The group finally found a relatively clear patch of ground and sat down, the sunlight warming them uncomfortably from above. William picked up a stick and began sketching a rough diagram of the portal, the lab, and their current surroundings on the dirt.
Alliah folded her arms, staring at the diagram. "Let's organize what we know so far. We were teleported… or displaced, however you want to phrase it. The time we observed on our phones indicates 6:45 PM—the same as the lab's last recorded time. Clearly, that cannot be correct. By all logical estimations."
William tapped the stick against the ground as he drew, labeling points and arrows. "And we have no signal. Which can suggest we're still on Earth. But clearly not in the same location. My guess… the other side of the globe."
Leo leaned back on his elbows, squinting at William's diagram. "Well, if we're talking time zones… 6 PM in our town means it's probably around noon somewhere in Asia. So maybe we've landed in Japan, or China, or… somewhere that's all forest like this."
Brie shook her head. "That still doesn't answer the fact that we don't have a signal and based on the flora and these trees, I don't think we're anywhere near Asia."
Leo's eyes widened in genuine curiosity. "How'd you know that?"
Brie smiled faintly. "I've been to Asia multiple times for performances. I can usually identify forests by the species and patterns of trees. This doesn't match what I've seen there."
"Ohhh… right. Famous singer stuff, almost forgot," Leo said jokingly, nudging her shoulder. "My bad. I'll try to be more observant next time."
William scribbled on the dirt furiously, underlining points and connecting observations. "Okay… so, conclusions so far: Teleported. Time anomaly present—still 6 PM. We have no communication signal. Geographically, we're not in Asia. By elimination, probably not in the USA anymore, either. Unknown forest—environment unfamiliar. Maintain situational awareness." Leo nodded as if he got all that.
Alliah nodded, approvingly but silently. "That's a reasonable summary. Observations, inferences, and unknowns clearly separated. We're doing the right thing by recording everything, even if our information is limited."
Leo rolled onto his side dramatically, pointing at the diagram. "Right… so basically, we're lost, in a mysterious forest, in some random time zone that makes no sense, and William's playing forest cartographer with a stick. Classic adventure. I like it."
Brie smirked softly. "As long as you stay alert, Leo."
William tapped his stick on the ground, finishing the diagram with a final notation:
Alliah surveyed the group, a flicker of seriousness in her violet contacted eyes. "Good. Now that we have a structured summary, the next step is to observe the environment carefully. Identify landmarks, note any unusual phenomena, and remain cautious. Jumping to conclusions will not help us."
Leo grinned, pushing himself up. "Landmarks, strange phenomena… got it. Adventure awaits, team. I'll bring the sarcasm, William brings the stick, Alliah brings… reality, and Brie… you bring… the calm vibes, I guess."
Brie rolled her eyes but smiled warmly. "That works, I suppose."
William stood, sweeping a hand over his diagram once more. "Then it's settled. Let's move carefully. One step at a time."
With that, the group rose, their minds a mix of curiosity, fear, and determination, ready to venture deeper into the unknown forest while piecing together the strange puzzle they had just fallen into.
As they continued their careful journey through the dense forest, William suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation in his body—a feeling that was both foreign and eerily familiar. His skin prickled lightly, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Wait… this feeling… I've felt this before… haven't I? he thought, glancing at the forest around him. The sensation intensified, and suddenly a memory flashed vividly in his mind. The same dream he was looking for. Every detail, every motion, every feeling came rushing back.
I'll just… tell them later. They don't need this right now, he reasoned, forcing himself to focus on the path ahead rather than the memory that made his heart race. I need to stay composed. Calm. Breathe. Just… wait for the right moment.
Leo, breaking the silence, muttered as he scanned the tree line. "Uh… shouldn't we be looking for a village or houses or, you know, something… civilization-ish?"
"True," Brie said, adjusting her bag. "But I don't think we need to be reminded of that. I'm pretty sure everyone's keeping that in mind."
Leo nodded slowly, smirking a little. "Yeah… obvious. But it bears saying anyway."
"I wonder where this trail we've been following leads to?" William said, his voice tinged with mild frustration.
William tapped his stick against the ground. "We've been walking for like 20 minutes now, and… there isn't a single structure in sight."
Leo whistled low. "Weird."
