barrage of questions made Lincoln nervous. Trying to stop the questioning, he attempted to answer each one as quickly as possible, while also trying to make it clear that he didn't have a girlfriend.

"But I don't blame you. I mean, you saw the sister. Yeah, she was beautiful, and I think..."

Kron didn't finish before being hit by Ana.

"What was that for?" he complained, annoyed.

"For talking about a Battle Sister like that. You have no respect."

"Seriously, does that really bother you? Are you jealous?" He asked, amused, trying to tease her.

This only earned him another hit, and a scolding for disrespecting a figure of authority, as well as trying to mock Lincoln's relationship. This prompted the white-haired boy to try once again to clarify the situation, but was ignored. And to top it off, she also blamed him for being reckless, or for causing her to lose her sword.

By this point, Kron was wondering how he put up with this girl. "Are you still complaining about that?" He replied, annoyed, then did something he didn't think he'd do. But fine, if it shuts her up. "Hey, where are you going?" Ana asked as he approached her. "You want a weapon, fine, take it" unsheathing his sword, he tossed it to the ground beside her. "Just stop complaining". After that, he returned to his seat. The others just watched, Ana didn't say a word, she seemed to want to respond, but simply picked up the offered sword and put it away.

After that, they chatted for a bit longer, changing the subject and leaving relationship talk behind. As fatigue set in, they all admitted feeling sleepy. Following a brief discussion, they decided to stay there for a little while longer to rest.

...

They all continued on their journey after their rest, only to discover that hours had passed. Their brief respite turned into an impromptu nap for the entire group, or so they thought, as they lost track of time. It was a miracle that the torches they left burning still flickered with flame.

Everyone hastened to continue on, with Marlowe now leading the way. No one spoke, nor attempted to strike up a conversation, as they were in a great hurry. But their efforts were rewarded when they soon came upon a small incline. Marlowe was the first to climb it, and his reaction caught everyone's attention.

"Hey... I think I see a way out." Everyone rushed to climb up, and when they saw the bottom, they noticed something. It looked dark, but not like the darkness of the cave's depths.

Just as Marlowe had said, before them lay a crevice with a view of the outside world. Finally, they would be able to escape and continue their journey, their only concern being that they might have emerged far from their destination.

Everyone began to quicken their pace with growing excitement. Darek stopped for a moment, feeling like he had stepped on something sticky, but after checking his foot and seeing nothing, he chalked it up to his imagination and continued on. That was until he felt something land in his left hand, the same one holding the torch.

As he gazes at it intensely, it appears to be saliva. He slowly looks up, and that's when his recent joy dissipates.

Lincoln and Rubén, who were leading the way, turned around and looked back, focusing on their companion. They saw his paralyzed face, and out of necessity, they also looked up.

Rubén grabs Franz's arm, who is a few steps ahead of him, when he stops to ask him the reason, he simply points upwards. Hannah and Ana weren't far away and notice the boys, just like them, they look up. And only by the light of the torches can they see them.

Above them, stuck to the ceiling, they see something moving. Only by paying closer attention can they see not one, but several beings piled up. Illuminating the ceiling, they see what appears to be cocoons opening slowly. There, they also see a head peeking out of one of them. They weren't cocoons as such, but rather wings unfolding, and Lincoln knows what they are. Animals like these lived on Earth; his sister Lucy had one as a pet. He didn't think there were bats on this planet.

Though, he also didn't remember this animal being so large.

The one above Darek was drooling from its mouth, its gaze fixed on him.

Even the others, who were ahead, stopped.

Slowly, Lincoln turns and does something he hasn't done in a while. Breaks the fourth wall.

"Hey, you guys. Do you remember how it all started? And where I ended up later, in that cell. Well, I remember when the Inquisitor gave me a choice between this or the cell. Honestly, I didn't think I had many options. But you know what? I look back at that moment and think,"

"I wish I had stayed in that cell!"

"They're bats," Rubén whispered. Lincoln and the others turned to look at him. He simply looked back at them with fear and continued, "I read once, they... or were animals from Terra, very dangerous, extremely deadly." With that information, his companions (except for Lincoln) felt even more terrified upon learning about this creature. It was an entire colony.

As if moving hastily would trigger an earthquake or something worse. Everyone began to move slowly, or at least tried to, towards the exit.

