Kai pushed aside a curtain of thick ferns, letting the cool leaves brush against his scratched arms. The forest air felt heavier the deeper they walked—humid, dense, almost unnaturally warm. Ovi followed behind him, stepping around roots as thick as coiled ropes, while Ziam moved silently at the rear, glancing over his shoulder every few steps.
They had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes since leaving the clearing. Time felt strange here; the forest canopy was so thick that the sunlight barely seeped through, casting everything in a moss-green twilight. The sounds were different too—not like any forest they knew. Bird calls echoed, but not the type they recognized. Some were sharp like metal clinks; others were deep, whale-like groans that vibrated through the ground.
"Does it feel like the temperature's dropping?" Ovi whispered.
Kai shook his head. "Not dropping. Shifting."
Because that was exactly how it felt—like the forest breathed differently from one step to the next.
Ziam stopped suddenly. "Hold on."
Kai and Ovi froze. Ziam crouched down, touching the soil. He picked up a handful of dark, almost black dirt. It stuck to his fingers like ash.
"This ground… it's wet," he murmured.
Ovi leaned closer. "But it hasn't rained since the storm earlier."
"It's coming from somewhere," Kai said. "Water must be close."
He didn't explain how he knew. It was a feeling—faint, like something pulling gently on the back of his mind. Ever since the lightning storm, things felt sharper, clearer, as though his senses had been tuned slightly beyond normal. He didn't tell the others; he didn't know how to explain it.
They moved again.
The trees here were taller—massive trunks twisting upward like ancient pillars. Their bark was dark purple in some places, streaked with silver veins. Strange vines hung like glowing tendrils, pulsing with faint bluish light whenever they brushed against them.
"Alien…" Ovi whispered, awe mixing with fear.
"Not alien," Ziam corrected softly. "Just… other."
They continued until the ground dipped suddenly.
Kai stopped, raising an arm to hold the others back. "Downhill. Careful."
The slope was steep, but the soil was damp enough that small trickles of water slid past their boots. The smell of moisture grew stronger. The sound too—barely audible at first, like a distant whisper, then gradually becoming clearer, a soft rushing noise.
A stream.
But something about the sound was… off. There was another tone under it, like a vibrating hum.
They descended slowly, clutching roots for balance.
At the bottom, the forest opened.
A wide, shadowy grove stretched before them, illuminated by beams of filtered light breaking through the cracks in the canopy. The air shimmered faintly, as if dust particles—no, not dust—tiny glimmering motes drifted lazily above the ground, glowing faintly like microscopic stars.
And at the heart of it flowed a stream.
A strange stream.
The water was not clear. It was dark—almost black—but not muddy. Instead, it moved like liquid obsidian, reflecting faint streaks of violet, blue, and gold. It flowed gently across smooth stone, producing that steady hum, a harmonic vibration that made the skin on Kai's arms prickle.
"Whoa…" Ovi breathed. "I've never seen anything like this."
"It's beautiful," Ziam whispered.
But beautiful didn't mean safe.
Kai stepped forward but kept a cautious distance. "Don't touch it yet."
The air around the stream felt cooler, but with an undertone of static. Kai's hair lifted slightly as if the environment around the water carried an electric charge.
Ovi knelt down beside a rock. He picked up a dry stick, dipped it carefully into the stream, and pulled it out again.
Nothing dissolved.
Nothing sizzled.
No strange reaction.
But the stick's tip now shimmered faintly with a purple sheen.
"Okay… that's new," Ovi muttered.
Ziam, always observant, scanned the area. "There are footprints here. Blurred ones."
Kai looked sharply at him. "Human?"
Ziam shook his head. "Not sure."
He crouched, brushing the prints. They were shaped somewhat like a deer's hoof, but wider, with three rounded tips instead of two—a tripodal shape. And the distance between each print was large, suggesting something tall… or fast.
"Doesn't look fresh," Ziam added. "Maybe a day old."
Kai exhaled slowly. "Whatever made them probably comes here for the water."
Ovi's eyes widened. "You mean like that wolf creature?"
"Maybe," Kai answered. "Or something worse."
They all fell silent, listening to the forest breathe around them.
Kai approached the stream again, noticing something strange.
There were symbols etched into the rocks along the bank—similar to the glowing markings they had seen carved into the tree near the clearing. These were faint, almost eroded, but still visible: spirals intersecting triangles, lines branching like veins, and circular patterns surrounding a larger symbol in the center.
"A system," Ziam murmured. "Some kind of ancient map or warning."
Ovi scratched his head. "Or instructions?"
Kai knelt beside the markings. The central symbol—three intersecting circles inside a diamond shape—seemed to faintly hum, vibrating at the same frequency as the water.
