The jungle was swallowed in darkness. The sky above was cloaked in thick, black clouds, and below, the cold wind lashed against the skin with such sharpness, it could send shivers down the bravest spines.
An eerie silence hung in the air—no sign of human voices, not even a hint of life. Only the occasional hoot of an owl or the rustle of wind scraping across the forest floor disturbed the stillness. Every breath fogged into mist. Every step crunched over brittle, frost-laced leaves.
And then…
That terrifying silence was suddenly shattered by a voice echoing through the trees—
"♫ Jungle jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai...
Arey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai… phool khila hai~ ♫"
Rudra's off-key singing sliced through the tension like a dull blade, utterly ruining the ominous mood.
Luna immediately turned toward him, her mood already sour. "What nonsense are you singing?" she snapped, clearly irritated.
"Nonsense?" Rudra gasped dramatically. "My sweet, soulful voice sounds like nonsense to you? That's harsh, Luna—my feelings are genuinely hurt!"
"Shut your mouth," she growled. "Or I'll put you to sleep right here."
Oliver cut in with a calm but stern tone. "Can you two quiet down? We're in the middle of a mission. Not some school picnic."
"Please talk some sense into him," Luna muttered. "He seriously needs to learn when to be serious."
At that, Rudra puffed his cheeks and pouted like a scolded child.
But then, to everyone's surprise, Oliver smiled faintly. "Actually… I kinda like that song. Come on, Rudra—let's sing it together!"
"You got it, boss!" Rudra beamed.
And the two burst into song once again.
"♫ Jungle jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai…
Arey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai… phool khila hai~ ♫"
As the two continued their ridiculous duet, Luna's head began to throb with pure frustration. She pressed her palm to her forehead and sighed heavily.
"Dear god," she muttered under her breath. "What kind of cartoons have I gotten myself stuck with?"
The three—Luna, Oliver, and Rudra—pressed forward, venturing deeper into the heart of the jungle. With every step, the forest around them grew darker… emptier… more lifeless. The trees stood like hollowed-out husks, their leaves withered and brittle. The cold air hung heavy with silence—broken only by the faint rustle of dry leaves brushing against one another.
And far from this creeping void, Ayaan sat safely inside the bus.
The vehicle was stationed right at the edge of the jungle—a high-security, fully automated transport designed with one priority in mind: Ayaan's safety. Its doors could only be unlocked by authorized team members. It was a fortress on wheels, built for survival.
Inside, Ayaan was relaxed. He sat back, listening in on the team's comm-link through his wristwatch. The faint chatter of the others brought a small smile to his lips.
"Heheh…" A soft laugh escaped him.
"These guys... they're already so deep in that creepy jungle, and they're still laughing? Do they not get scared at all?"
He leaned toward the window and peeked outside.
"That forest… man, just looking at it from here gives me chills. I'm honestly glad I stayed behind."
With a sigh of relief, he stepped away from the glass and returned to his seat.
But…
He didn't know. Someone was watching him.
Not far from the bus, just behind a tall tree—a boy was hiding. No more than ten years old. In his eyes glinted something unnatural… and on his lips was a soft, unsettling smile.
He didn't move. Didn't blink. He simply stood there… staring directly at Ayaan.
Then, without a word… He turned away—and slowly walked back into the forest's shadows.
"We've come pretty far in already… I think this is where we stop," Rudra said softly, glancing cautiously around.
"Yeah… you're right," Oliver nodded in agreement.
The trio came to a halt. The jungle had grown quieter—too quiet.
"So now what?" Luna asked, arms crossed, tone slightly impatient.
Oliver didn't respond. His eyes kept scanning their surroundings, brows furrowed with thought. A strange silence loomed.
"Hey—did you hear me?" Luna repeated, this time with a sharper edge.
Oliver raised his hand to signal silence. Then… he closed his eyes.
He sharpened every sense—trying to listen, trying to feel.
"Oliver? Is everything okay?" Rudra asked warily.
"There's something wrong…" Oliver murmured, his voice low and cold.
"Wrong? What do you mean?" Luna frowned.
"Do you feel… anything? Any scent, any sound?" Oliver asked, eyes still shut.
The other two exchanged a glance and took a moment to truly observe.
And then... they realized.
There was nothing.
No rustling of leaves.
No scent of greenery.
No chirping of birds.
Only… dead stillness.
Luna quickly crouched and sniffed a nearby flower. "There's… no smell," she said, startled.
Rudra picked up a stone and hurled it at a tree. "Thunk!"
No echo. No resonance. Just… silence. Like the world had gone mute.
Oliver opened his eyes. No fear in them—only realization. "We've been trapped," he said. His voice was low. Steady. But laced with tension.
Suddenly—mist began to rise. From the ground. From the trees. From the air itself. Within moments, everything blurred into thick white fog.
"Rudra!!" Oliver yelled.
"Yes, boss!!" came the immediate reply.
