Major Kaelen managed to climb the biggest tree in the forest, checking if he could see any sign of life or a town afar, but he was sorely disappointed. All he saw was an unending sea of green—forest everywhere, despite the immense height he had gained.
Instead, he spotted a thin column of smoke rising in the distance. He couldn't decipher what caused it, but he was convinced it marked some sort of location—a plain, perhaps, or a dwelling. He immediately started climbing down.
Even if he wouldn't find his family alive, he desperately needed to lay eyes on his beloved wife and son one last time. He started walking toward the general direction, but the exact path was instantly lost. Down on the dark forest floor, the thick canopy and dense leaves swallowed the distant landmark, and he couldn't trace the place.
Major Kaelen pushed on. One thing was painfully certain: he must locate that place and pay his last respects.
The memory of his wife's final words at the barracks flashed through his mind. She had pleaded with him not to let them send him to Pakistan, begging him to resign from the military so they could live in peace in the US. But Kaelen had rejected her plea, arguing that doing his duty, even if it meant temporary exile, was necessary for stability and national peace. Now, he was lost and broken in the forest with no escape route, and his family was gone. The pain was too immense for Major Kaelen to bear.
He kept walking, driven only by pain and agonizing regret, until the sight of the smoke became clearer again.
He pushed himself onward, a relentless will driving him, until he spotted the mangled wreck of the plane in the distance. A surge of desperate hope propelled him forward, but as he neared, the inferno and intense heat became overwhelming. He knew, with a chilling certainty, that his family was inside.
He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Anna, please forgive me," he choked out, his voice raw with grief. "I should have listened. I failed you. You and our son died as heroes. Accept my last respects, and soon I will join you in peace." Kaelen wept, the loss of his family a gaping wound.
The light was fading fast. As a well-trained soldier, Kaelen knew the dangers of lingering near a large fire in this wild forest. The flames would draw every predator tonight. He'd barely managed to fight off a wolf just two hours ago, and he couldn't risk another encounter, especially in his current weakened state. Hunger gnawed at him, but even that faded in comparison to the overwhelming despair. He knew his own end was likely near.
He stumbled away from the wreckage, finding a patch of shade beneath a large tree. He gathered fallen branches, breaking them into smaller pieces, and laid them around himself. He covered himself with some of the leaves, a futile attempt to find comfort, or perhaps just to rest. Sleep just did justice to his pain and claimed him.
Hours later, a distant commotion jolted him awake. A tiger was locked in a fierce battle with a massive python. Kaelen watched from a safe distance, his heart pounding. The sounds of their struggle were deafening, but his only prayer was to remain unnoticed. The fight ended as suddenly as it began, leaving an eerie calm in its wake.
Cautiously, Kaelen approached. Both the tiger and the python lay weakened, their energy was spent in the fight. With a renewed, albeit faint, surge of adrenaline, Kaelen grabbed the python by its tail. It was still alive, but its strength was gone; any attempt to fight him would be impossible. He dragged the heavy reptile towards the still-burning embers of the plane, positioning it carefully. The python began to writhe as the heat intensified, battling its inevitable fate. Kaelen watched, a grim determination settling over him. He needed sustenance to survive, and the fire, a symbol of his loss, was now his means of survival.
He found a large, sturdy branch and began to pry at the python, turning it slowly, ensuring it cooked evenly over the flames. The aroma, though primal, was a stark contrast to the metallic tang of blood and the acrid smell of smoke that had filled the air. He knew it would be a grim meal, a testament to the brutal reality of his new existence. The thought of Anna and their son, their heroism, gave him a fleeting moment of strength.
As the python cooked, Kaelen scavenged what he could from the edges of the wreckage. Twisted metal, charred remnants of luggage nothing truly useful.