There shouldn't be any problem, it was obvious. Lincoln forgot it due to the sudden fear. He wasn't an expert on animals like his sister Lana, but he remembered that on Earth, bats varied in their diet. Some fed on insects, flowers, fish, and those that drank blood. Perhaps the last one didn't help calm him, but who knows, maybe these bats didn't see them as food. Although their size did inspire fear, and he had to admit it, their appearance seemed more grotesque than those on Earth. And yes, it didn't help that the awakening bats were staring at them fixedly, drooling.

And they began to shriek and detach from the ceiling, flying around them. At that point, slowness was no longer an option, and once again everyone started running. The large bats, measuring about fifty centimeters, approached the unfortunate young people fleeing for their lives. Lincoln got his answer about the diet of these creatures when he felt himself being grabbed by the shoulders, seeing the bats open their mouths, drooling, he quickly shook himself free with force, successfully escaping to see how the others were doing. The rest were faring no better, Rubén, Franz, and Hannah trying to fend off the bats, while Rubén began to draw his sword.

The bats flew around, some trying to scratch and bite, those with torches waved them away, with some success, but there were too many, even those closest to the exit couldn't continue advancing, forced to retreat.

Lincoln, with his sword, managed to repel one that was attacking Franz and Hannah, inflicting a cut on the animal's back. Darek was fending off with his sword and torch, with little success, trying to move forward.

Kron, Thomas, Heather, and Marlowe were retreating, each trying to defend themselves. Thomas made the mistake of straying from the group. Swinging his sword back and forth, with what little he learned in class. And then... "There are too many! We're not going to..." He couldn't finish speaking, as he felt himself being lifted forcefully by three large bats with their claws, dragged into darkness.

"No... please, help me!" Thomas screamed desperately.

"Thomas, no!" Marlowe and Franz shouted.

Faced with the prospect of losing another companion, everyone tried to reach him, but it was impossible to advance, they could only hear Thomas's cries for help and pain, being dragged into darkness, down some tunnel.

Now, everyone was huddled together, side by side. Those with torches managed to ward off the nocturnal beasts with some success, but they were trapped, with limited options. Then Lincoln had an idea. "Hey, listen up! I know what we need to do. We need to form a circle!" he shouted to the team. The others were preoccupied. Kron, who had burned a bat's face with his torch, turned to respond, but someone else beat him to it.

"How will that help us?!" Heather shouted, desperation lacing her voice.

"Using the torches, we keep them at bay and move forward, together" he replied, while trying to fend off two bats.

"I'm with him, who else?" Rubén declared, having cut off a bat's wing with his sword. "I'm in" Darek said. "Count me in too" Ana joined, having killed a bat with her gifted sword.

In a swift movement, everyone gathered in a circle, those holding torches waving them at the bats, and those with swords cutting down the ones that got too close. Their strategy was working, slowly they began to move forward. Everyone helped defend against the winged creatures. Then Marlowe remembered and asked that they go help Thomas. In the rush of planning and their situation, they had forgotten him. The truth was, his screams were no longer heard.

It couldn't end like this. None of them wanted it to. But now, there was nothing they could do.

Everyone was horrified as they watched their comrade being dragged into darkness. But now they were unsure what to do. Some wanted to help, but others were more afraid, and frankly, didn't believe Thomas was still alive. "Forget about it! We don't have time!"

They wanted to argue or say no. But their situation was too dire. "We must move forward to the exit, there's nothing else to do" Heather pleaded, fear in her voice, though it pained them, she was right. They could only move forward, each doing their part, their path to escape drawing closer, they had to stay strong, though it was incredibly hard.

Everyone was under attack, and if anyone thought their situation couldn't get worse, they were wrong. Bats swirled around them. Then a shriek echoed from the depths of the cave, as if it was a signal, several bats stopped attacking the smaller group. A flapping sound grew louder, everyone looked in that direction, and when they saw what was approaching, their fear intensified.

Another massive bat approached, landing mere meters away from them. Its appearance and size were starkly different, making it even more terrifying and enormous, with glowing red eyes fixed intently on them.