The forest seemed deceptively calm, the sunlight above unusually bright for the hour. A sense of unease began to settle over them, amplified by the odd sensation that William had just tried to suppress.
After a while, the group decided they needed a rest. They found a shaded area beneath some low-hanging branches, sunlight filtered softly through the leaves, giving them temporary relief from the blazing sun.
"Didn't you say something like your parents would kill you, Brie?" Leo asked with a teasing smirk, brushing off a large rock before he sat down.
Brie's eyes fell to the pile of leaves at her feet. She didn't answer immediately, letting the question hang, her mind elsewhere.
"I'm going to look for water," Alliah said, standing and scanning the forest floor.
Brie's eyes widened instantly. "I'm coming with you!" she said, standing as quickly as she could.
Alliah nodded. "Alright. We won't be long. Just looking for some water."
William and Leo exchanged glances.
"Sounds good," Leo said, standing. "Go find water, save our lives, and maybe don't fall into another time anomaly while we're at it."
William nodded silently, returning his attention to the forest trail, his mind half on the path and half on the tingling memory. Later, he told himself again. I'll explain it later. I just… need to make sure we get through this part first.
With that, the group split into two pairs, leaving the boys behind to rest and observe, while Alliah and Brie moved cautiously through the forest in search of water, their steps quiet but deliberate.
The forest was quiet except for the crunch of leaves beneath their shoes. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, warm and dappled, but neither girl seemed to notice. They walked side by side, searching for water—but their minds were somewhere else entirely.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke. Alliah kept glancing at Brie from the corner of her eye. She could feel it—Brie's tension, the way her shoulders curled inward, the way she kept opening her mouth just a little before closing it again.
Brie was trying to say something. Trying… but scared.
Finally, as Brie inhaled—ready to force the words out—Alliah spoke first.
"It's about your parents, isn't it?"
Brie froze mid-step. Her eyes dropped to the ground, hair falling forward to hide her expression. She shut her eyes tight and let out a soft, almost fragile:
"…mhm."
Alliah sighed gently, not annoyed—just sad she was right. She bumped her shoulder lightly against Brie's.
"What is it? Spill the tea," she teased, her voice light, but kind.
Brie gave a tiny smile. "I don't think this is tea-worthy…"
"Brie, everything that goes on in that dramatic little life of yours is tea-worthy," Alliah said, raising a brow. "So, talk."
Brie's smile faded. Her steps slowed. She swallowed hard, her voice trembling.
"It's just… I can't do it anymore, Al."
Alliah kept walking, matching her pace—no pressure, just listening.
"At home," Brie continued, "it feels like I'm suffocating. Every. Single. Day. Like the air gets thinner the moment I step through the door."
Her voice cracked.
"Everyone out there thinks my life is perfect. 'Brie the rising star.' 'Brie the girl with the golden voice.' 'Brie the idol everyone loves.' But the truth is… I don't think my parents even think of me as their daughter. I mean—God—they don't even talk to me unless it's about schedules or performances."
She let out a weak laugh. "Sometimes I feel like I'm just… an investment."
Alliah's expression softened, but she stayed quiet—letting Brie get it all out.
Brie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wanted to tell you earlier—at school, and then at the lab—but everything kept happening, and now… now we're in a freaking forest somewhere and I still haven't said it."
She stopped walking. "I just… I need a break from all of it, Al. I want to be able to do things on my own. Things I actually like."
Alliah finally spoke.
"Brie."
Her voice was steady—firm, but full of care.
"That's not wrong. Wanting space. Wanting to breathe. Wanting a life that feels like yours."
She took a small step closer. "And you don't deserve to feel trapped in your own home. Not even for a second."
Brie sniffed, staring at the ground.
"Your parents may not see it right now," Alliah continued gently, "but that doesn't erase who you are. You're not just some schedule or some project. You're their daughter. You're a person."
She lifted Brie's chin so their eyes met.
"And you're wrong about one thing."
Brie blinked. "What?"
"You are enough. You've always been enough—not because of your voice, or the fans, or the spotlight. But because you're you." A small smirk appeared. "And also, because you're my best friend, which already puts you in elite territory."
Brie let out a shaky laugh. "You idiot…"
Alliah's voice softened.
