The jungle was swallowed in darkness. The sky above was cloaked in thick, black clouds, and below, the cold wind lashed against the skin with such sharpness, it could send shivers down the bravest spines.
An eerie silence hung in the air—no sign of human voices, not even a hint of life. Only the occasional hoot of an owl or the rustle of wind scraping across the forest floor disturbed the stillness. Every breath fogged into mist. Every step crunched over brittle, frost-laced leaves.
And then…
That terrifying silence was suddenly shattered by a voice echoing through the trees—
"♫ Jungle jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai...
Arey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai… phool khila hai~ ♫"
Rudra's off-key singing sliced through the tension like a dull blade, utterly ruining the ominous mood.
Luna immediately turned toward him, her mood already sour. "What nonsense are you singing?" she snapped, clearly irritated.
"Nonsense?" Rudra gasped dramatically. "My sweet, soulful voice sounds like nonsense to you? That's harsh, Luna—my feelings are genuinely hurt!"
"Shut your mouth," she growled. "Or I'll put you to sleep right here."
Oliver cut in with a calm but stern tone. "Can you two quiet down? We're in the middle of a mission. Not some school picnic."
"Please talk some sense into him," Luna muttered. "He seriously needs to learn when to be serious."
At that, Rudra puffed his cheeks and pouted like a scolded child.
But then, to everyone's surprise, Oliver smiled faintly. "Actually… I kinda like that song. Come on, Rudra—let's sing it together!"
"You got it, boss!" Rudra beamed.
And the two burst into song once again.
"♫ Jungle jungle baat chali hai, pata chala hai…
Arey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai… phool khila hai~ ♫"
As the two continued their ridiculous duet, Luna's head began to throb with pure frustration. She pressed her palm to her forehead and sighed heavily.
"Dear god," she muttered under her breath. "What kind of cartoons have I gotten myself stuck with?"
The three—Luna, Oliver, and Rudra—pressed forward, venturing deeper into the heart of the jungle. With every step, the forest around them grew darker… emptier… more lifeless. The trees stood like hollowed-out husks, their leaves withered and brittle. The cold air hung heavy with silence—broken only by the faint rustle of dry leaves brushing against one another.
And far from this creeping void, Ayaan sat safely inside the bus.
The vehicle was stationed right at the edge of the jungle—a high-security, fully automated transport designed with one priority in mind: Ayaan's safety. Its doors could only be unlocked by authorized team members. It was a fortress on wheels, built for survival.
Inside, Ayaan was relaxed. He sat back, listening in on the team's comm-link through his wristwatch. The faint chatter of the others brought a small smile to his lips.
"Heheh…" A soft laugh escaped him.
"These guys... they're already so deep in that creepy jungle, and they're still laughing? Do they not get scared at all?"
He leaned toward the window and peeked outside.
"That forest… man, just looking at it from here gives me chills. I'm honestly glad I stayed behind."
With a sigh of relief, he stepped away from the glass and returned to his seat.
But…
He didn't know. Someone was watching him.
Not far from the bus, just behind a tall tree—a boy was hiding. No more than ten years old. In his eyes glinted something unnatural… and on his lips was a soft, unsettling smile.
He didn't move. Didn't blink. He simply stood there… staring directly at Ayaan.
Then, without a word… He turned away—and slowly walked back into the forest's shadows.
"We've come pretty far in already… I think this is where we stop," Rudra said softly, glancing cautiously around.
"Yeah… you're right," Oliver nodded in agreement.
The trio came to a halt. The jungle had grown quieter—too quiet.
"So now what?" Luna asked, arms crossed, tone slightly impatient.
Oliver didn't respond. His eyes kept scanning their surroundings, brows furrowed with thought. A strange silence loomed.
"Hey—did you hear me?" Luna repeated, this time with a sharper edge.
Oliver raised his hand to signal silence. Then… he closed his eyes.
He sharpened every sense—trying to listen, trying to feel.
"Oliver? Is everything okay?" Rudra asked warily.
"There's something wrong…" Oliver murmured, his voice low and cold.
"Wrong? What do you mean?" Luna frowned.
