Chapter Twelve
The morning light filtered through the dense canopy of trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was thick with the sounds of the jungle, birds calling from the branches above, and the rustling of leaves in the early breeze. It was a perfect day for the next task: fishing.
For most of the students, this was just another part of the retreat. They had woken up early, ready for the challenge, excited to put their skills to the test. But for Zed, Khalil, and Lotus, the morning held an entirely different kind of promise one they hadn't quite anticipated.
The task was simple: catch fish from the nearby river using traditional fishing rods and worms. No high-tech gadgets, no shortcuts, just the bare essentials of survival. To most of the public school kids, this felt like second nature, but to the trio of elite students, it was a different story entirely.
Zed, usually quick on his feet, found himself fumbling with the fishing rod. The thin line tangled in his fingers and the weight of the hook felt awkward in his hands. He had always been the one to rely on his charm or his social standing, not on raw survival instincts. Fishing with worms, of all things, seemed beneath him.
"I don't get it. Why is this so hard?" Zed muttered, trying to untangle the line from around his fingers. His frustration was growing by the second.
Khalil, on the other hand, was struggling with the concept of patience. He was used to getting what he wanted quickly whether it was a compliment, a date, or a good time. Waiting for a fish to bite felt like an eternity to him. He sat by the edge of the river, tapping his foot impatiently, casting a glance toward the others.
"This is ridiculous" Khalil grumbled. "There's got to be a faster way to do this!"
Lotus, who had been silently observing the others, was no better off. He held his rod in one hand, staring into the water, but it was clear he wasn't in his element. His usual sharp, calculated demeanor seemed to falter in the face of something so simple, yet so foreign.
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing" he admitted with a sigh. "This is stupid"
Meanwhile, Lena, Cris, and Jay were having no such trouble. They stood in the river, their feet firmly planted on the riverbed as they skillfully cast their lines, their movements smooth and practiced. It was clear they had done this many times before, each flick of their wrist sending their hooks into the water with precision.
Lena, seeing the elite trio's struggle, couldn't help but shake her head with a small smile. She had seen them falter the day before, and now, it seemed they were struggling in ways that made her both amused and sympathetic.
"You'll get the hang of it" she called over to them. "Just... focus on the rhythm. You have to be patient"
Khalil's response was a scoff. "Patience isn't my strong suit"
But despite their reluctance, the elite trio continued to fumble through the task. They tried to focus but frustration mounted as the minutes passed without so much as a nibble. It felt like they were failing and that realization gnawed at them. The public school kids were flourishing while they were still struggling with something so simple.
After what felt like an eternity, the elite trio finally gave up. They trudged back to the campsite, their empty hands a clear sign of their failure. The others, on the other hand, seemed to have fared far better, their baskets brimming with fish they had caught with ease. The embarrassment was palpable as the elite trio approached the camp, their heads down.
But as they reached the site, something felt... off.
The first thing they noticed was the eerie silence. The bustling sounds of the adults, the chattering of birds, the rustling of the wind... it was all gone. The site, which had been bustling with activity earlier, now lay in ruins. The tents were askew, their poles bent and twisted. The fire pit had been abandoned, its once smoldering embers long since extinguished. The organizers and teachers were nowhere to be found.
"What the hell happened here?" Zed muttered, his voice low and wary. His eyes scanned the abandoned camp, his instincts telling him something wasn't right.
Khalil stood still, trying to assess the situation. His mind raced as he looked around the area. "They... they can't just leave like this, right?"
Lotus, who had been quiet for the past few moments, finally spoke up. "Something's wrong. I don't like this"
It wasn't just the absence of their teachers and organizers that unsettled them it was the atmosphere itself. The air felt thick, heavy with an unfamiliar tension. The once familiar sounds of the forest now seemed muted, like the whole island was holding its breath.
And then, they heard it.
A low, guttural growl. It echoed through the trees, reverberating in the silence. The sound was deep, primal, and unmistakable. It was the kind of growl that made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
The growl seemed to scream one thing, loud and clear: I am big and I am a carnivore.
The elite trio froze. The hairs on the back of their necks prickled as the growl reverberated through the forest and they turned toward the sound, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"What was that?" Khalil whispered, his voice tense with fear.
"I don't know" Zed replied, his voice strained. "But I think we need to get out of here"
But before they could take another step, the growl came again, louder this time, followed by the unmistakable sound of something large moving through the forest. The ground beneath them seemed to tremble with the force of it.
Lena, Cris, and Jay appeared from the trees, their faces ashen. They had heard the sound too.
"W-we're not alone" Lena said, her voice trembling.
In that moment, the three elite students—Zed, Khalil, and Lotus—found themselves caught in a situation they had never imagined. They had been in control of everything back home, surrounded by luxury, wealth, and power. But now, out here, in the middle of an isolated island, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the wilderness around them, they were helpless.
And as the growl echoed through the trees once more, they realized with chilling clarity that this was no longer a simple retreat. It was a fight for survival.
The island, it seemed, was not as empty as they had believed. Something—or someone—was watching them, and they were not prepared for what was coming next.