The facility didn't look like a normal lab. Tucked away at the edge of a government-restricted zone, it was surrounded by electric fences, security drones, and a constant buzz of tension in the air. Inside, the place was alive with scientists in white coats, monitors showing strange plant life, heat signatures, and odd shifting maps of the jungle. The words "Project Verdant Eclipse" glowed on a massive digital screen.
Jack and Brock stood wide-eyed as dozens of people moved around with purpose.
"Did we just walk into Area 51?" Jack muttered.
A man in a dark grey lab coat approached. Tall, bald, and clearly in command, he walked with a quiet authority. His name tag read Dr. Harrison.
"Jack. Brock. Welcome to the edge of the unknown," he said. "You're now part of something much larger than yourselves."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's what cults usually say."
Dr. Harrison smirked faintly. "You're not alone in this. We've assigned over three hundred people to this expedition. You'll be traveling in scattered groups. You'll each be monitored through these." He held up a small button-sized camera and clipped one to Jack's collar.
The team provided them with basic survival gear—light armor, trackers, hydration capsules, insect-repellent gloves, and knives with sensors. They were briefed on jungle survival: "Don't eat anything shiny," "If the trees hum, walk away," and most importantly, "If it feels like time is slowing—run."
Jack and Brock exchanged looks. This was no normal expedition.
The Jungle Gate
Hours later, the group arrived at the jungle's edge. A thick green fog hovered above the mossy floor. Trees towered above, their bark blackened and twisted, vines like serpents slithering in slow motion.
That's when they met the others.
First came Rick—tall, messy hair, constantly cracking jokes. He grinned like he knew he was the comic relief.
"So, any idea if the jungle has WiFi?" he asked, holding a stick like a microphone. "No? Guess we're back to caveman mode."
Then came Serena, a girl with wide, anxious eyes and a tight grip on her backpack. She flinched at every noise, even the birds. "I shouldn't be here," she whispered. "I—I just needed the money…"
Standing behind them, silently adjusting his gear, was Lucky—tall, sharp-eyed, cold. He didn't talk, didn't smile, just nodded once when Jack introduced himself.
"Okay," Jack muttered to Brock. "That one's got 'brooding anime swordsman' written all over him."
And last came Sunny—bold, overconfident, and wearing sunglasses inside the jungle.
"I call dibs on the biggest discovery," Sunny said. "Hope you all don't slow me down."
"Man really thinks he's Indiana Jones," Brock whispered.
For the first hour, things went smoothly. Groups spread out. Rick joked about naming trees. Jack and Brock recorded strange, glowing ferns. Serena gasped when a flower blinked. Even Lucky paused to observe a mossy rock that seemed to breathe.
Then the earth trembled.
At first, it was subtle—like the ground sighing. Then came a sound—a deep, wet hiss—so loud it echoed through the trees.
From behind a cluster of rocks, something massive slithered into view. A snake. No, a monster. Its scales shimmered like oil. It was nearly twice the size of the tallest tree, with burning yellow eyes and a mouth that could swallow a jeep whole.
People screamed.
Chaos erupted.
Hundreds scattered in every direction.
So many people died, but our main charectors? Lemme tell you how they survive
🟦 Jack:
Quick-thinking, Jack grabbed a vine-covered slope and slid down as the snake snapped at the ground behind him. He narrowly avoided its tail swipe by diving behind a large log, activating the smoke canister on his gear to confuse it. His heart thundered, but he stayed calm, using clever movement and misdirection to avoid attention.
🟩 Brock:
Always steady under pressure, Brock noticed the snake's gaze followed movement. He froze behind a fallen trunk, barely breathing. When the snake's head turned, he bolted in short, silent bursts, using the trees to shield him. His strength let him climb high into the canopy and wait until it passed below.
🟨 Rick:
Rick screamed louder than anyone. "OH MY GOD WE'RE GONNA DIE THIS IS NOT A DRILL—" But somehow, through pure chaotic energy and dumb luck, he slipped, fell, rolled down a muddy hill, and landed face-first into a shallow stream. The snake ignored him—maybe thinking he was dead. "I'm alive?" he gasped. "I'm ALIVE!"
🟫 Serena:
Paralyzed with fear, Serena hid inside a hollow tree. She sobbed silently, holding her breath. When the snake's tongue flicked near her hiding spot, she whispered, "Please… please…" and it slithered past, uninterested in stillness. She didn't move for five more minutes.
⬛ Lucky:
Without a word, Lucky leapt from one boulder to another, agile and fast. He kept low, moving like a shadow. When the snake lunged toward another group, he disappeared into the mist, never panicking. Just sharp, perfect control. Not even his breathing changed.
🟥 Sunny:
Instead of panicking, Sunny grinned as the snake bore down on him. "Time to test the trick," he whispered. He pulled out two heat capsules—used to warm up food—and threw one far to the left, and one to the right. The snake hissed and turned, confused by the heat.
Then, Sunny grabbed a silver blanket from his bag—the reflective survival sheet—and wrapped himself in it before hiding under a pile of leaves and vines soaked with swamp water. The combo fooled the snake's heat and scent senses. It slithered right past him.
Once it was gone, Sunny sat up with a smug smirk. "Overconfident? Nah. Overprepared."
