The jungle's oppressive atmosphere hung around them as Azad and Ellie ventured deeper, moving cautiously through the dense underbrush. Thick vines twisted around tree trunks, and massive leaves blocked much of the sky, leaving the jungle floor in an eerie, greenish shadow. Sunlight barely filtered through the canopy above, giving the whole place a gloomy, almost suffocating vibe.
"This place is suffocating," Azad grumbled, pushing a vine out of his way. "I feel like something's watching us… all the time."
Ellie glanced over her shoulder, her expression serious. "That's because something probably is watching us. This jungle is crawling with mobs."
They had already seen a few signs of danger—bones scattered on the forest floor, arrow marks in the trees—but nothing had directly attacked them yet. Still, the tension hung heavy in the air, like the jungle itself was holding its breath, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Azad sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Remind me again why we didn't just stay by the river? It felt safer there."
"Because, genius," Ellie said, her eyes scanning the dark shadows between the trees, "we're out of food, and we can't just camp out by the river and hope the villagers don't find us. We have to keep moving."
Azad muttered something under his breath, but he didn't argue. Instead, he kept his eyes on the path ahead—or what little of it he could see through the thick jungle foliage. The ground was uneven, with roots snaking up from the earth like the fingers of a giant, ready to trip them at any moment. Strange noises echoed all around—the distant hoot of an owl, the rustling of leaves as something moved unseen through the bushes.
"I don't like this," Azad said quietly, his eyes darting around. "It's too quiet."
Ellie stopped, holding up her hand. "Shh. Listen."
They both stood still, straining their ears against the eerie silence. For a moment, it seemed like nothing was there—just the whisper of the wind through the trees. But then, a faint clattering sound reached their ears. A sound Azad knew all too well.
"The sound of bones," he whispered, eyes widening in fear. "It's a skeleton."
Ellie's face tightened, and she nodded. "Stay low. Maybe it hasn't seen us yet."
They crouched behind a large bush, peering through the leaves. Sure enough, a skeleton was patrolling just a few meters away, its bony fingers clutching a bow, its empty eye sockets scanning the area as it wandered through the jungle.
Azad felt his heart hammering in his chest. "What do we do if it spots us?"
"We run," Ellie whispered, her voice low and steady. "But don't—"
Suddenly, the skeleton's head snapped in their direction, its hollow eyes locking onto them.
"Too late!" Ellie shouted. "Run!"
The skeleton let out a rattling hiss and raised its bow, letting loose an arrow that whizzed past Azad's ear, barely missing him. He yelped in panic and sprinted after Ellie, his feet pounding against the jungle floor.
As they ran, more mobs began to stir in the shadows. Zombies groaned as they emerged from the darkness, their rotting forms lurching toward them. Creepers hissed from behind trees, their glowing green bodies almost invisible in the thick foliage.
"Ellie!" Azad shouted, panic rising in his throat. "We're surrounded!"
"Keep running!" she yelled back. "We need to find cover!"
Arrows flew past them, one grazing Azad's arm, and he winced in pain. The sounds of groaning zombies and hissing creepers seemed to echo all around them, getting closer and closer.
Ellie spotted a massive tree ahead, its trunk wide and hollowed out at the base. "Over there! We can hide inside that tree!"
They bolted toward the tree, ducking and weaving between the vines and branches. As they reached it, Ellie dove into the hollow, pulling Azad after her. They pressed their backs against the rough bark, trying to catch their breath. The mobs passed by outside, but the darkness of the jungle made it impossible to see more than a few feet in any direction.
Azad could hear the skeletons clattering as they wandered nearby, the groans of zombies, and the faint hiss of a creeper somewhere in the distance. His heart pounded as he whispered, "Are they gone?"
Ellie peeked out from behind the tree, holding her breath. After a long moment, she nodded. "For now. But they'll be back."
Azad slumped against the tree trunk, his legs shaking. "I can't believe we got away."
"Barely," Ellie said, her voice low. "We were lucky."
But their relief was short-lived. As they sat there, trying to catch their breath, the light outside faded. The night was creeping in fast, and with it came the growing realization that they were completely lost.
Azad looked up at the darkening sky through the canopy of leaves. "Ellie... it's getting dark."
Ellie nodded, her expression grim. "I know."
"We're trapped in the jungle at night," Azad said, his voice shaking. "This place is going to be crawling with mobs soon. What are we going to do?"
"We'll have to survive," Ellie replied, her eyes scanning the surrounding jungle. "But it's not going to be easy."
Azad shook his head, panic starting to rise in his chest. "We don't even know where we are! We're lost, Ellie! And it's getting darker by the second!"
"I know!" Ellie snapped, her frustration showing. "But freaking out isn't going to help us!"
Azad bit his lip, forcing himself to calm down. The jungle was growing darker and darker, the thick canopy overhead blocking out almost all the light. They could hear the distant groans of zombies and the occasional hiss of a creeper, all of it blending into the oppressive atmosphere of the jungle.
"We need to find shelter," Ellie said, her voice quieter now. "Something more secure than this tree."
Azad swallowed, glancing around at the dark, foreboding jungle. Every rustle of leaves, and every distant groan made his skin crawl. "And where exactly are we supposed to go? We can't see anything in this jungle. It's like the night's swallowing us whole."
Ellie didn't answer right away. She just sat there, staring out into the darkness, her mind racing. Finally, she took a deep breath. "We'll make it through this. We just have to stay together."
Azad nodded, his heart still pounding in his chest. Together, they were stronger—but in this endless, terrifying jungle, night had fallen, and they were far from safe.