The Island (Unknown Coordinates)
The jungle glowed green, alive with color—flowers blooming in impossible shades, vines heavy with fruit, leaves shimmering like emeralds in the sunlight. It was beautiful. Too beautiful.
Then the darkness began to spread.
The darkness spread deliberately now, as if guided by an unseen hand, swallowing the green in hungry gulps. The vibrant flowers wilted slowly, petals curling black one by one, falling to the ground with soft, final thuds. The leaves drooped, turning brittle and gray, rustling faintly as they died. The air grew thick, heavy, wrong—choking with the sudden rot that replaced the sweet scent of life.
A boy ran through it all, never stopping.
Tears streamed down his face, his eyes wide with terror. He was small, no more than ten, his clothes torn, his breath coming in ragged sobs. He didn't look back. He couldn't. He didn't want to look back—the memory of what he had seen burned behind his eyelids, pushing him forward on shaking legs.
He burst out of the jungle and onto a rocky shore, the sudden open space making him stumble. His foot caught on a stone. He fell hard, head spinning, vision blurring, the rough rocks scraping his palms as he tried to push himself up.
Behind him, a voice called out.
"Elias… run!"
Elias.
The boy turned.
A group of four tribe people stood at the edge of the jungle—tall, silent, their skin marked with glowing symbols that pulsed like living things.
His mother knelt in front of them, hands bound, blood already trickling from a cut on her forehead.
"Mom!" Elias screamed, starting toward her. "MOM!"
One of the tribesmen spoke, voice calm, almost kind.
"Come, boy. Join her. We're giving your mother freedom. We'll give it to you too. Come."
His mother's eyes met his—pleading, desperate.
"Run, Elias," she said, voice breaking. "Don't worry about me. Just run. Don't stop."
She met his eyes one last time—no plea, only fierce acceptance—then turned back to face the shadows closing in.
"But I can't leave you!" Elias sobbed, taking a step forward.
In one swift motion, the tribesman drew a bone blade across her throat.
Hot blood spilled across the leaves in a sudden, silent arc.
She slumped forward, lifeless.
Elias screamed—a raw, broken sound that tore from his chest.
The tribesmen turned to him, smiling now.
"Come here, boy… or we'll do the same to you."
Elias ran.
Toward the sea. Toward nothing.
The world blurred—tears, pain, terror. The jungle behind him faded into shadow. The whispers followed, soft and mocking.
Stay… stay… stay…
He didn't stop.
He couldn't.
Present Day – Year 1970, October 1, Tuesday
A deadly silence hung in the air. The tribespeople stood in front of them, blocking the way to the ship, unmoving, their yellow eyes glowing brighter in the darkness—like embers flaring to life. They looked terrifying.
"Everyone, get close," Ethan said quietly.
The team slowly moved nearer, forming a tight group.
Ethan thought to himself, I don't know why they're just standing there. It's like they want to scare us first.
In front of them, the tribespeople blocked the way to the ship. Ethan glanced toward the ship again. This time he noticed it clearly: thick, glowing vines—like the markings on their skin—had wrapped around the hull from below. He hadn't seen it before. He didn't want to believe it.
They were badly trapped.
Runa's gaze shifted to one side—a narrow path leading deeper into the jungle. No tribespeople stood there.
She signalled Ethan with her eyes.
Ethan understood. He leaned in close and whispered to Rael, Artem, and Kirill, his voice barely a breath. They passed the plan to the others without a sound, eyes and small nods carrying the message through the group.
Ethan whispered one last time, "Before they attack us, we have to get out of here. Keep your guns, grenades, and smoke ready. Do exactly as I said—this will buy us some time."
At the same moment, the tribespeople began to advance, step by step.
Ethan and Rael fired a burst of shots into the air to distract them.
The tribespeople didn't even flinch. They laughed.
Ayla hurled smoke grenades toward the front line.
Thick white clouds billowed out, filling the air with choking smoke, obscuring everything in a dense fog.
The tribespeople laughed harder, thinking it was only smoke.
Runa threw two real grenades right after.
The tribespeople tilted their heads, still laughing, mistaking them for smoke too.
For a split second, they paused.
Then the grenades exploded.
BOOM. BOOM.
Light and shrapnel tore through the front line.
"NOW!" Ethan roared. "RUN—THAT WAY!"
The team bolted toward the gap Runa had spotted, sprinting into the jungle as the explosion's roar and the tribespeople's furious howls chased them into the dark.
The team sprinted deeper into the jungle, putting some distance behind them.
"Form pairs and run!" Ethan ordered. "So no one gets lost. Keep your torches on!"
They quickly paired up, racing through the darkness as fast as they could. Some were visibly terrified, hearts pounding. Others were desperately thinking of better ways to survive.
Rael glanced back. The tribespeople were still chasing them. The darkness was thick, the path ahead barely visible in the narrow beams of their torches. The tribespeople's glowing eyes looked even more terrifying in the night.
They were getting closer, their movements relentless, as if they never tired. But Ethan and his team were starting to falter—some members slowing down from exhaustion.