Everyone tensed up as the newcomer approached, this new monstrosity began walking towards them. Franz, holding a torch, bravely stepped forward, raising the fire to try and scare the beast away. But it simply flapped its wings with force, causing Franz to lose his torch. As it prepared to pounce on its prey, Ana intervened, striking its face with her sword. The monster shrieked in pain, furious, it knocked Ana back with its massive wings, then took flight, swooping down on the group, landing on top of Rubén.

It began to thrash about as the others tried to help. Just then, it took flight again, dragging Lincoln with it. They fell, with Lincoln underneath, and the massive bat tried to bite Lincoln, but he managed to position his sword to prevent it. Enraged, the beast snatched the sword with its jaws, shaking it violently from side to side before flinging it away. Then, the monster placed a clawed foot on Lincoln's face, its razor-sharp talons scratching him.

"AAAHHHrg!" Lincoln screamed in agony, desperately trying to shove the bat off him, but failing. In a last-ditch effort, he grasped wildly at anything (anything at all) and managed to snag a rock from the ground.

They were just meters away from the exit when the massive creature grabbed the little white-haired boy by the shirt and took flight into the outside world. The others watched in horror and quickly fled, pursued by the remaining bats.

Although they had a bit of luck, there was a steep incline that allowed them to descend quickly and try to shake off their pursuers. However, they were very persistent.

They arrived at an area with trees where they tried to fend them off one last time. The bats bit and clawed; everyone tried to get them off. Heather was lucky; when she saw the large number of bats surrounding her companions, she took advantage of their focus on them due to fear and exhaustion, and fled without looking back.

Only one of her companions noticed Heather's escape and shouted to get her attention.

"Heather!" Marlowe shouted, but she didn't stop or look back. Through sheer persistence, they finally managed to put distance between themselves and the cave, venturing deeper into the trees. The winged pursuers saw their prey slipping away and, frustrated, began to retreat.

They had now lost two more. Marlowe told them how he saw Heather run towards the trees, and with Lincoln being taken into the night sky, their fears and desperation grew. But they still had to move forward, perhaps they could find Heather, she couldn't be far. As for Lincoln, they had no idea.

XXX

Feeling the cold night wind didn't help Lincoln stay steady, and the wound inflicted by the flying beast's claws burned, not to mention the blood covering his face. He tried to shake off the dizziness, but to no avail. However, he realized it was better not to struggle, considering the height he was at. He caught a glimpse of the sky and confirmed it was nighttime. Then, he heard more shrieks, as other bats saw an opportunity to claim a share of the prey, flying around. But the large bat wouldn't let them. Lincoln tried once more to break free when he saw the smaller bats approaching to bite him. He flailed his arms, and then felt the claws dig deeper. In a panic, he started pounding his captor with the rock, striking with force under the breast, and the large predator released him. Lincoln began plummeting towards the ground.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. This would be his end, Lincoln thought. But no. Although it hurt, especially with branches scraping his face and arms, his luck seemed to save him once again, falling onto branches and vines that cushioned his fall through the trees, and then onto bushes, but not without pain.

XXX

Heather was lost. Breaking away from the team hadn't been a good idea. Worse still, she was lost without light in the middle of the night, surrounded by monsters. 'I should have brought a damned torch,' Heather thought.

She didn't want to be there; in fact, she never wanted to attend that wretched Schola Progenium. It was all because of her father, a foolish noble with a foolish family tradition. She knew it - her family wasn't the most powerful, rich, or influential, she had to admit it - but still, they had resources, enough to live a comfortable and privileged life in this world that was her home.

But they sent her here. All because she was an only child, bound by obligation to serve the world of Thel Amar, and its beloved Emperor.

She hated every stupid physical test in this place. She wasn't here to make friends either, nor did she tolerate the others, her companions in this foolish challenge. That stupid kid with gray hair almost got her killed with his rope idea. Yet, he was also the one who saved her, and the other kid from being devoured by that beast. That alone made her reevaluate her situation. The area they were in wasn't a stroll through the garden, and if she wanted to survive, she needed someone nearby to help her. So, she decided to appear more friendly and sociable with the rest, especially with the gray-haired kid and his friend, and with Hannah, the girl in the group. Obviously, that "friendship" could come in handy.