"You don't have to pretend you're strong all the time. You're allowed to get tired. You're allowed to fall apart." Her hand rested on Brie's shoulder. "And if the people who are supposed to protect you fail to do that… then you lean on us. Me. The others. We've got you."
Brie's eyes filled again—this time with relief instead of pain.
"Alliah… thank you. Really."
"Always," Alliah said quietly. "You're not alone, Brie. Not here. Not anywhere. And whatever this forest throws at us? We face it together."
Brie nodded, wiping her cheeks one last time. "Together."
They exchanged a small smile—tired but genuine. Then Alliah pointed ahead.
"Come on, emotional princess. Let's find some water before the boys start drinking imaginary rivers." Brie laughed—a real one this time—and followed.
They walked again, calmer now, the weight of Brie's confession fading into something gentler. The forest air felt softer, the tension easing between them.
Then, out of absolutely nowhere, Alliah said:
"So… speaking of things you've been hiding…" She side-eyed Brie with a sly grin. "What are you planning to do about your feelings for William?"
Brie choked on her own breath.
"WH—WHAT?!" Her voice cracked so hard a bird flew out of a nearby tree.
Alliah burst into laughter. "Oh my God, calm down! It's just a question."
"No, it is NOT 'just a question'!" Brie grabbed her own face, feeling the heat rising. "ALLIAH—WHAT KIND OF TIMING IS THIS?! We're literally LOST. In a FOREST. After being TELEPORTED. And you—YOU—bring up that?!"
She spun around, flailing dramatically.
"We could DIE out here and you're talking about my—MY—feelings?!" Her cheeks were turning redder by the second.
"That's exactly why I brought it up," Alliah said, wiggling her eyebrows. "You panic harder over William than you do over possibly being stuck in another country. Priorities, Brie."
Brie covered her whole face with her hands.
"Stop talking. Stop talking right now. You're so stupid. You're an idiot."
Alliah smirked, walking backwards while facing her. "Oh please. William may look like he's clueless sometimes, but I swear he notices your tiny little glances. And the way you move closer to him without realizing. Girl, you're not subtle."
Brie's blush exploded.
"ALLIAH! SHUT. UP." Her voice cracked again. "My heart can only take so much!!"
Alliah laughed loudly, almost doubling over. "Okay, okay, fine—I'll stop or you're gonna combust."
Brie crossed her arms, still blushing intensely, trying to look mad but her lips kept twitching. Alliah softened. "…But for real, it's kinda cute though."
Brie froze—then slowly smiled, shy and small.
"…Shut up," she whispered. Alliah laughed softly. Brie looked away, still red, but a genuine smile lingered on her lips as they kept walking. William sat on a fallen log, adjusting something on his phone that absolutely wasn't working. Leo plopped onto the ground beside him like a tired dog.
"Man… waiting is torture," Leo groaned. "I feel like I'm in a loading screen."
William snorted. "If life had a loading screen, you'd be stuck at 99% forever."
Leo blinked. "What—why me?!"
"You freeze all the time," William grinned. "Every time the teacher calls your name? Buffering."
Leo opened his mouth dramatically. "Excuse me—I'll have you know I am a high-performance machine."
William smirked. "Yeah. High performance… but terrible connection."
Leo laughed loudly, pointing at him. "Okay, that was actually good. I'll give you that one."
They sat there, joking and throwing tiny leaves at each other.
"Remember when Alliah made us run ten laps just because we ate her snacks?" Leo said.
William chuckled. "You ate her snacks. I tried to warn you."
"You were eating it too!"
"Nope," William shook his head. "I was taste-testing. Scientific reasons."
Leo playfully shoved him. "You always get away with everything, nerd."
William shrugged with a smug grin. "Benefits of being the tech guy."
Leo threw his hands up dramatically. "Wow. I'm betrayed. Actually betrayed. After all the times I saved you from being bullied in elementary."
William raised a brow. "You saved me? Leo, you were the bully."
Leo gasped. "LIES. Slander. I was adorable."
"You put a frog in my lunchbox," William deadpanned.
Leo clapped once. "AND YOU GOT A FREE PET. You're welcome."
William couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head.
For a moment, despite the bizarre forest and everything that had happened, it felt normal. Just the two of them hanging out like always.
