The jungle loomed ahead of them, a tangled mass of thick trees and dense undergrowth that seemed to swallow all light and sound. Nate, Madison, Bella, and the young man moved cautiously into the wilderness, each step bringing a sense of unease.
Bella, her arms crossed tightly, huffed in annoyance. "Why do I have to be here again? You know I don't do well with all this walking."
Nate glanced over his shoulder, his tone patient but firm. "Because your powers are important, Bella. If anything happens, we need you to keep us safe. You're not here for the hike; you're here because we can't do this without you."
Bella frowned, her lips tightening, but after a moment, she nodded and stopped complaining. "Fine," she muttered, though the irritation in her voice remained.
The young man, walking a few paces ahead, turned to glance back at the group. His face was tense, his movements hurried. "Can we walk faster, please?" he pleaded.
Madison sighed, her teleportation ability making her the least tired of the group. "I get it," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You just found a possible lead about your sister, and you're anxious to check it out. But if we rush, we'll exhaust ourselves. Trust me, it is better if we maintain this pace."
The young man hesitated, his jaw tightening, but he reluctantly nodded. Even so, his pace didn't slow, and the group was forced to keep up with him as best they could.
They walked in silence for the next hour, the only sounds coming from the rustling leaves and the occasional distant cry of a jungle bird. The air grew heavier the deeper they went, the oppressive humidity clinging to their skin.
Finally, the young man stopped abruptly and pointed to a clearing ahead. "This is the place," he said, his voice shaking with a mixture of hope and dread.
Nate stepped forward, his eyes scanning the area. "You weren't out here looking for wood, were you?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity. "You were looking for her."
The young man stiffened, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I… I mean, we needed wood too…"
Nate crouched down, running his fingers through the dirt as he examined the ground carefully. "It's fine," he said without looking up. "If it were me, I'd do the same thing. No judgment here."
The young man relaxed slightly but remained silent, watching as Nate continued to study the area.
Madison knelt beside Nate, her keen eyes following his movements. "Anything strange?" she asked quietly.
Nate shook his head. "No. Everything looks normal. Too normal, actually." He stood and turned to the young man. "Where exactly did you dig up the bracelet?"
The young man pointed to the ground near Nate's feet. "Right here," he said firmly. "I'm sure of it."
Bella groaned loudly, throwing her hands up in frustration. "This is great. We just wasted an hour chasing a ghost lead." Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and started walking back the way they had come.
"Bella, wait!" Nate called after her, but she didn't stop.
"Don't bother," Madison said with a small sigh. "She's got her mind set."
Nate rubbed his forehead, frustration creeping in. "This isn't going the way I thought it would."
He turned to Madison, about to say something else, when a muffled scream split the air.
"Bella!" Nate shouted, spinning around. He and Madison dashed toward the direction of the scream. Madison disappeared in a flash of light, teleporting ahead.
When they reached the spot, Bella was gone.
"What the…?" Nate muttered, his eyes darting around. The ground where she had been standing was a mess—branches snapped, soil churned as if something had violently disturbed it.
Before he could process what he was seeing, he heard a strangled cry behind him. Turning quickly, he saw the young man being pulled into the ground, his body sinking as if the earth had turned to quicksand.
"No!" Nate yelled, rushing toward him, but it was too late. The young man disappeared beneath the surface, his final scream echoing in the silence.
Nate froze, his mind racing. His heart pounded as the ground beneath him began to ripple unnaturally, wobbling like water. He staggered back, his boots sinking into the shifting earth.
"What is this?" he whispered, panic setting in as he tried to move.
The ground gave way beneath him, and he felt himself sinking rapidly. It was like drowning, the dense soil swallowing him whole.
"Madison!" he shouted, his voice desperate.
In the next instant, there was a rush of air, a familiar crackling sound, and a hand gripped his wrist tightly. Then, with a flash of light, he was pulled away from the sinking ground.
When the world came back into focus, Nate found himself sprawled on solid ground far from the clearing. Madison knelt beside him, her hand still gripping his tightly. Her face was pale, her breathing uneven, but her grip was steady.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Nate nodded, though his mind was still spinning. "Yeah… thanks to you."
Madison glanced back toward the direction they had come from, her expression grim. "What the hell just happened?"
Nate didn't have an answer. All he knew was that they were in far more danger than they'd realized.
Nate paced back and forth, his mind racing as he tried to piece together a plan. The faint rustling of the jungle surrounded him, but he barely noticed it. His thoughts were consumed by what had just happened.
Madison leaned against a tree, her arms crossed as she watched him. "You're pacing like a madman, Nate. What are you thinking?"
Nate stopped and stared at the ground beneath him, his jaw tightening. "When I was sinking earlier, I felt something strange," he said. "The lower half of my leg… it wasn't just buried in soil. It was free. Like it was in an open space, almost like I was passing through a thin entrance."
Madison raised an eyebrow. "An entrance?"
Nate nodded, his brow furrowed. "Yeah. There's something down there—a tunnel or some kind of cavity under the ground. I suspected something like this back at camp, which is why I brought Bella along in the first place. I thought her abilities might be able to help us get inside."
"But now she's gone," Madison said flatly. "And her recklessness just messed up your entire plan, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Nate admitted, his frustration evident. "I need a new plan. Fast."
Madison pushed off the tree, her expression turning thoughtful. "If what you're saying is true, then we need to get back there. Bella's powers might have disturbed the ground when she was taken. That could've left some kind of opening—a weak spot we can use to see what's underneath."
Nate tilted his head, considering her words. "You think we can find the spot?"
Madison smirked faintly. "Of course. We don't have a choice, do we?"
Nate glanced at her, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Even if there's an opening, how are we supposed to get down there? It's not exactly safe."
Madison stretched her fingers, her powers sparking faintly as she tested them. "Leave that to me," she said confidently. "I'll take us there. I mean… I'll rift us there."
"Rift?" Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.
Madison shrugged. "Sounds better than teleport, doesn't it? More fitting for all this insanity."
Nate let out a dry chuckle. "Fair enough. Rift it is."
He turned his gaze back toward the direction they had come from. His heart pounded as the memories of Bella's muffled scream and the young man's disappearance replayed in his mind. "Alright," he said firmly. "We go back, find that weak spot, and figure out what's down there."
Madison nodded, her expression serious now. "And we get them back."
The two exchanged a determined glance before Madison reached out, her hand glowing faintly as the air around them shimmered. "Hold on tight," she said.
Nate grabbed her arm, bracing himself as the world around them distorted. With a rush of energy and a crackling hum, they vanished from the clearing, leaving only silence behind.