Then those two arrived to join the team. She didn't have a problem with that; if there were more people in the group, she'd have a better chance of survival. With more of them, they could face dangers together, or at least she'd be less likely to be devoured by some other creature if there were multiple targets. That sounded cruel even to her, but after what she'd seen here, she preferred not to take any risks.

But after the cave and those horrific flying creatures, she couldn't take it anymore. Overcome with fear, she ran.

And now here she was, alone and exposed, without a clear direction. How to proceed? What if another animal or beast found her?

Her train of thought was broken when she heard a branch snap.

"Ah... Who's... There?" she asked fearfully, starting with a loud tone and trailing off to a whisper, remembering her precarious situation.

She looked around in every direction, panic rising in her head. But she saw nothing, not that she could see well in the dark of night, yet she remained still for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. Should she start running? Hide?

She began to back away slowly, her eyes scanning in different directions, and when she saw no danger, she turned to start moving away. And then.

About 4 meters away from her, she saw a strange silhouette that seemed like a person, well, she thought that only because she saw two legs and small arms, as if walking on two legs, but the angles of its body weren't quite right for a human, with glowing eyes. Staring at her.

Fear and panic inside her skyrocketed, and it was also when she remembered the story told by Kron and Ana, especially Kron's account of the creature that attacked that night and took one of his companions. The description was identical. She saw how this monster tilted its head. And only then, when the creature turned, could she see it better. It wasn't similar to a person, but its body was facing backwards and its head was looking back. Now she could see it more clearly.

It was larger than it seemed, with a long tail, and its mouth was a long snout.

Now this being began to walk around Heather, approaching her and simply staring at her while tilting its head. And it was then that it let out a shriek with a small hiss at the end.

That second. That precise moment was when all the fear, dread and horror made her break free from her brief paralysis, and as if driven by the devil himself, Heather turned and ran faster than she thought she could, even when those large lizards attacked her she hadn't fled so quickly.

And yet she didn't get very far. She felt a great weight fall on her back, impacting the cold ground, and she was left stunned for a few seconds. She remained that way until a great pain invaded her, right on her back, the cold claws of the beast dug in, piercing her skin, she couldn't get up, she could only scream in agony, then she felt teeth sinking into her back. Feeling tears run down her cheeks, the pain only increased, unable to do anything. She screamed with all her might, in a vain attempt to call for help, to be heard, to be saved, all she could feel in her last minutes of life would be pain, and regret for never returning home.

Around that area, a monster's howl echoed, reveling in its latest hunt. And the agonizing screams of a helpless girl."

XXX

"Did you hear that?" Rubén whispered, his voice trembling as he gazed at the terrified group. The only response was stunned silence. But that sound ignited a primal fear, especially within Ana and Kron, who had faced the horrors of that same howl just a night before. The possibility of the monster's proximity sent a surge of adrenaline through their veins. "We need to get out of here, now," Ana urged, her voice laced with urgency.

"Wait, hold on, what about Lincoln?" Rubén asked.

"He must be close, if that thing carried him off flying around here, right?" Kron replied. They began a brief discussion but decided to continue, fearing for Lincoln's and Heather's safety, even though she had left on her own, they didn't think to leave her behind. "But what if that thing devoured her?", "or Lincoln?", they thought, Kron and Ana wondered if they might be close.

And then, "Aaugh..." a groan sounded nearby, putting everyone on high alert, looking in the direction where the sound came from. Then, they saw him. "Lincoln?" some whispered, questioning. "Help..." was the last word he uttered before collapsing unconscious to the ground.

Lincoln's eyes fluttered open, his groggy mind struggling to clear. "Aahrg... ah... ¡ah!", he gasped, disoriented. "¿Dónde estoy?!" (Where am I?) he stammered, scanning his surroundings. The group closed in around him, their worried faces etched with concern.

"Hannah's voice cut through the haze, "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes locked on his, filled with worry.

"What happened? Where are we?" Lincoln asked, looking around in all directions, realizing it was already daytime and they were outdoors. And then he noticed someone was missing, "Hey... Where's Heather?"

Everything was a blur for him; he didn't remember much. They asked him what happened and how he escaped the giant bat, and he told them what little he could recall. After that, he asked them, "What happened next?" They had to fill him in.

