Thane decided to spend the remaining Daylight scouting the surrounding area further, to check for any potential predators that might be close and to expand his mental map of the surroundings. He moved with caution, marking landmarks with a sharp rock he had found, while also noting any potential resources or dangers.
During his brief scouting, Thane stumbled upon another person. His heart raced at the sight of another human, confirming that he was not alone in this strange new place. The person was hiding among the underbrush, clearly frightened. Silently, Thane crept up behind the individual and covered their mouth with his hand before they could cry out. The person tensed but gradually relaxed as Thane whispered, 'Stay quiet. We don't know what else is out here,' gesturing around them. The combination of Thane's tone and his calm gesturing seemed to help reassure the individual that this new presence did not mean them harm.
As Thane studied the person, he noted several distinctive features: peppercorn-textured hair, almond-shaped eyes, facial scars, a colourful bead necklace, and copper-coloured skin tone. Most of these cultural indications led Thane to believe he might be one of the Khoisan (San) people, of whom less than 100,000 remained today.
Thane's deduction was confirmed when the individual began to speak, and the distinctive click sounds in their language became apparent. Despite his fluency in many languages, Khoisan was not one he had thought to learn. The realisation hit him that they would not be able to communicate directly. He would need to rely on body language and other non-verbal cues to communicate with this new human, who was in the same strange predicament as himself.
Thane quickly considered his options. He could try to help this person, but it would mean bringing him back to his camp and risking exposure to any predators or creatures that might be attracted by their presence. His father's teachings echoed in his mind: 'In unknown territory, never take on extra burdens before securing a basic understanding of both your environment and the potential danger lurking.' This advice had been reinforced countless times during the 'survival camps' his father insisted he experience.
Even though Thane knew this new burden would likely cause him trouble, the relief of finding another person in this foreign environment swayed his decision. The uncertainty of being entirely alone had been weighing on him, and discovering another human presence brought a sense of comfort. Despite the risks and the teachings of his father, Thane felt compelled to bring him back with him.
This situation posed a unique challenge for Thane, unlike any he had encountered before. Despite the language barrier between them, Thane saw potential in Bead. He held hope that they could swiftly bridge this gap, given Thane's proficiency in languages. With dedication and effort, Thane believed they could establish a basic means of communication in a relatively short time. This would enable them to share their experiences and hopefully unravel some of the mysteries surrounding their arrival in this unfamiliar place.
After making his decision, Thane gently gestured in the direction of his shelter several times. A few moments later, the fellow survivor seemed to understand what Thane meant. Still looking wary but willing to trust Thane for the time being, he began to silently follow behind him.
They proceeded swiftly yet cautiously, Thane taking care to erase their tracks as much as possible. Though the Khoisan individual seemed unfamiliar with the dense jungle, he made a commendable effort to replicate Thane's actions.
Moving with relative silence, Thane observed 'Bead'—the moniker he had bestowed upon the Khoisan individual due to his necklace—struggling to adjust to the lush environment, a far cry from the arid regions he likely hailed from. Nonetheless, his determination and perseverance shone through, displaying a resilience and adaptability that left a strong impression on Thane.
As they arrived back at camp, Thane gauged that there were likely less than fifteen minutes remaining until nightfall, relying on his observations of the sun and his partially adjusted internal clock.
Guiding Bead into the shelter, they shared a moment of awkward silence before attempting to communicate despite the language barrier. Utilising this pause, Thane gestured towards the traps and spikes he had set up earlier, hoping to prevent Bead from inadvertently triggering any of them.
A short time later, with about five minutes of daylight left, Thane reached for a couple of the wooden bowls he had collected earlier. Inside each bowl was an identical purplish paste with a bad smell. Earlier, Thane had mixed various herbs and natural ingredients he foraged, hoping the blend would naturally mask their scent from any potential predators.
Thane passed one bowl to Bead, gesturing for him to rub the paste all over his body. With a reassuring smile, Thane began applying the paste to himself. Bead gave the strange-looking paste a quick sniff and immediately grimaced at the odd odour. However, he quickly replaced this expression with one of understanding and began to follow Thane's lead in applying the paste.
As they finished applying the paste, Thane felt a sense of cautious relief. He glanced at the sky, noting that it was now almost completely dark. The forest around them seemed to grow quieter as the sounds of nocturnal creatures began to emerge.
Turning to his new companion, Thane gestured the importance of staying alert and cautious, hoping his actions conveyed the message. He then pointed to the small shelter, indicating they would need to share the space for the night. Bead seemed to understand his intentions and nodded, albeit hesitantly.
As the last light of day faded, Thane crouched in the shadows of the camouflaged shelter he and Bead were inside. His senses were on high alert, and his makeshift spear was within arm's reach. He had purposefully left small areas open to use as peepholes, allowing him to scan the surroundings. Every rustle and distant sound kept him on edge, but his training held him steady. He would survive the night and be ready to face whatever challenges the morning brought.
Bead, initially quite scared in the darkness and unfamiliar environment, soon settled down. After a short while of tense silence, the immense stress and panic he had been holding in finally began to lift. As the invisible weight fell off him, his exhaustion overtook his fear, and he almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after Bead had fallen asleep, Thane settled into a state of half-sleep, a semi-consciousness that allowed him to rest while staying alert to potential threats. He focused on slowing his breathing and heart rate, letting his body relax while keeping his mind sharp. Even in this state, he was ready to spring into action at the slightest unusual noise, prepared to face whatever dangers this unknown world might throw at them.
