" Liam," Oliver scrambled to the edge of the sudden chasm but the landscape was alive, the whispering willows weaving their branches together to form a barrier between them. The ground sealed itself over the gap instantly, erasing any sign of the path just moments later.
Liam hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of him. He lay there, stunned, in near darkness. He was in a small deep chamber woven from thick roots and glowing moss. He scrambled to his feet, shouting Oliver's name, but the only answer was the muffled sound of the gale above and a low synthetic hum that seemed to vibrate in his bones.
Alone, trapped, and utterly dependent on someone he despised, Liam punched a mossy wall in fury. He heard a voice but it wasn't the strange, digital one Oliver had mentioned. It was just inside his own head, sharp and clear: Error trapped.
Up above, Oliver stood paralyzed, staring at the newly formed wall of willows where Liam had just been standing. He realized with a dawning, terrible certainty, that the valley wasn't just a physical place as he had read from a blogger's post -It was an intelligent, defensive system, and it had just taken Liam hostage. The mission was now survival.
After some hours in the evening, the base camp was buzzing with activity. Several groups of two are straggling in, muddy , tired and lively. Mrs Chen, a female teacher is checking off names on a clipboard near the entry point of the trail.
Mr Harrison stood by the side, reviewing a map, his brows furrowed in confusion. He looks up as the last visible group of students round the bend. He consults his watch, then his clipboard." That's everyone," another teacher, Mr Davies says cheerfully.
" No it's not," Mr Harrison replied sharply, pushing his glasses up his nose. He pointed to his list. "Group 18 is still out.Liam Adrien and Oliver Montero"
A collective murmur goes through some students who overheard this, some of them knows the tension between Liam and Oliver.
" They had a southern quadrant." Mr Harrison muttered, folding his map with a frown. " Easiest navigation, hardest floral samples to collect. They should have been back an hour ago, even with them dragging their feet"
The atmosphere shifted from casual chatter to genuine concern. The sun had set below the valley edge.
" Right," Mr Harrison says, the authority back in his voice. " Mr Davies, Mrs Chen, organize a search party roster. Mr Al-Jamil, prepare the emergency flares and radio. We wait thirty more minutes. If they aren't back by then, we move in"
The wind had died down to an eerie silence at the spot where Liam had disappeared. Oliver moved alone in the dark , searching for clues. The base camp lights had long since vanished behind the shifting landscape. He didn't know what the teachers were doing now; he only knew Liam was gone, and he was the only one left standing where the ground had opened up.
Instinctively, Oliver pressed his hands flat against the smooth, damp earth where the path had sealed itself. The Bioluminescent moss pulsed a distressed emerald, frantic and irregular, mirroring the anxiety thrumming in Oliver's own chest. He wasn't cold anymore, a strong focus had taken over.
He closed his eyes, filtering out every sound except the underlying hum of the valley. The digital whispers were louder here, a cascade of stressed data.
" System failure... Intrusion confirmed.. Error trapped.. Trapped.. Trapped..."
The valley wasn't trying to hurt them. Oliver was sure of the fact. It was only malfunctioning, reacting to the human presence, like a machine defending it's data center.
He concentrated on the voices and the rhythm. There was a pattern emerging. Near his foot, half buried in the mud, was an ancient tree stump that shone with a slightly brighter light than the surrounding Flora. This was the command input.
Oliver knelt, placing both hands on the cool bark. He visualized the command he needed, a mental bypass code based on the repeated words he'd been hearing. He pushed the thought into the stump: Override release intruder.
A low synthetic whir vibrated violently up his arms. The ground around him flashed from soft green to a blinding, harsh white. The smooth earth groaned , not like rock grinding, but like machinery engaging.
Liam was staring at his bleeding knuckles when the hum suddenly intensified into a roar, vibrating through his bones. A crack of intense white light tore open the ceiling above him. Dust and loose moss rained down
But it was only Oliver.
Liam's heart skipped a bit. Oliver's silhouette was backlit by the raw, brilliant energy of the exposed valley core. He didn't look scared or weak, he looked entirely focused, a strange light in his eyes.
Liam stared up at him. The bully and the outcast. Here , in the dark heart of the valley, their roles were meaningless. Liam finally scrambled to his feet, not saying a word, face devoid of the excitement of being rescued. He fell into a step behind a person he'd added to the list of people he despised. He was saved , and Oliver was leading the way.
" We have to be quick," Oliver had said, his voice quiet but clear over the dying whine of the shifting earth. " The system is still active. This path won't stay open for long."
Oliver led the way, navigating the network of sub-tunnels and root chambers using the auditory cues of the valley's system. Liam followed silently, his usual arrogance replaced by a tense silence. The dynamic had fundamentally changed. There was no bullying, just the shared understanding that Oliver was the guide, and Liam , begrudgingly, was the follower.
They were deep in the core when Oliver suddenly stopped. " I think the teachers organized a search party, and they are close," He whispered pointing to a faint rhythmic humming sound above them that wasn't the valley's usual them. " That sounds like a generator."
They found a vertical access shaft, a spiral of smooth rock and roots that Oliver sensed was currently "unlocked". They scrambled up, emerging into the crisp night air of the forest edge...