They told him how they saw him crawl towards them, injured, and how they made makeshift bandages from tree leaves. They then dragged him for a while, until exhaustion set in. Later, they found a large tree and climbed up using vines. It wasn't extremely tall, but high enough to provide some safety from predators (perhaps?). With Lincoln's condition, they couldn't continue on. Fatigue had taken its toll. The darkness of night and potential predators made sleep a difficult feat.

Their refuge paid off, and they survived the night without incident. And to their delight, they received some welcome news. The path they had taken (albeit accidentally) through the caverns had led them closer to their goal, Mount Kalo. They discovered this when they peered out from their treetop vantage point, and saw it more clearly than they had just days before.

They then brought him down from the tree to continue; they had only advanced a little when he woke up. Among other things, they told him about Heather's escape, and since they couldn't find her anymore, they could only fear the worst. The rest were just some not-so-important questions, like if he could walk well, or if he had any other issues, but apart from minor pains like the wound on his face, or how his foot hurt a bit, everything was fine for the white-haired boy.

They no longer knew what else they might encounter in that area, just as they did not want to lose any more of their comrades. There was only one thing they all agreed on: they wanted to get out of there.

They continued advancing now, with a clear direction. They had no exact idea of the time, but that didn't matter to them, even though it was the third day, the day when that trial would end and they would be picked up from there. They just kept moving forward, trying to take as little rest as possible. An advantage for now was that the terrain didn't change much, just trees and shrubs; there were no lakes, rivers, cliffs, or anything to interrupt their path. Now they just had to watch their surroundings for a possible attacker, and everything would be fine.

"Ugh, this won't stop hurting," their white-haired friend complained, tenderly rubbing the wound on his face, scraping against the leaf wrapping he'd applied earlier. After waking up, he'd crafted a makeshift face patch using a large leaf and a plant fiber as a makeshift cord. His companions had tended to his wounds, bandaging his arms and chest, but the leaves on his face kept falling off. It was moments like these that made having RIP Hardcore around, with his survival expertise, a blessing.

"We're almost there, I'm sure they'll tend to our wounds when they pick us up," Hannah tried to reassure her companion, who was walking a few steps behind her. She was also concerned about his gait, as he was limping. She touched Kron's shoulder, who was leading the way, and when he looked at her, she nodded towards Lincoln.

"We rested not long ago, hang in there," Kron declared, clearly addressing Lincoln. He was leading the group, scanning their surroundings, while Lincoln was in the middle, struggling to keep up. His right leg throbbed from the impact of last night's fall, forcing him to limp.

"You can complain to Kron, he dragged you across the ground for a good while when he carried you," Rubén whispered, standing beside him. Rubén and Darek had told him how they, along with the rest of the group, took turns carrying or supporting him when he was unconscious. When it was Kron's turn, he carried him for longer than the others, though care didn't seem to be his priority. After a while, he started dragging him, especially his legs scraping against the ground. Though, it could also have been due to the strain of carrying him for so long.

They continued on like this for a while, until they finally could take another break, to Lincoln's relief, he was able to sit down on a tree trunk. They also took advantage of the moment to eat and attend to their needs, and it didn't need to be said that they shouldn't separate, remembering what happened last time.

Mount Kalo was now visible from where they were, and they knew they were almost there; they just needed to keep going. As they rested, they took the opportunity to chat among themselves. Meanwhile, Lincoln took advantage of the break to find a sturdy stick on the ground, which he would use as a walking stick to help him navigate.

Until they heard a noise coming from the bushes, everyone went on high alert, focusing on the direction of the sound. They waited, and waited, but nothing happened. Everyone felt a sense of relief, until the buzzing sound put them back on edge. Then, out from the bushes emerged a large flying insect, followed by another. Everyone stood up, staring at these unpleasant creatures. They resembled a dragonfly, but uglier, with long tails and stingers at the tip. Besides their enormous size for insects, the two creatures were huge, almost as big as a cat.

No one moved for a few seconds, and then the insects began to approach, flying slowly towards them. The group, now gathered together, stood side by side, drawing their swords (Lincoln using his improvised staff, having lost his sword). For a brief moment, the insects halted. Then, they attempted to fly higher, trying to bypass the makeshift barrier. Everyone began to swing their weapons to ward off the unpleasant creatures.