"Do you feel… anything? Any scent, any sound?" Oliver asked, eyes still shut.
The other two exchanged a glance and took a moment to truly observe.
And then... they realized.
There was nothing.
No rustling of leaves.
No scent of greenery.
No chirping of birds.
Only… dead stillness.
Luna quickly crouched and sniffed a nearby flower. "There's… no smell," she said, startled.
Rudra picked up a stone and hurled it at a tree. "Thunk!"
No echo. No resonance. Just… silence. Like the world had gone mute.
Oliver opened his eyes. No fear in them—only realization. "We've been trapped," he said. His voice was low. Steady. But laced with tension.
Suddenly—mist began to rise. From the ground. From the trees. From the air itself. Within moments, everything blurred into thick white fog.
"Rudra!!" Oliver yelled.
"Yes, boss!!" came the immediate reply.
"Go to Ayaan! Now! Make sure nothing happens to him! We'll hold this ground!"
"Got it." Rudra locked eyes with him. "You two stay safe."
"YES!!" Luna and Oliver replied in unison.
In a blur of motion, Rudra vanished—launching himself toward the edge of the forest.
Luna cracked her knuckles and clashed her fists together. "Tch." A fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She dropped into a battle-ready stance.
Oliver swung his combat bag to the ground and unzipped it.
From inside—he drew out twin heavy blades, far larger and thicker than any regular sword. They glinted with a menacing edge. He gripped both with practiced strength, spun them once in a wide arc, then took position.
His roar cut through the cold air like thunder—
"COME ON OUT!! If you've got guts—SHOW YOURSELF!!"
Meanwhile…
Rudra ran at blinding speed—nearly 200 kilometers per hour. Under normal conditions, he'd reach the bus in under five minutes.
But now… it had been fifteen.
And he was still trapped in the jungle.
His breath grew ragged. For the first time… he slowed.
"Huff… haah…" He bent down, resting his hands on his knees, chest heaving.
"What the hell… is this?"
"I can't run any faster… or my body will give out."
"But… the bus wasn't this far. I memorized every inch of the path!"
Panting, he glanced at his wristwatch.
Click.
He pressed a button—nothing.
Then another. Then a third.
The screen stayed black.
"No… no no no... why the hell is it off?!" He slammed the buttons, but it was like the device was dead.
Back in the other part of the forest—
Luna checked her watch. "It's not working either… Rudra and Ayaan's signals are gone."
Oliver lowered one of his swords and tried activating his own watch. But the screen remained blank.
He sighed. Deeply. "Luna…" he said quietly.
"Yeah? What is it?" she looked toward him.
Oliver gave her a tired smile, part bitter, part amused.
"…We're trapped."
Back where Rudra was—
He stood still, catching his breath… but now his eyes were locked on someone. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Rudra gave a slow smile.
"So… you finally showed up," he said.
Standing before him was a boy—maybe ten years old—wearing a woolen cap and kurta-pajama.
At that same moment, Oliver and Luna turned—and saw the exact same boy standing in front of them.
Same face. Same clothes. Same vacant smile. In two different places… at the same time. And with that haunting smile, the boy said to all three of them—together:
"Are you lost?"
"I know the way…"
"Come… follow me."
His voice was gentle. His eyes… empty. And his smile… Was the kind that crawled into your spine and whispered: Something is very, very wrong.
Without wasting a second, Luna lunged.
Her eyes were bloodthirsty—rage written all over her face. She launched herself straight at the boy like a predator in motion.
"LUNA, STOP!!" Oliver shouted, chasing after her—but she was already gone.
"THWAAAM!!" Her punch landed directly on the boy's face—a devastating, explosive blow.
His body burst open like an overripe tomato. Blood sprayed through the air in a sickening arc, and a few crimson drops splattered across Luna's cheek.
Oliver froze—eyes wide in disbelief.
"What the... Did she just kill him?!"
Luna calmly wiped the blood from her face. Her voice was flat. Cold. "…That was easier than I expected."
Elsewhere, Rudra had caught his rhythm again.
