After a while, they finally reached the last checkpoint.
The change in terrain had been gradual at first, almost unnoticeable. But now that they had stopped, it was impossible to ignore. The dry, lifeless dunes of Pavee were gone. In their place stood something dense, overgrown—alive in a way Zuno had never seen before.
As he stepped out of the vehicle, the green nearly blinded him.
It surrounded everything. Thick foliage climbed over itself, trees stretched high with heavy canopies, and the ground beneath them was layered with plant life that thrived without restraint. It felt untouched, like the world had been left alone for too long—and had taken advantage of it.
Michael hadn't been exaggerating.
This really was a different world.
Zuno stood there for a moment, taking it in. The air felt heavier, richer. Even the silence was different—less empty, more… watchful.
"…We're finally here."
Claire's voice broke through his thoughts. She turned slowly, scanning everything around them, her eyes reflecting the same curiosity Zuno felt. For a moment, she looked almost excited.
"Enough talking," Derrick said, his tone sharp. "We don't have much time before sunrise."
Zuno glanced at him.
Something had changed.
Derrick didn't sound like himself—not the version they had trained with, laughed with. His voice had lost its warmth entirely. What remained was cold, controlled, distant. It wasn't an act anymore.
He stepped away from the vehicle without waiting, already moving toward the checkpoint's exit.
The others followed.
Derrick exchanged a few quiet words with one of the stationed guards. No resistance. No questions. They were waved through almost immediately.
And just like that, they were alone.
The checkpoint faded behind them within minutes, swallowed by the dense vegetation. The path ahead narrowed, barely visible beneath the overgrowth. Every step forward felt like stepping deeper into something unknown.
They had around twenty-five klicks to cover.
No one spoke at first.
The jungle—or whatever this place truly was—felt wrong in a way Zuno couldn't explain. It wasn't just unfamiliar. It felt like it was watching them. Listening.
Zuno picked up his pace.
He moved to the front, falling in beside Derrick.
There was something he needed to ask.
"…Were we even friends?"
The words came out quieter than he expected.
Derrick didn't respond immediately. He kept walking, his gaze fixed ahead, his pace steady.
For a moment, Zuno thought that was his answer.
Then—
A hand landed on his back.
Familiar. Solid.
"What?" Derrick said. "Of course we were. We still are, idiot."
Zuno blinked.
The tension in his chest loosened slightly, though not completely. Derrick's tone wasn't harsh—just confused, like the question itself didn't make sense to him.
Zuno let out a quiet breath.
Maybe he had overreacted.
Still… that didn't explain everything.
"So then why are we even out here?" Zuno asked, keeping his voice low. "What are we actually looking for?"
Derrick didn't look at him.
"Didn't you listen? It's recon. We report anything unusual."
"That's it?" Zuno pressed. "They wouldn't send us this far out just for nothing."
Derrick's eyes remained forward.
"Curiosity gets people killed."
Zuno frowned slightly.
"No… I wasn't told that."
That earned a small, unexpected chuckle.
It was brief—but it was there.
Zuno felt a flicker of embarrassment, but he didn't take the words back. It was the truth. He hadn't been taught much of anything growing up.
The conversation died after that.
They kept moving.
The deeper they went, the thicker the environment became. The trees grew taller, their branches weaving together to block out most of the light. What little sunlight managed to slip through cast uneven shadows across the ground.
It was dim.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
The squad's formation stayed tight—Derrick and Zuno in front, Claire and Sarah a few steps behind.
Time passed.
Too much of it.
Zuno's legs began to ache, the steady pace wearing on him. Sweat gathered along his neck, his breathing growing heavier. He glanced back briefly—the others were feeling it too.
Then he noticed something else.
They were moving faster.
Not enough to call it a run—but faster than before. Purposeful.
"Why are we speeding up?" Zuno asked quietly.
Derrick didn't answer right away.
"Keep your voice down," he muttered. "Just keep moving."
Zuno turned his head slightly, studying him.
Derrick's expression hadn't changed—but there was something else now. His posture was tighter. His movements more controlled.
And—
Sweat.
Beads of it forming along his forehead.
Zuno's stomach dropped.
Something was wrong.
Derrick picked up the pace again.
This time, it was noticeable.
Zuno followed without question, his own heartbeat starting to rise. He didn't know what Derrick had noticed—but he trusted that it wasn't nothing.
Behind him, Claire and Sarah struggled to keep up.
Zuno glanced back and raised a finger to his lips.
Stay quiet.
They nodded.
Then—
Movement.
Zuno's eyes caught something in the distance behind them.
It was subtle.
Something shifting through the brush. Too controlled to be wind. Too deliberate to be an animal.
His breath hitched.
A second later—
Snap.
A twig broke.
The sound cut through the silence like a gunshot.
Derrick stopped.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Then he turned his head, eyes locking onto the source of the noise.
Zuno saw it then—the exact moment Derrick's expression changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"RUN."