He touched the rock with two fingers.
A pulse shot up his arm.
Not painful—but strange. Like touching a heartbeat.
Kai jerked his hand away.
"You okay?" Ovi rushed closer.
"Yeah…" Kai shook his head. "It's like the rock is… alive. Or holding energy."
Ziam stepped closer, examining the symbol. "Maybe we're not supposed to touch anything here."
Kai stood slowly. "Maybe this whole place is connected to the storm. The cosmic lightning. The ruins Ayes saw."
The thought passed between them without more words.
If this stream belonged to the environment shaped by whatever ancient civilization lived here… then everything—the creatures, the markings, the ruins—were connected.
---
"Okay," Ovi finally said, breaking the silence. "Beautiful or not, strange or not—we need water. People back there are thirsty. Some are barely conscious."
Kai nodded slowly. "We can't just bring this without testing it."
Ziam eyed the shimmering surface. "We need to see if it's drinkable."
Ovi made a face. "You want one of us to just… drink it?"
"No," Kai said quickly. "Not yet."
He scanned the area.
There was a spot downstream where the dark water mixed with clearer runoff dripping from a higher ledge. The mixture looked less opaque, like the stream's strange properties diluted slightly.
Kai pointed. "There. That part looks safer."
Ziam rummaged through the small cloth satchel he carried from the bus. Inside were a few cracked plastic cups salvaged earlier.
Ovi grabbed one and dipped it carefully into the diluted section of the stream.
The water inside glowed faintly purple.
Kai took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's test it slowly."
Ziam nodded. "We'll dip just a little on the skin first."
He dabbed a single drop onto his wrist.
Nothing happened.
They waited.
A minute passed.
No burning, no itching, no discoloration—nothing.
Kai exhaled. "Okay. Next test."
Ziam touched the drop with his tongue.
Kai and Ovi held their breath.
Ziam blinked twice. "Tastes like… mineral water. A bit metallic."
He waited again—thirty seconds.
Still nothing.
Finally, he spoke: "I think it's safe."
Kai wasn't convinced. "Then only one of us should drink just a sip. And then we wait."
Ziam nodded once, brave but calm.
Before Kai could refuse, Ziam lifted the cup and took a tiny sip.
The reaction was immediate—not dangerous, but startling.
His eyes widened.
His breath hitched.
He stood still as stone.
"Ziam?" Ovi whispered.
Ziam held up a hand.
His eyes were glowing—just faintly—but unmistakably glowing with soft violet light.
He swallowed hard. "I'm… okay."
Kai rushed closer. "What happened?!"
Ziam took a shaky breath. "Nothing bad. I just—felt something. For a moment."
"What did you feel?" Ovi asked.
Ziam pressed a hand to his chest. "Warmth. Like… energy. Flowing through me. Not painful. Just… like the water is alive."
Kai didn't like that answer—but Ziam didn't look harmed.
And gods_ they needed water.
.....
"Okay," Kai said. "We'll collect it. Only from the diluted section. And we'll tell Aimi and the others to monitor it before giving it to anyone injured."
Ovi nodded. "And we'll warn everyone not to touch the main stream."
Ziam exhaled, finally steady. "Whatever this place is… it's not ordinary. Even the water has power."
Kai looked around again.
The drifting glowing motes…
The humming stones…
The ancient symbols…
The strange footprints…
The charged air…
This grove was sacred. Or forbidden. Or both.
But they had no choice.
They filled every small container they had—cups, a cracked thermos, two plastic bottles with broken caps but still usable.
As they worked, Kai felt something watching them.
Not a creature.
Not a presence.
Something older.
Like the forest itself was aware.
And when Ziam stepped too close to the main stream, the water's hum deepened slightly, as if acknowledging him.
Kai didn't mention that.
Not yet.
Once everything was packed, Kai stood, scanning the grove one last time.
But then—
Ziam froze.
"Did you hear that?" he whispered.
Ovi stiffened.
From the other side of the stream, something moved—slow, deliberate, heavy footsteps brushing against the bushes.
Kai motioned them to step back, silent.
The bushes parted.
A figure stepped partly into the dim light.
Not fully visible.
Tall.
Broad.
Its outline slightly blurred by mist.
Golden eyes blinked once from the shadows—calm, observing, intelligent.
Kai's heartbeat pounded.
The creature did nothing aggressive.
It simply watched.
Ziam whispered, "Maybe it guards the water."
Kai didn't respond.
Instead, he slowly raised his hand—not as a threat, but as a silent gesture of respect.
The creature's eyes shifted to the containers of water.
Then back to Kai.
A long, tense moment passed.
Then—
The creature stepped back into the shadows.
Gone.