He pushed his speed further—bursting through the jungle like a bullet. And then, without hesitation—
"SHING!" —he pulled a knife from his pocket, and in a single brutal swipe, sliced through the boy's leg.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!" The boy collapsed, screaming—his cries echoing like thunder in the silence of the woods. Blood poured from the torn limb, soaking into the dirt.
Rudra stood over him, gripping his hair and yanking off his woolen cap.
"Don't worry," Rudra said darkly. "You're not going to die just yet. Not until I've heard everything I want from your mouth."
He yanked the boy's face up. "What did you think? That being a child would save you? Tell me—who are you, and what the hell are you doing here?!"
The boy whimpered… but said nothing.
"This fake crying won't work on me," Rudra growled. "Start talking—or I'll slice off your other leg too."
"Aye! Enough with the theatrics!" he shouted again.
The boy trembled—then suddenly let out a sharp, chilling laugh.
"Fool!" he screamed.
And in that moment—
his entire body crumbled into dirt.
"What the hell…?" Rudra recoiled, jumping to his feet.
Then—
laughter.
From every direction.
The boy's voice echoed around him. Unseen. Mocking. "You're fast…" the voice said, "But you're no fun to play with anymore."
The laughter stopped. Silence returned.
And then—
the mist began to retreat.
It peeled back, slowly… dissolving like fog under sunlight.
Rudra didn't wait. Not for even a second. He turned and bolted away, vanishing into the trees.
Back on the other side of the jungle—
Luna and Oliver scanned their surroundings. They could see it too—the fog thinning, dissolving. Like an illusion collapsing under its own weight.
Oliver looked around, confusion tightening his brows. "…What's going on? Did we beat it?"
Rudra, exhausted and panting, finally reached the bus. His steps were slow now, heavy. But there was urgency in his eyes.
Reaching out, he placed a hand on the gate and slowly pushed it open.
"…Ayaan."
Inside, Ayaan was curled up in his seat, wrapped in a blanket. He looked calm, almost content—completely immersed in a video call.
"You know… she didn't even turn around to look at me that day. It really hurt…" Ayaan was saying softly, recounting the story like an old wound he still hadn't healed from.
"Whaaat? Seriously? How rude of her!" Nyra responded from the screen, pouting in exaggerated disgust.
Rudra stepped closer, placing a warm hand on Ayaan's shoulder. "Ayaan."
"Huh?! Rudra?! You're back!" Ayaan's face lit up in surprise. A wide smile broke across his face.
"Look!" Ayaan turned the phone toward him. "Nyra's on call!"
Rudra leaned into the camera with a mischievous grin. "Oho, Nyra! You look like you've gotten a little chubbier since I last saw you~"
"Hmph! Excuse me?! I'm still totally slim, okay?! You two are the worst!" Nyra puffed up her cheeks, clearly offended.
The two boys burst into laughter but then Nyra's voice turned gentle.
"Hey… Ayaan. I forgot to tell you something important."
Ayaan blinked. "Huh? What is it?"
"…Your sister. Anya. She's okay now. She's completely fine."
The words hit like thunder. "…What?" Ayaan's voice trembled. "Are you… are you serious?"
Nyra slowly turned her camera around—and on screen, appeared a small, smiling face.
"Hi Bhaiya…"
Anya.
Ayaan froze.
The world around him stopped. His vision blurred as tears welled up, flooding past the edges of his eyes.
"Anya…" His voice broke. He choked on the lump in his throat. The tears streamed down—not of pain this time—but relief. Pure, overwhelming joy.
Rudra pulled him into a hug, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulder. "Shh… it's okay, Ayaan. It's over now. You're not alone anymore."
Ayaan took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. He wiped his tears and smiled faintly. "Sorry… I just got a little too emotional."
He looked at the screen again. "Thank you… Nyra."
Nyra blinked, surprised. "Huh? But I didn't really do anything…"
"Yes, you did," Ayaan said, his voice quiet but full of gratitude. "You were there for her. You stayed by her side. You made sure she wasn't alone. That… means more to me than I can ever explain."
Nyra's lips parted. Her eyes softened. Then she smiled—and tears of her own began to fall.
Anya gently leaned forward and hugged her, holding her close.
At that moment, the bus door opened again—and Oliver and Luna stepped inside.
