The forest was quiet in the early morning stillness, the sky just beginning to shift from deep indigo to the softest hues of dawn. The rain had long stopped, leaving behind a damp, earthy scent that lingered in the air. Elion stood at the edge of the trees, his arms crossed, his gaze distant. His thoughts were troubled, his mind circling around the same worry again and again. Behind him, he heard a rustling sound, followed by a low groan. "Great! Just great! Now my shoe is muddy! What a nice way to start the day." Aldric grumbled as he emerged from the cave, his expression twisted in disgust. With an exasperated sigh, he pulled off the offending shoe and flung it aside into the darkness. Elion barely reacted, his eyes still on the horizon. Aldric moved beside him, rubbing his arms against the morning chill. "What are you doing up so early? The sun isn’t even out yet." Elion didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched slightly, as if debating whether to voice what was weighing on hi

Aldric and Noah stood at the edge of the plains, the sky above them painted in shades of deep orange and violet. The land stretched endlessly ahead, a vast, open expanse with scattered patches of tall grass. In the distance, the bulls grazed lazily, their strong bodies outlined against the fading sunlight.“She drove it away.” Aldric said, exhaling as he adjusted the straps of his bag.“Yeah.” Noah murmured, running a hand through his hair. “Let’s just hope we get out fine.”Aldric smirked. “Remember the challenge?”Noah grinned. “I do.”“Good, but we can’t do that right now. I say we take one bull and ride it together.”“No.”“Yes.”They locked eyes.“Let’s draw.”Aldric pulled out two small sticks, one slightly longer than the other. Noah picked first.The short one.Aldric grinned in victory. “Looks like we’re riding together.”Noah groaned. “Great.”They made their way toward the herd. The bulls, large and muscular, eyed them warily as Aldric approached. With experienced ease, he

The river had been ruthless.Elion’s muscles burned as he pulled himself onto the muddy bank, coughing out water. The current had nearly dragged him under, and if not for his quick instincts, he might not have made it. His breath came in ragged gasps as he rolled onto his back, staring at the darkening sky. The cat leaped onto land beside him, shaking itself dry.Then—a sound.A deep, guttural growl.Elion froze. His soaked body turned cold with alertness. Something was watching him.Slowly, he sat up, his eyes scanning the dense foliage ahead. The jungle was thick here, damp and shadowed, the towering trees twisting together like ancient sentinels. He could hear the distant cry of birds, the rustling of unseen creatures—but the growl came again. Closer this time. Lower.His hand instinctively went to his dagger.Then, the bushes parted.A jaguar.Sleek, massive, its golden-black spotted coat barely visible in the dimming light. Its muscles rippled as it stepped forward, its emerald e

The morning was just as cold as the night had been, if not worse. The wind had settled, but the chill had seeped deep into their bones. The sun rose over the vast, icy expanse, casting a golden glow over the glaciers. It should have been beautiful, but for Noah, it was just another miserable start to the day."Oh, for the love of—!"Noah’s voice rang through the silence as he stood, shivering, holding up his damp cloak. His clothes were just as bad—soaked through and ice-cold."Why is everything wet?! Did someone dump snow on me while I was sleeping? Was it you, Aldric?" He glared accusingly.Aldric, fastening his gear, barely looked up. "Why would I waste perfectly good snow on you?"Luna chuckled as she adjusted the straps on her boots. "Maybe the ice melted a little beneath you. You do tend to move a lot in your sleep."Noah grumbled, wringing out his sleeve. "This is the worst expedition ever."Elion, already prepared, simply tossed him a fresh cloth. "Dry yourself off. We need to

After finishing their meal, they sat for a while, letting the warmth of the cooked fish settle in their stomachs. The cold air still nipped at their skin, but the energy from the food renewed their strength. The penguins had retreated, still eyeing Noah warily, while the sea stretched ahead, dark and endless.Luna stood first, brushing off the snow from her coat. “We should get moving.”Aldric stretched his arms. “Finally. We’re wasting time here.”Noah let out a sigh, adjusting his gear. “I was starting to enjoy this place.”Elion, who had been standing quietly, turned to Luna as they neared the entrance of the passage. It loomed before them, an icy tunnel carved into the glacier, dark and uncertain. A gust of wind howled through it, as if warning them of what lay ahead.Luna hesitated.Elion, noticing her stiffness, stepped closer. He took her gloved hands in his and squeezed gently. “Two more passages to go, love.” His voice was soft, reassuring. “We’ve made it this far. We’ll make