Ovi exhaled shakily. "We should leave. Now."
"Quietly," Kai agreed.
They backed away from the stream, climbed the slope, and didn't speak until the grove was far behind them.
Only then did Kai whisper:
"Whatever lives in this forest… understands we're here now."
As they neared the clearing, the forest gradually grew familiar again—less humming, less glowing, more grounded. When the trees parted and the first bits of sunlight hit them, Ziam finally relaxed.
They saw the others waiting—anxious, exhausted.
Kai led his group back through the forest, weaving between the moss-covered roots and glowing vines until the clearing finally appeared in sight. A beam of sunlight had slipped through the canopy at last, illuminating the stranded bus like a fallen metal relic. Most of the group had moved to the mouth of the nearby cave, where the shade was cooler and the air less suffocating.
Ayes spotted them first.
"Kai!" he called out, voice strained with worry and hope. "Did you find anything?"
Kai lifted the bottles and cracked containers in both hands. "Water. But… not normal water."
The others rose from the ground—injured people leaning against the cave wall, Melisa and Nieva carrying makeshift bags made from torn seat fabric, the bus driver Habib trying to look composed despite exhaustion.
Ayes walked forward quickly. "Is everyone okay? Any attacks? Any creatures?"
"No," Kai said. "We're fine. But the water we found… it's strange."
Ziam, still steady but quieter than usual, nodded. "The stream wasn't like anything on Earth."
Ovi held up the cup with a faint purple shimmer still clinging to the inside. "This stuff feels like energy. Like it wants to move."
Ayes's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt. He sensed there was much more to the story.
Habib crossed his arms. "Strange or not—people are dying of thirst. We take what we can get."
Kai didn't argue—he was too tired—but he said firmly, "We need to be careful."
Ayes nodded and looked over Kai's shoulder. "Where's the second group? They should be back too."
"They're coming," Kai replied.
And right on cue—
_ _ _ _ _
A rustle of bushes announced their arrival.
Ayes's group stepped out into the clearing, carrying bundles of strange, shimmering fruit. The golden skin of each fruit glowed softly, reflecting the scant sunlight in a warm halo. Beside Ayes walked Aimi, carrying a larger armful of fruit wrapped in torn shirt cloth. Behind them trailed Rezik, the younger boy, who looked shaken but unharmed.
Kai's eyes widened at the sight. "What happened to you all?"
Ayes shook his head, still breathless from the journey. "We found fruit. Not normal fruit—golden. Heavy. Warm."
"Warm?" Ovi repeated.
Ayes handed one of the fruits to Kai. The surface felt almost alive—softly pulsing, as though heat radiated from its core.
"I've never seen anything like this," Kai murmured.
Ayes sighed. "That's not all."
"What else?" Ziam asked.
Ayes looked uneasy. "The area where these fruits grew… it didn't feel normal. The air felt thick. The ground hummed. And when Rezik touched one of the trees, it reacted."
"Reacted how?" Melisa asked.
Aimi stepped forward. "The bark lit up—just a faint line. Like it was sensing him."
Nieva shivered. "This forest keeps getting stranger."
Before they could discuss further, voices called from the trees behind them.
....
Melisa and Nieva's group emerged next, carrying armfuls of ordinary-looking fruit and a few containers filled with clear water. Their expressions were relieved, and their steps hurried, as if they had been waiting to reunite with the others.
"We found normal water!" Melisa called out. "And this fruit—tastes like mango and peach mixed!"
Nieva held up a large, round fruit with green-red skin. "This one's safe. We tested a small bite."
Kai exhaled with visible relief. "Thank god. Something normal."
Ayes smiled faintly. "Good. With what we found, we now have three types of resources."
Everyone gathered around the cave entrance.
There, before them, lay:
Clear, normal water from Melisa's group
Golden, glowing fruits from Ayes's group
Strange energy-water from Kai's group
Normal fruits collected by Nieva and two women
Wounded and unconscious people who needed nourishment badly
The groups exchanged stories one by one, filling in every detail—dangerous terrain, glowing trees, eerie sounds, strange footprints, the energy hum in the air.
When all accounts ended, the cave fell into a heavy silence.
It was Ayes who finally spoke.
"We need to decide what to eat, how to divide it, and what to test carefully. We don't know what's safe. But… we can't starve."
Habib nodded. "Agreed. Bring everything inside the cave. We'll sit together and plan."
---
The cave wasn't large, but big enough to shelter twenty people. A cool breeze flowed from deeper inside, carrying the scent of wet earth and moss. Light filtered in through the opening, casting soft shadows across the uneven stone floor.
The injured were leaned gently against the cave wall—two adults with severe wounds, several lightly injured, and a few still unconscious. The baby girl slept peacefully in her mother's arms.