They were so focused that no one saw the third flying insect approaching from behind. Rubén heard the buzzing, turned around just in time to see the third insect preparing its stinger, and swiftly struck it with his sword. Although the force applied seemed insufficient, the insect merely stumbled backward, but someone else joined the fight. Darek also turned around and began striking with his sword, cutting off its wings before delivering the final blow, embedding his sword deep within.

Meanwhile, at the front, the others managed to land some hits on one of the insects, sending it crashing to the ground.

The other insect attempted to strike with its stinger, nearly impaling Ana. But for just a split second, Kron sprang into action, and with a swift motion, severed the insect's tail with his knife. The insect stumbled from side to side, as a nearly transparent fluid gushed from its amputated limb, eliciting disgusted expressions from the others. Finally, it collapsed to the ground, where it thrashed about like a fish out of water.

Everything seemed to be going well, the three insects had been successfully eliminated. For just a moment, the group began to relax, but then Lincoln, who was standing near the insect Kron had severed, saw it continue to move. Unaware, the insect suddenly sprang towards his leg and bit down on his foot, exactly on the spot that had been hurting him while walking. Lincoln cried out in pain and, by instinct, used his makeshift staff to deliver a powerful blow, knocking the insect off him.

The insect continued to writhe, and the white-haired boy approached, using his staff to repeatedly strike it. More transparent fluid oozed out, and the rest of the group watched in silence. Initially, they had rushed to help upon hearing Lincoln's cry, but now they simply observed their companion finish off the repulsive attacker.

Lincoln ceased his attack when he saw the insect lie still, then, to his surprise, he saw that his staff had broken from the force of his blows. He dropped it and went to find another stick to use as a replacement. The others, after a moment of silence, approached to assist him, checking his foot and asking if he was okay.

He simply replied that he was fine, no need to worry, although he did check the bite area to make sure. After that, they decided it was time to move on. It was better not to stay and risk encountering more of those creatures.

Hours passed, and finally, they found themselves at the foot of the great mountain. They pressed on for a while longer. The wooded landscape gave way to a barren expanse of rocks and earth.

They barely rested, fortunate not to encounter any more creatures, beasts, or insects. They began ascending a path with few rocks, filled with anxiety, excitement, and nerves, all eager to complete this trial.

Some glanced around, cautious or hoping to spot an approaching aircraft. They didn't know the exact pickup time, which worried some more than others.

They took their first break after a long, non-stop stretch, and Lincoln was the most relieved, his leg couldn't take it anymore.

They sat on rocks, no one spoke, there was only silence, a silence of exhaustion, not discomfort. Then Marlowe thought he saw something, pointed in a direction, and when they turned to look, they noticed dots in the distance. Paying closer attention, they realized it was another group of recruits heading in their direction.

This excited the group, knowing others had also succeeded. Although they were still far away, Kron suggested continuing onward. Not everyone agreed, suggesting they wait for the other group. However, Kron assured them they must press on to the designated pickup point. He reasoned that the presence of the other group confirmed they were on the right path and that there was no imminent danger requiring their assistance.

After a brief discussion, they agreed to continue on the path, but only advance a short distance in case the other group needed assistance. As they proceeded, Lincoln spotted something in the distance, much closer than the other group. "What is that?" he wondered. The others noticed their white-haired companion's gaze and approached to see what he saw. It wasn't necessary to say it, but they all tensed up, for not far away, atop a massive boulder, they saw another creature, another potential threat.

Then, gradually, the fear of several was replaced with amazement and fascination, although Lincoln's awe was for a different reason.

The creature they were gazing at seemed familiar to Lincoln. Among the many myths and legends scattered throughout the land, one creature came to mind, but it was missing a distinctive feature - wings.

"It's... a gryph," Rubén heard say at his side. "If I... I didn't think I would see one," replied Darek.

The majestic creature resembled a fusion of two animals, with the body of a large feline, but its head was that of an eagle, complete with sharp, hooked talons.

What a strange place I've ended up in, Lincoln thought.

As if signaling them to proceed, the creature stood up from the rock and departed. They lingered briefly, then followed its example, continuing their journey. Everyone was excited, albeit somewhat apprehensive. For Lincoln, however, the encounter was distinctively thought-provoking. He had seen a magical or mythological creature, minus the wings – a griffin. How extraordinary was the fauna of this place, where coincidence or convergence had yielded creatures akin to legendary beings?

