The mushrooms appeared after the rain.
They always did.
Clusters pushing up through damp soil, pale caps shining like quiet invitations.
Most contestants froze when they saw them.
Then whispered.
Then argued.
Hope Grows in Dangerous Shapes
"Those look edible."
"My grandma used to pick ones like that."
"I saw a video once—"
Speculation spread faster than hunger.
Someone crouched near a cluster, phone-less, memory unreliable.
The drones hovered closer.
💬 [NatureFan]: DO NOT GUESS MUSHROOMS
💬 [MedStudent]: This is how poisoning starts
Aria Notices Immediately
She stopped walking.
Looked down.
Didn't touch.
Didn't smile.
"…No," she said quietly.
The cameraman leaned in.
"No what?"
"…Not food."
She nudged the edge of a cap with a stick.
Not her fingers.
"…This one kills your liver," she continued.
"…Slowly."
The word slowly landed hard.
The Rule She Never Breaks
She moved to another patch nearby.
Different shape.
Different gills.
Different smell.
She knelt.
Looked.
Waited.
"…This one is safe," she said.
"…If cooked."
The cameraman swallowed.
"You're sure?"
She looked up.
"…Yes."
The certainty wasn't confidence.
It was classification.
Chat Loses Its Nerve
💬 [CasualViewer]: HOW DOES SHE KNOW THIS
💬 [ForagerPro]: She's checking spore color and stem base
💬 [WHAT]: I would simply die
Someone clipped the moment.
Split screen:
Left—Aria calmly identifying mushrooms.
Right—a warning graphic about mushroom poisoning.
The caption read:
"Do not freestyle fungi."
Someone Ignores Her
A contestant, desperate and tired, grabbed a handful from the first patch.
"They're all the same," he muttered.
Aria's head snapped up.
"…Don't."
He scoffed.
"You're not my mom."
She stood.
"…I am correct."
He hesitated.
Just for a moment.
Then dropped them.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Why She Knows
The cameraman asked softly:
"…Where did you learn this?"
Aria paused.
"…Because guessing kills people," she replied.
"…And people guess when they're hungry."
She wrapped the safe mushrooms carefully.
Marked the spot she'd left untouched.
"…Fear shortcuts logic," she added.
Producers Intervene (Quietly)
In the control tent, alarms didn't go off.
Protocols did.
A medic leaned forward.
"We can't let them poison themselves."
The director nodded.
"Cut in a warning."
But even as a disclaimer flashed on-screen, the audience barely looked at it.
They were watching her hands.
Mushroom Market, Carefully Closed
Back at camp, someone approached.
"Can we buy some?"
Aria shook her head.
"…No."
The person blinked.
"You sold fish."
She met his eyes.
"…This is different."
"How?"
"…I will not profit from guessing."
The chat froze.
💬 [TopComment]: That's her line.
Closing Beat
As dusk approached, Aria cooked the mushrooms thoroughly.
Ate a small portion.
Waited.
No rush.
No hunger override.
"…Food is only food if you live after," she murmured.
Around her, contestants stared at the ground with new fear.
The jungle hadn't changed.
But now they knew:
Some meals cost more than money.
Some cost time.
And some—
Cost everything.