Everyone else sat in a rough circle.
Ayes placed the golden fruit in the center.
Kai set down the purple-glowing energy water.
Melisa and Nieva placed the normal water and normal fruit on the other side.
A solemn quiet settled over them.
Ayes looked around. "Let's talk."
Rezik pointed at the golden fruit. "These… they smelled sweet. But the air around them felt like something was watching."
Aimi added, "But we're starving. We can't skip food."
Kai raised a cautionary hand. "We shouldn't rush. We need to test everything carefully."
Nieva frowned. "What about the energy-water? Ziam, you drank some—what did you feel exactly?"
Ziam sat up straighter. "Warmth. A slight boost of energy. But nothing harmful."
"That's still strange," Melisa muttered.
"It might be useful for the wounded," Ovi said. "Energy could help them recover faster."
Ayes nodded slowly. "Agreed—but small amounts. We need mild effects only."
They discussed for several minutes, weighing risks, talking through symptoms, considering their survival needs.
At last, Habib—voice steady and calm—said, "We test everything, one by one. Carefully. Then we feed everyone."
No one argued.
They began with the normal fruits.
Everyone took small bites. Sweet, refreshing, juicy. Safe.
Then they tried the normal water—clean, cool, perfect.
The tension eased slightly.
Next came the golden fruit.
Ayes sliced one with the broken edge of a metal seat rod. A soft golden aroma filled the cave—warm, bright, comforting.
The fruit's flesh glowed faintly, like sunlight trapped inside.
Ayes glanced at everyone. "Small bites only."
Kai, Aimi, Nieva, Melisa, Ovi, Ziam, and Ayes each took a tiny taste.
A warm sensation spread through their tongues. Like honey mixed with warmth—not heat, but a gentle pulse.
Ziam blinked. "It tastes… alive."
Nieva nodded slowly. "Like it's waking something inside."
Kai exhaled, tension draining from his shoulders. "But no dizziness. No pain. No strange visions."
Ayes agreed. "It's mild. But definitely not normal fruit."
Aimi looked relieved. "Then—it may be safe."
Finally came the energy-water.
Ziam had already tested it earlier, so this time Ayes volunteered.
He lifted the cup and took a cautious sip.
Warm. Quiet. Like gentle electricity moving through him.
No pain. Just a clarity of mind.
"I–I feel awake," Ayes murmured. "Clearer… sharper."
Kai nodded. "Mild effect. Safe enough."
Rezik looked at his empty stomach. "Then… we can eat now?"
Ayes looked around the cave and saw the tired, hungry, wounded faces.
"Yes. Everyone can eat."
Everyone divided the food carefully.
The normal fruit went to the heavily injured first
The golden fruit slices were shared among the adults
The energy-water was given in tiny sips to the unconscious and weak
The normal water was shared with the rest
The cave filled with soft chewing, relieved sighs, and small murmurs of gratitude.
For the first time since they had arrived in this unknown world, a feeling of comfort spread through the group.
The baby girl giggled as her mother fed her mashed fruit. Rezik ate quietly but with wide eyes. Melisa and Nieva shared their half of a golden fruit slice.
Kai and Ayes sat side by side, dividing supplies evenly.
After a while, Ayes noticed something.
"I feel… less tired."
Kai nodded. "Me too. Like the golden fruit restores stamina."
Ayes rotated his wrist. The pain from the cosmic lightning had lessened slightly. Not healed, but soothed.
"Just mild effects," Ayes said. "Exactly what we need."
After everyone finished eating, several subtle changes appeared:
The wounded breathed easier, their faces relaxing
The unconscious adults stirred slightly, though they didn't wake
Energy returned to the tired survivors, enough to stand and stretch
No one showed negative symptoms
Melisa touched her forehead. "I… feel warm."
"That's the fruit," Nieva replied. "I feel it too."
Ovi stretched his arms. "Feels like I slept ten hours."
Ziam smiled faintly. "This world's food is stronger than ours."
Kai noticed Ayes rubbing his hand. "Still hurting?"
"A little," Ayes said honestly. "But better."
Kai leaned closer. "Maybe the lightning changed you. Maybe the fruit interacts with that."
Ayes didn't answer.
Instead, he looked around the cave—at the relief on everyone's faces—and exhaled for the first time in hours.
"We'll survive today," he whispered.
Kai nodded. "And tomorrow… we explore."
Ayes didn't know it yet, but today marked the quiet beginning of their adaptation. The forest wasn't just dangerous—it was alive, mysterious, ancient, and filled with secrets they hadn't even begun to understand.
And as night approached, the cave felt like a haven—warm, safe, protected.
The forest, for now, watched silently.
...