They continued on for a bit longer until suddenly, "Hey, what's that?" Franz asked, pointing towards the sky.

The others followed his gaze, scanning the blue sky and white clouds, until they spotted several black dots flying towards them. It didn't take long to realize what they were.

They weren't birds or any flying animal, they were vehicles. Help had finally arrived.

No words were needed to express their joy and relief; they simply moved forward, arriving at a gathering point where other groups of survivors were already waiting, their numbers surprisingly large. There, they waited patiently for rescue.

Some people approached them, asking questions: "Where did you come from?", "Did you lose anyone?", "Did you happen to see Team?", "Have you seen any sign of the Johnson group?, etc

Lincoln's mind was racing with thoughts of everything that had transpired. The danger, the close calls, the losses. He couldn't help but think of those who wouldn't be returning: Jenkins, Kenny, Thomas, and even Heather. She hadn't been his favorite person, there was something about her that rubbed him the wrong way, but he hadn't wished her harm, let alone death. He had only known Kenny and Jenkins for a day, a few hours at most, before they were gone.

Soon, the other team they had seen earlier arrived, and it was clear they had not fared well. They looked dirty, with some wearing torn clothing. Their faces bore somber expressions, and it was evident that three members were missing from their group.

What must have happened to them? the group wondered aloud.

After a while, another group arrived, coinciding with the arrival of the transport ships. As they descended, Lincoln sat alongside Rubén, Darek, and Marlowe, feeling utterly exhausted. The pain he had endured for so long, particularly in his face, had taken its toll.

Just then, as Lincoln was lost in thought, a commanding officer, the last to disembark from a group of soldiers, surveyed the assembled survivors. He began to speak, his voice clear and authoritative.

"Attention! To all of you, congratulations on making it this far. The trial is over, please begin boarding, we're leaving this location. Upon our return, you will be debriefed and questioned to determine your future assignment within the Empire's army. That is all."

'Finally, we're leaving,' Lincoln thought, standing up and heading towards one of the transports. He cast a final glance at the blue sky before boarding. They were finally departing that forsaken place.

Lincoln looked forward to resting and feeling somewhat relaxed, even if only for a brief moment. He had no idea what challenges lay ahead, but after what he faced here, he'd have a better idea of what to expect.

What he doesn't know is that the danger he faced over the past three days will be only a small taste of the horrors and perils that await him in this new life.

XXXX

Fun fact: all characters in this chapter, except for Ana, Darek, Rubén, and Kron, are cameos from other franchises. Can you guess which ones?

I admit to drawing inspiration from the King Kong movie for some scenes in this chapter.

I must say something. I feel like this chapter didn't turn out the way I wanted, there were ideas that I wanted to include but I didn't know how to do it.

Now to answer some questions

eduardo.bettin26: I'm glad you're enjoying the story and characters. Yes, Lincoln is a strategic thinker, and that's something I want to showcase here. To answer a question I've seen about romance in this story, I do have plans for a potential partner for Lincoln, although it won't happen immediately. I also understand, to some extent, the frustration surrounding the Ronniecoln ship, which I assume was originally intended to be the canonical pairing before the writers changed direction. Personally, I find it a bit overused.

There are other ships that bother me, though I'm not sure why - specifically, Stellacoln and Jordancoln.

SupremeDarkTrooper: To respond to your two comments. First, you're right. I admit I hadn't thought of it, but it makes sense that someone important in royalty would have fought or had military experience. That's how the ancient world was, centuries ago.

Regarding your second comment, I admit it's a bit challenging to write a realistic reaction, as I strive to make it consistent with the character's personality and the situation they're facing. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.

kingbean777205:Thanks, I'm glad you're excited. I said I wouldn't answer certain questions to avoid spoilers, but just this once, I'll respond. Yes, I do have plans for the Ogryns with Lincoln; I already have one of them named, but you'll have to wait and see.

U. N. Owen: Thank you, I'm glad you like it,

By the way, I forgot to tell you, to clarify in case you didn't know, or in case you ask me. This story takes place near the end of the third season of the Loud House series.

Thank you all for reading and sorry for the delay.