"Go to Ayaan! Now! Make sure nothing happens to him! We'll hold this ground!"
"Got it." Rudra locked eyes with him. "You two stay safe."
"YES!!" Luna and Oliver replied in unison.
In a blur of motion, Rudra vanished—launching himself toward the edge of the forest.
Luna cracked her knuckles and clashed her fists together. "Tch." A fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She dropped into a battle-ready stance.
Oliver swung his combat bag to the ground and unzipped it.
From inside—he drew out twin heavy blades, far larger and thicker than any regular sword. They glinted with a menacing edge. He gripped both with practiced strength, spun them once in a wide arc, then took position.
His roar cut through the cold air like thunder—
"COME ON OUT!! If you've got guts—SHOW YOURSELF!!"
Meanwhile…
Rudra ran at blinding speed—nearly 200 kilometers per hour. Under normal conditions, he'd reach the bus in under five minutes.
But now… it had been fifteen.
And he was still trapped in the jungle.
His breath grew ragged. For the first time… he slowed.
"Huff… haah…" He bent down, resting his hands on his knees, chest heaving.
"What the hell… is this?"
"I can't run any faster… or my body will give out."
"But… the bus wasn't this far. I memorized every inch of the path!"
Panting, he glanced at his wristwatch.
Click.
He pressed a button—nothing.
Then another. Then a third.
The screen stayed black.
"No… no no no... why the hell is it off?!" He slammed the buttons, but it was like the device was dead.
Back in the other part of the forest—
Luna checked her watch. "It's not working either… Rudra and Ayaan's signals are gone."
Oliver lowered one of his swords and tried activating his own watch. But the screen remained blank.
He sighed. Deeply. "Luna…" he said quietly.
"Yeah? What is it?" she looked toward him.
Oliver gave her a tired smile, part bitter, part amused.
"…We're trapped."
Back where Rudra was—
He stood still, catching his breath… but now his eyes were locked on someone. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Rudra gave a slow smile.
"So… you finally showed up," he said.
Standing before him was a boy—maybe ten years old—wearing a woolen cap and kurta-pajama.
At that same moment, Oliver and Luna turned—and saw the exact same boy standing in front of them.
Same face. Same clothes. Same vacant smile. In two different places… at the same time. And with that haunting smile, the boy said to all three of them—together:
"Are you lost?"
"I know the way…"
"Come… follow me."
His voice was gentle. His eyes… empty. And his smile… Was the kind that crawled into your spine and whispered: Something is very, very wrong.
Without wasting a second, Luna lunged.
Her eyes were bloodthirsty—rage written all over her face. She launched herself straight at the boy like a predator in motion.
"LUNA, STOP!!" Oliver shouted, chasing after her—but she was already gone.
"THWAAAM!!" Her punch landed directly on the boy's face—a devastating, explosive blow.
His body burst open like an overripe tomato. Blood sprayed through the air in a sickening arc, and a few crimson drops splattered across Luna's cheek.
Oliver froze—eyes wide in disbelief.
"What the... Did she just kill him?!"
Luna calmly wiped the blood from her face. Her voice was flat. Cold. "…That was easier than I expected."
Elsewhere, Rudra had caught his rhythm again.
He pushed his speed further—bursting through the jungle like a bullet. And then, without hesitation—
"SHING!" —he pulled a knife from his pocket, and in a single brutal swipe, sliced through the boy's leg.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!" The boy collapsed, screaming—his cries echoing like thunder in the silence of the woods. Blood poured from the torn limb, soaking into the dirt.
Rudra stood over him, gripping his hair and yanking off his woolen cap.
"Don't worry," Rudra said darkly. "You're not going to die just yet. Not until I've heard everything I want from your mouth."
He yanked the boy's face up. "What did you think? That being a child would save you? Tell me—who are you, and what the hell are you doing here?!"
The boy whimpered… but said nothing.
"This fake crying won't work on me," Rudra growled. "Start talking—or I'll slice off your other leg too."
"Aye! Enough with the theatrics!" he shouted again.
The boy trembled—then suddenly let out a sharp, chilling laugh.
"Fool!" he screamed.
And in that moment—
his entire body crumbled into dirt.
"What the hell…?" Rudra recoiled, jumping to his feet.
Then—
laughter.
From every direction.
The boy's voice echoed around him. Unseen. Mocking. "You're fast…" the voice said, "But you're no fun to play with anymore."
The laughter stopped. Silence returned.
And then—
the mist began to retreat.
It peeled back, slowly… dissolving like fog under sunlight.
Rudra didn't wait. Not for even a second. He turned and bolted away, vanishing into the trees.
Back on the other side of the jungle—
Luna and Oliver scanned their surroundings. They could see it too—the fog thinning, dissolving. Like an illusion collapsing under its own weight.
Oliver looked around, confusion tightening his brows. "…What's going on? Did we beat it?"