"Yo~ We're back!" Oliver waved casually.
"Wait—you guys made it too?!" Ayaan said in surprise.
And they weren't alone. Right behind them stood the boy—that boy.
"The kid?! You actually caught him?!" Rudra's eyes widened.
Oliver laughed. "Yup. He's done causing trouble. We made sure he won't be going anywhere."
Ayaan stepped forward, eyes narrowed—not with fear anymore, but with focused intensity.
"So… it was you," he said, standing in front of the boy. "The one who messed with all of us."
The boy turned his head away, refusing to meet his gaze.
Oliver stepped beside him, resting a hand on Ayaan's shoulder. "Ayaan. Congratulations. You've completed your first mission."
"You're free to go home now. No more restrictions. You did it."
Ayaan's breath caught. "...What?" He looked at all of them. Their faces—smiling, proud. "You mean it…?" he whispered.
Oliver nodded. So did Luna. Rudra gave a big thumbs up.
Ayaan… couldn't hold it in anymore. He slowly sank to his knees. "…Thank you," he breathed, tears gathering once again.
"Thank you… all of you."
It was like something heavy inside him had finally lifted. Like the weight of fear, of grief, of guilt… had melted away.
Oliver, Luna, and Rudra stepped forward—and lifted him into the air with cheers. "Wooo!! Ayaan!! Rookie boy made it!!"
"AYAAAN! AYAAAN! AYAAAN!"
The sound echoed through the bus—laughter, cheers, and something that felt like home.
They weren't just a squad.
They were family.
And Ayaan—he laughed. He laughed from his gut, from his chest, from his soul.
That laugh… the one he hadn't felt in so long. The laugh he thought he'd lost forever. Today, it returned.
"HAHAHAHA!! I feel alive again!" he shouted.
His voice was full of color. Full of life. Full of hope.
Ayaan was laughing.
Tears streamed down his blood-streaked face, yet his mouth stretched into a wide, broken smile. His laughter echoed off the jagged walls—sharp, hollow, and horribly out of place in the rotting silence around him.
A foul stench hung thick in the air— The reek of rotting flesh, Dried blood, Fragments of bone scattered across the damp stone floor.
Spiderwebs hung like curtains from the ceiling of the cavern. Insects, centipedes, and lizards slithered across the cracks. This wasn't just a cave—it was a den. The lair of something unnatural.
And in the middle of it all… sat Ayaan. Propped against a cold, moss-covered boulder, he was slouched on the ground—body wrecked, soul unraveling.
Still, he laughed. Loud, uncontrollably. A laughter that felt almost victorious like he had won something.
Like his friends were still around him—lifting him into the air, calling out his name with pride. "Ayaan! Ayaan! Ayaan!"
But all of it... Was a lie.
Reality was far crueler.
One of his arms was gone. Both his legs—missing. Blood dripped from his chin. His eyes bled tears of red.
And yet, he smiled. And yet, he thanked.
"…Thank you so much," he whispered, barely able to get the words out. "If it weren't for you… I don't know what would've happened to me…"
Gratitude.
For what?
He raised his head slightly… and looked at the figure sitting before him.
That being.
Its hands—an unnatural blend of grey and murky green—had the texture of a crocodile's hide. Its fingers were long, skeletal, and crowned with claws sharp enough to slice bone like butter.
A lizard-like tail twitched slowly behind it, glistening with slime.
Not a single hair grew on its smooth, wet skin. The creature's entire body gleamed like something amphibious and ancient. Alive… yet utterly alien.
Only its eyes resembled something human but even they were elongated, reptilian. Vertical pupils like a gecko's, glowing faintly in the darkness.
It stared directly at Ayaan… and smiled.
Not a smile of comfort. A smile of satisfaction.
It was savoring his pain. Drinking in his broken state like wine. Every drop of agony, every drop of joy… was a feast.
The creature leaned forward and gently placed one clawed hand on Ayaan's head. "You're welcome, Ayaan…" it said.
Its voice was an unnatural mix—part man, part beast. Smooth… yet bone-chilling.
"I'll do anything for you." It whispered like a promise. Like a curse.
"People like you… are very important."
"To people like me."
-The End