Morning finally arrived. One moment it was dark, and the next moment the forest was bright and lively.
Ethan was already up, scanning the woods. His expression gave nothing away, but his jaw ticked once before he stood, brushing dirt from his pants.
He then shouted loud enough so everyone could hear, "It's morning! Rise and Shine!"
Rory groaned, "Come on, seriously? I didn't sign up for boot camp, you know."
Maya rubbed her eyes. She had spent half the night staring at the stars—if that's what they were—but by morning, her exhaustion dulled the edge of her paranoia. But the warmth of the fire, the presence of the others, even the fruit they had gathered… it all wrapped her in a strange sense of safety.
Maybe she had been overthinking yesterday. Perhaps this really was just a wilderness, strange but survivable.
"Breakfast, anyone?" Sam's voice was cheerful, almost too bright for the circumstances. He held up a handful of berries like an offering. His dark curls were messy, sticking out at odd angles, but his grin was steady. "Chef's special. Only slightly poisonous." He crouched near a pile of berries and apples gathered the day before, holding up a handful.
"Morning," Rory mimicked in a gruff voice, walking towards the fire.
Lena accepted a few berries, nibbling delicately. Her fingers curled around them like she was afraid they might vanish.
Rory sat on a log, eyeing the fruit. "And here I thought we'd be gnawing on each other by now. I give it three days before Ethan starts seasoning me with dirt and wild herbs."
"Ha ha, very funny," Ethan said, annoyed, glaring at Rory.
The others chuckled as they ate the fruits.
Sam picked a few herbs from a nearby bush, "Oooo, these are perfect for tea."
After they finished, Ethan stood and brushed his hands together. His voice carried authority, calm and steady.
"We need to move. Sitting in one spot makes us vulnerable. Today, we explore and learn the layout of the land."
"Define 'we,'" Rory said, still chewing.
"All of us," Ethan replied, "In pairs. We'll cover more ground."
"Or...," Rory countered, leaning his back against a tree, "....we could stay here. We've got water, food, a five-star dirt bed—what more do we need?"
Ethan's gaze hardened, "No one's coming for us. You know that, don't you?"
Silence dropped heavy between them. No one wanted to voice what that meant: that they were utterly alone.
Maya crossed her arms and then spoke, "Splitting up seems risky."
"Staying clustered is worse," Ethan said immediately, "Sam and Lena, north. Rory and Maya, west. I'll sweep east and loop back."
"You trust yourself alone, more than with us?" Rory asked.
Ethan didn't blink. "Yes."
Maya hesitated but said nothing.
The forest thickened as Maya and Rory pushed westward. Ferns brushed her legs, mud squelched beneath her boots, and the air smelled faintly metallic, like rain before a storm. Despite herself, she found Rory's constant chatter a comfort.
"So..." Rory said after a while, ducking under a low branch, "... Let's talk about this place. Because there is no way five random strangers wake up in a place like this. Feels curated."
"Curated?" Maya arched a brow.
"Yeah. Like Ethan, a military soldier. Guy has 'army brat' carved into his jawline. Lena? Genius data ana- whatever you call it. Sam? He's a doctor, I guess. And you—" He glanced at her with a grin. "Hmm. You're tricky. You've got skeptical eyes. Maybe a lawyer. Or a detective."
Maya laughed lightly, surprising herself. "Detective? Please. I told you I was a botanist."
Rory chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh, right...I forgot."
He then added, "You've got that whole vibe of someone who isn't easy to bait. Which I like, by the way. Someone here's gotta question things."
Maya didn't know why, but her face started to feel hot. Am I blushing? She thought to herself, shaking her head.
She then spoke, continuing to follow him, "...and you? What is it like filming robotics?"
He grins, happy to share, "Well...I love technology, so in high school I started my own robotics club, and after graduation I began content creation." His tone became lower, "...but then my parents died in a car accident 2 years ago, I didn't have any motivation to find a job, so I started doing streaming and gained supporting fans. Life can be unexpected, but sometimes you have to live in the moment, you know," he turns to her and smiles.
But Maya could sense the grief behind his words.
Meanwhile, Lena and Sam moved quietly through the northern path. Sam talked about his little sister, about home, about how she used to sneak into his room during thunderstorms. His voice softened with affection, and for the first time, Lena smiled.
"She sounds like she has you wrapped around her finger," she said.
"She does," Sam admitted.
After a while, they saw a jeep on a dirt path. It was old and rusty, with punctured tires, and the windows were shattered.
"No way!" Lena said, running to the jeep, but sighed in disappointment, "It's abandoned... but by who? Are there other people here?"
Sam looks around the van searching for any clues. He searched the back seat and saw a piece of paper crumpled on the seat with writing. He quickly took it up and placed it in his shirt pocket.
Lena spoke from the front as she examined the hood, "Well, this won't be running anytime soon."
Sam closed the back door and approached her, "I wonder who was here and how long this car has been here..."
By late afternoon, everyone drifted back to the clearing. Maya returned with Rory first, her arms scratched from the bush, but her mood is lighter. Sam and Lena arrived not long after, quiet but carrying bundles of fruit.
Ethan was last. He emerged from the trees drenched in sweat, his shirt clinging to him. He dropped heavily onto a log without a word.
"Find anything?" Rory asked.
"Trees," Ethan said shortly. "More trees. But I marked some paths. We'll map as we go."
Lena spoke anxiously, "We found an abandoned jeep..."
Rory looked at her in surprise, "Wait, really? Were?"
Sam responded, "Up North, about 2km from here. It was empty and unusable."
Ethan sighed, "Damn...but, doesn't that mean people are here too?"
Maya agreed, "Yes, maybe we aren't alone in this forsaken forest. Maybe there are more people here."
Ethan nods, "Ok, let's rest. In a few hours, we will do a group search."
For the first time, they felt less like strangers and more like companions bound by circumstance. They now had a mission to search for other people, if there were any...