Hours later, as the jungle quieted and the sky turned dusky purple, six figures emerged from different directions. They all looked scratched, muddy, shaken—but alive.
They gathered at a massive fallen tree trunk, wide enough to walk across. Nobody spoke at first.
Jack broke the silence. "Okay… roll call. Everyone not eaten, raise your hand."
Rick raised both. "I raised mine twice, just to cancel out all the screaming I did earlier."
Serena sniffled, still wide-eyed. "Is it gone?"
"For now," Lucky said coldly.
Sunny dusted off some leaves. "I might've just saved myself using science, mischief, and good looks."
Everyone gave him a look.
"No?" he sighed. "Okay."
They sat together under the trunk's shadow, catching their breath. Around them, the jungle pulsed quietly—as if watching.
And somewhere, far away, the giant snake let out another low, rumbling hiss.
The jungle had just begun.
Jack stood up from the thick tree trunk, his face pale, his voice heavy. The night had fallen like a dark curtain, and behind them lay the chaos—the stampede of people running, the snake's earth-shaking roars, and the screams fading into the forest.
"So many people just… died right in front of us," Jack said, staring into the jungle. His voice cracked, unable to hold back the weight. "Are we the only humans alive in this jungle? That can't be. There must be others who escaped the snake, right? We have to find them."
Lucky crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "Leave it. We should collect wood and start a campfire before it gets pitch-black. This jungle's only going to get worse at night."
Jack opened his mouth to argue, but before a single word could slip out, Sunny leaned in, throwing an arm over Jack's shoulder like it was all a friendly camp trip.
"Jack, bro. Chill out." He smirked. "If we go looking for them, we'll just end up as snake snacks. The big guy slithered that way, which means we should go the exact opposite direction. And if some other monster shows up, relax—maybe he just wants my autograph. Fame is tough, y'know?"
Lucky exhaled sharply, clearly unimpressed. "Why do we even have this guy in our group..."
Despite the bickering, they moved on. Quietly, carefully, the group trekked through vines and roots and hanging moss, far away from the snake's path. After an hour of stumbling over uneven terrain, everyone began to slow down.
"I can't go any further," Serena whispered, collapsing onto a low boulder. Her face was pale, her hands trembling.
Brock looked around and nodded. "Yeah. We should rest here for the night. Rick, go gather some wood. We need to get the fire going fast."
Rick groaned. "Why me? I'm not your fire slave! And this place is scary, man. I'm not going alone. What if something jumps at me from the bushes? I don't wanna get eaten!"
Sunny clapped his hands and stood dramatically. "Rick, dude—even if a creature saw your face, it'd turn around and walk the other way. Trust me, no beast wants indigestion."
Rick narrowed his eyes. "That's not even funny."
"Oh come on," Sunny grinned, nudging him, "You're like jungle-repellent. If anything, you're saving us. Hero material, really."
The others chuckled despite the tension. Even Jack cracked a smile.
Muttering curses, Rick grabbed a stick and marched off into the nearby trees. "If I get eaten, I'm haunting you, Sunny."
"Make sure your ghost still looks like you, though," Sunny called after him. "Might scare the monsters away permanently!"
A few minutes passed. Then came the sound of hurried footsteps—Rick sprinting back, arms full of broken branches and dry leaves, eyes wide in sheer panic.
"GUYS! I SAW SOMETHING!"
Everyone jumped to their feet.
"What?! What did you see?" Jack asked, instantly alert.
"There were two yellow glowing... horn-shaped lights in the bushes!" Rick shouted, tossing the wood to the ground like it was cursed. "Like… like glowing curves, man! Curved horns just staring at me!"
Sunny whistled. "Wow. Glowing horns. Either it was a demon goat or… Rick's hallucinating from fear. Maybe even both."
"Not funny!" Rick shouted, pointing dramatically at him.
Sunny grinned and added, "Hey, maybe the horns were looking at you and thinking, 'Nah, this meat's expired.'"
Lucky scowled, his tone sharp. "Sunny, enough. This isn't a joke."
"Okay okay, sheesh. Somebody get this guy a sense of humor," Sunny mumbled, flopping down onto the grass.
Despite the nerves, they managed to get the fire going. Flames flickered and cast dancing shadows across their anxious faces. No one talked much after that—except for Rick, who kept insisting, "I swear I saw something," to anyone who would listen.
Eventually, one by one, exhaustion won. They fell asleep under the dim light of the fire and the watchful stars overhead.
Morning came gently. Sunlight filtered through the high jungle canopy, and to their surprise, they were still alive. No monsters. No snake. Just the soft rustling of leaves and the distant call of a bird.
Rick blinked at the sky, groggy and confused. "I… I swear I saw it. I'm not crazy, okay?"
Brock stretched, glancing around. "You could be right. But staying here too long might not be a good idea. We should keep moving. This jungle… doesn't like stillness."
The others slowly nodded, each feeling a strange sense of calm—but also the looming tension that something far worse may be lurking deeper in the forest.
And so, they gathered their things, stepped over the cooling ashes of the fire, and prepared to journey deeper into the jungle where survival, secrets, and something far beyond their understanding awaited.