Then—
Thump.
Both boys froze.
William slowly turned his head. Leo did the same.
"…Please tell me that was your stomach," Leo whispered.
William shook his head. "Nope. That came from the ground."
Thump.
This one was louder. Closer. The soil actually trembled a little.
Leo's face went blank. "William. Buddy. Brother. Pal. Let's calmly walk—"
THUMP.
Leo's eyes widened. "NOPE—NO MORE WALKING. WE RUNNING NOW."
They both bolted up at the same time.
"What the hell is that?!" William yelled, already sprinting.
"I DON'T KNOW—SOMETHING BIG—AND I HATE IT!" Leo shouted back, nearly tripping.
"Where are the girls?!" William panted. "They went this way, right?!"
"I THINK SO—OH MY GOD IT'S GETTING LOUDER!"
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!!
The footsteps grew faster—almost like whatever it was started chasing them.
Leo screamed, "I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR JURASSIC PARK LIVE!!"
William shouted, "JUST RUN!"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING?! SPEEDRUNNING LIFE?!"
They sprinted harder, the thumps shaking the ground in uneven intervals, each impact closer, heavier, hungry.
But the path ahead remained empty.
No Alliah. No Brie.
Only trees.
Only the pounding footsteps behind them. They finally skidded to a stop behind a massive tree trunk, gasping for air. Leo bent over, hands on his knees, wheezing like he ran five marathons in a row.
"OH MY… I THINK MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY—" Leo gasped, clutching his chest.
William didn't speak. His eyes stayed on the forest behind them; ears tuned to every tiny sound.
Leo kept rambling. "That thing was HUGE, man—I thought the ground was gonna crack open and swallow us—my ancestors felt that vibration—my future kids felt that vibration—MAN—"
William softly hushed him. "Leo. Listen."
Leo froze immediately.
The thumping had stopped.
Complete silence.
"Ha…?" Leo whispered. "Wait—wait did we lose it? Did it—did it uninstall itself from reality?"
William scanned the trees, uneasy. "Something's wrong. Things don't just stop like that."
Leo waved his hands frantically. "William, buddy, friend—can we PLEASE take the win?! Let me breathe for like two—"
CRASH!
A single tree slammed sideways in the distance.
Leo squeaked. "Nope. No breathing. Nevermind. Suffocation is fine."
CRASH!
Another tree fell, then another, each one slower than before, but with a heavy, exhausted force…
Like the creature was tired… But still coming.
The boys stood completely still, locked in place by fear.
William whispered, "Leo… don't move."
"I'm not even blinking," Leo whispered back, eyes wide. "You move; I die. I move; I die. We breathe wrong, we die. PERFECT PLAN."
The forest went dead silent for one long second.
Then—
BOOM.
A shadow launched upward, vanishing through the branches.
Leo whispered, "Did it just—jump?"
KRRAAAAAASH!!
Something slammed into the ground directly in front of them, sending leaves and dust exploding outward.
The boys screamed.
A creature rose from the debris—
Wrong. Twisted. Impossible.
It had the MASSIVE body of a bear— But the head of a lion, jaws dripping and snarling— And attached to its back—
FOUR LONG HUMAN ARMS, pale, thin, twitching like dying spiders.
Leo's voice cracked into a shriek. "Nope NOPE NOPE NOPE—THIS ISN'T NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANYMORE—"
William didn't even get to react— Leo grabbed him by the hoodie and BOOKED IT.
"RUNNING AGAIN—WE ARE RUNNING AGAIN—WE ARE NEVER STOPPING—" Leo shrieked.
The monster roared, shaking the entire forest, and the ground thundered as it chased them.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!!
Two of the human arms snapped forward, stretching unnaturally far— One hand slammed into the ground inches from Leo's foot. Another swiped toward William's ankle.
"WHY IS IT SO FAST?!" Leo cried. "JUST RUN!" William yelled back.
"I AM RUNNING, I'M LIKE A DISCOUNT FLASH RIGHT NOW—AARGH!"
Another arm snapped at them—
Another—
Another—
Each strike closer, scraping dirt, clawing for a grip.
Their lungs burned—
Their legs screamed—
But adrenaline forced them forward, screaming at the top of their lungs—
The monster was gaining.