Later in the night, Thane was roused from his state of half-sleep by sudden, faint flashes of light in the distance. His eyes snapped open, and he scanned the dark forest, trying to pinpoint the source. Thane watched the faint flashes of light, trying to discern what they could be. As time passed, the only thing he could determine with a level of uncertainty was that the flashes appeared to be getting closer.
Continuing to observe the flashes, Thane's gaze eventually ascended to the sky, confirming his earlier suspicions: two moons, suspended like celestial sentinels, cast an otherworldly glow over the forest. Their hues, one a purplish, almost bloody darkness, and the other a softer, more ethereal green, were unlike anything Thane had ever seen. Any lingering doubts vanished; this was definitely not Earth. In that instant, an imperceptible switch flipped in his mind.
At that moment, Thane's senses seemed to sharpen, and a forgotten memory from his early childhood began to resurface. He recalled his grandfather's words, spoken in a noble yet frail voice: "This time" There was a pause, a hitch in his breath, before he continued, "If you ever make it there, I hope another decision can be made," he had said, a mixture of pride, sorrow, and self-ridicule evident in his tone.
While Thane had no understanding of his grandfather's words at the time, they now seemed eerily fitting. Despite his grandfather's later struggles with Alzheimer's, which often left his words as incomprehensible ramblings, this memory struck a chord with Thane. It mysteriously resonated with him, as though it held some connection to his current predicament.
Thane's grandfather passed away when he was very young, leaving behind a legacy shrouded in mystery. Thane's father, known for his reserved nature and sparing praise, held the older man in such high regard, with an almost religious level of respect. Thane's interactions with his grandfather were limited, with most of his memories remaining obscured by the haze of his youth.
Despite this, his father's reverence for his grandfather deeply influenced Thane's upbringing, shaping his worldview subtly yet significantly. The resurgence of these memories prompted Thane to ponder the extraordinary deeds his grandfather must have accomplished to earn such profound respect, especially when Thane's own efforts always fell short of impressing the man.
Thane's attention snapped back to the surrounding darkness, intensifying his focus. Motionless, every muscle in his body tensed, primed for immediate reaction. The forest, with its unknown hazards and unsettling ambience, felt suffocating as he braced himself for whatever lay ahead.
After a while, Thane's vigilance persisted, and his initial suspicions appeared validated—the flashes were indeed drawing nearer. His senses sharpened, attuned to any hint of movement or threat. As he continued to wait anxiously, a peculiar clicking noise broke the silence from afar. Squinting, he scanned the shadowy forest, striving to pinpoint the origin of the sound.
As Thane's gaze shifted back to the darkness, the flashes appeared more frequent and ominously closer. Straining his eyes, he discerned shapes lurking in the shadows, their outlines distorted and unnatural, though still distant. These creatures moved with an uncanny elegance, their movements defying logic as they slinked through the night.
Despite Thane's keen vision, they remained elusive, almost blending seamlessly with the darkness. A surge of adrenaline quickened Thane's pulse, but he forced himself to steady his breath, recognizing the importance of maintaining composure in the face of potential danger.
At this distance, the creatures bore a disturbing resemblance to the figures Marcus described encountering during sleep paralysis. Their contorted shapes and eerie movements mirrored Marcus's vivid descriptions. Shaking his head to dispel the unsettling thoughts, Thane refocused his mind. He couldn't afford to be side-tracked by irrelevant memories; survival was paramount at this moment.
As the clicking sounds intensified, rising to a volume that would grab anyone's attention in the stillness and relative silence of the night, Thane's grip on his makeshift spear tightened. Surveying the unfolding situation through the small slits in his camouflaged shelter, Thane's body tensed with the sense of impending danger. His instincts sharpened, his senses on high alert as he honed in on the barely perceptible movements of the eerie monsters slithering through the thick underbrush.
Surveying the unfolding situation, Thane acknowledged the uniqueness of these creatures. Despite only being able to discern their rough outlines, their distorted forms were unlike anything he had encountered before, emphasising the immense strangeness and danger of this world. Understanding the imperative to remain hidden and avoid drawing attention to his position, Thane steadied his breathing further and prepared himself for the looming threat.
Just as Thane prepared to adjust his position to gain a better view of the potential dangers, a sudden noise from behind startled him. Bead, now awakened but not fully alert, let out a loud yawn as the increased noise of the monsters' clicking drew him out of his deep slumber.
Thane's eyes widened in alarm as the yawn echoed through the forest.
Quickly, Thane signalled for silence. Bead, grasping the urgency, nodded and cautiously peered into the distance through the shelter's slits. As Thane refocused, an unsettling silence enveloped them, intensified by the absence of flashes or clicking. Thane scanned the darkness, noticing the absence of flashes, now replaced by numerous faint red flickering glows. They pulsed ominously, casting an eerie atmosphere over their surroundings.
Within moments, the sounds of rustling bushes became audible, accompanied by a subtle clicking noise, now much fainter than before. The presence of the red glows all around them seemed almost hypnotic. Thane shook his head, gathering his focus and mentally preparing for the impending confrontation, feeling the battle drawing nearer with each passing moment. As the creatures approached, their elongated forms moved stealthily through the underbrush, their unnatural shapes becoming clearer with every step. The eerie, faint red glows in the distance seemed to forebode their impending doom.