Rahil instinctively headed in the direction where Rahil Rania had vanished. The dense foliage seemed to swallow all signs of life, leaving only an eerie silence. Alia's eyes scanned the area, her gaze finally settling on Rania's bike, abandoned near the jungle's edge. A chill ran down her spine as she realized Rania must have ventured into the jungle.
"She'll never make it out alive," Alia whispered to herself, her voice trembling with foreboding. With those haunting words, she turned and fled the scene, leaving behind the ominous jungle and its dark secrets.
As Danish Javed approached, he was met with a disturbing sight: Javed lay unconscious, his body limp and lifeless. Without hesitation, Danish rushed to his side and carefully lifted him, carrying him back to the lab.
Meanwhile, Rahil's thoughts were consumed by Rania's disappearance. He recalled finding her bike abandoned near the jungle's edge, and his instincts told him she must have ventured into the dense foliage. Driven by a sense of urgency, Rahil charged into the jungle without a second thought.
Danish, witnessing Rahil's sudden disappearance into the jungle, followed suit, his heart racing with anticipation.
Rania, desperate to escape the jungle, frantically searched for a way out. Suddenly, a blood-curdling howl pierced the air, sending shivers down her spine. She spun around, her eyes locking onto a terrifying sight: a snarling wolf emerged from the underbrush, its eyes fixed menacingly on her.
Rania's instincts kicked in, and she turned to flee, the wolf hot on her heels. The chase was intense, the wolf's snapping jaws mere inches from her heels. In a desperate bid to escape, Rania spotted a nearby tree and scrambled up its trunk, narrowly avoiding the wolf's deadly clutches.
The wolf prowled below, its eyes fixed on Rania, who clung to the tree trunk. Suddenly, Rahil burst onto the scene, and the wolf's attention shifted. It began to stalk Rahil, its movements menacing.
Rania, witnessing the wolf's intentions, made a split-second decision. She leapt from the tree, landing with a thud, and began to run, shouting to distract the wolf. The beast gave chase, hot on her heels.
Rahil, hearing Rania's cries, turned to see the wolf pursuing her. His heart racing, he watched in horror as Rania led the wolf deeper into the jungle. She darted down a narrow path, the wolf closing in. The path twisted and turned, leading them to a dead end, where a wall of flames blocked their escape. Rania's eyes widened in terror as she realized she was trapped.
The wolf lunged at Rania, its jaws wide open. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact. But it never came. Instead, a loud gunshot pierced the air, and the wolf collapsed at her feet.
Rania's eyes snapped open to find Rahil standing before her, his gun still smoking. She gazed up at him in slow motion, her heart racing with gratitude.
Rahil's voice was laced with concern as he asked, "Are you okay?"
Rania's eyes locked onto Rahil's, and she nodded slowly, still in shock.
Just then, Danish appeared, his face etched with worry. "Are you both alright?" he asked, his voice tinged with relief.
Rahil nodded, holstering his gun. "We're fine."
Danish exhaled a sigh of relief. "Good. I've found a way out. Let's get moving."
Rahil nodded, and the trio set off, making their way back through the jungle, the lab looming in the distance.
Everyone gathered in the lab, relieved to see Javed regain consciousness. Rahil turned to Rania and asked, "Where's the bracelet?"
Rania hesitated, "I...I lost it in a cave. That animal was chasing me, and I didn't dare look back."
Danish reassured her, "Don't worry, we'll retrieve it tomorrow morning."
Rahil nodded, "We'll go tomorrow night. I have an important task in the morning."
Rania's expression turned serious, "But Alia knows about our lab. We need to change locations."
Javed frowned, "How can we change now?"
Rania's eyes narrowed, "I trusted Alia, and now she's going to expose us."
Danish suggested, "Let's move to Rahil's house. It's the safest option."
Rahil's eyes widened, "My house? Why?"
Danish explained, "It's the only secure location we have left."
Rania instructed, "Pack your belongings. We'll shift tomorrow morning and retrieve the bracelet tomorrow night."
As they packed, Danish set fire to the lab's equipment, ensuring their secrets were destroyed. "Let's go, we'll eat and regroup."
Javed nodded, "Let's move."
Mehwish suggested, "I'll get coffee for everyone." She returned with a tray of steaming cups. Rahil declined, "I don't drink coffee."
The others sipped their coffee, but soon their behavior became erratic, as if they were under the influence of something. Rahil's eyes narrowed, sensing something was off. He carefully guided them back into the lab, leaving Rania behind.
Returning for Rania, he found her stumbling, her words slurred. "Dad...dad, you can't leave me," she repeated, her eyes unfocused. Rahil's grip on her arm tightened. "Rania, come inside."
But Rania continued to murmur, her voice barely coherent. "Dad...dad, you can't leave me..." Rahil's expression darkened, his mind racing with the implications. What had been in that coffee?
Rahil approached Rania, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug. But Rania's response was unexpected.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.
"I'm Rahil," he replied, taken aback.
Rania's expression twisted in disgust. "Don't touch me! You're filthy. Because of you, my dad left me."
Rahil's eyes widened in shock. "Because of me?"
Before he could respond, Rania's body went limp, and she collapsed into his arms, unconscious. Rahil scooped her up, cradling her in his arms, and carried her to her room.
As the night wore on, the group retreated to their respective rooms, exhaustion and confusion hanging heavy in the air.