Artem and Rael fired their pistols at the tribespeople, bullets cracking through the air in the hope that it would slow them down, giving the team time to escape or hide.
As they pushed forward, the grass and trees grew denser, the jungle thickening around them. Their torches revealed only a few feet ahead; beyond that, blackness. They feared something suddenly lunging from the shadows, trapping them for good.
They ran on, lungs burning, legs aching, branches whipping at their faces, roots threatening to trip them at every step.
While running, Ayla spotted a path on the left side leading out of the jungle — moonlight was shining from there.
"That way! Everyone follow me!" Ayla said.
Everyone shouted and started running toward that side where it looked like a way out of the jungle.
"Run faster!" Ethan shouted.
At that moment, the tribespeople increased their speed—perhaps trying to stop them as quickly as possible.
The team members emerged from the jungle one by one.
Rael and Artem were the last, holding off the tribespeople. Some had fallen behind, but one kept coming: the little girl. She looked even more terrifying than before, determined to catch them.
Artem made it out. Rael was just behind him.
Rael fired his last shot at the girl's leg. She staggered, slowing for a moment.
Rael turned to run, but his foot caught on something. He tripped and fell.
The team turned, attention on him.
The girl recovered quickly and lunged at Rael.
A shotgun blast exploded her head in a spray of blood and bone.
Kirill had fired, shotgun in hand. He pulled Rael up.
They burst out of the jungle.
"We have to go now—don't stop!" Ethan shouted.
They ran forward again.
Then Runa looked back. "They're not following us anymore. They're not visible."
The team had run about 1 to 1.5 km from the jungle's edge. The tribespeople had stopped; they weren't chasing.
Thinking they were safe, the team halted.
Ethan spotted something shining. He looked closer. Eyes glowed from the jungle's edge, as if someone—or something—was peeking out.
Everyone saw it now. They froze in fear—they had no strength left to run.
The tribespeople stood there, just watching.
Ethan signalled. Everyone aimed their guns.
They were done being chased. Now they were angry.
From the shadows, a little girl stepped forward—the same one. Her face was mangled but regenerating slowly. She laughed, her expression horrific.
The girl they had once thought cute now terrified them.
Then the others' faces appeared from the darkness.
The tribespeople were smiling, watching them.
The moonlight fell on the tribespeople, making their twisted smiles and glowing eyes even more horrifying. The team felt their chances of survival were slim.
Runa watched them closely, analyzing. They were just standing there, not advancing.
"They're not coming forward," Runa said to everyone. "Something's wrong—or they're just trying to scare us."
Everyone was thinking the same.
At that moment, the tribespeople began to retreat. They backed into the jungle's darkness, one by one, disappearing completely.
The team breathed a sigh of relief, realizing they might be safe for now—the tribespeople had stopped chasing them.
"They could have attacked us easily," Rael said, questioning. "Why didn't they?"
"Let it go," Artem replied. "We survived for now. That's enough."
"Hmmmm," Rael reacted.
"If we're safe here, then we should stay," Rael said. "We can think about what to do in the morning."
"What if it's their trick?" Kirill asked, everyone reacting.
"Huh," Kirill explained. "I mean, they might want us to relax here, then come and kill us."
"If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it already," Artem said to everyone. "Our condition is so bad from running—they could have caught us easily. Stop taking tension."
Then the team started planning to camp right there.
Suddenly, Ethan began thinking, looking at everyone and counting silently.
"Is something wrong, Chief?" Ayla asked Ethan.
"We're missing someone," Ethan said.
"Hmm," he added, standing in tension. "Daniel—where is he?"
Everyone started looking at each other's faces.
Rael asked Kirill, "Wasn't he with you?"
Kirill replied, "No, he was with Roy. I don't know—I didn't pay attention, I was panicked. Roy replied to everyone."
Artem's face darkened with anger. He gripped his gun tighter, jaw clenched.
"Damn it... Daniel..." he muttered, voice shaking with rage.
He raised his gun and started heading back toward the jungle.
Rael grabbed his arm.
"Artem, where are you going?"
Artem turned, eyes burning.
"To find him. He's alone in there with those monsters. I'm not leaving him behind."
Rael tightened his grip.
"This is madness. What if he's not even alive?"
Ethan stepped forward immediately, blocking Artem's path.
"Artem, stop," Ethan said firmly. "Rael is right."
"Don't look at how he's saying it—understand what he's saying."
Artem yanked his arm free, voice rising.
"What are you saying? He's one of us—waiting for help in that hell!"
"If we go back now," Ethan said, his voice hard,
"we'll go in one by one, searching for each other… and get killed one by one."
"Is that what you want?"
Ethan stood beside Rael.
"I'm not allowing this madness."
The whole group erupted in argument, voices overlapping in panic and frustration.
Runa spoke, exhausted but calm.
"We're all tired. None of us can make the right decision in this condition."
Ayla nodded.
"Going back into the jungle right now means death."
Roy clenched his fists.
"I want to go too… but not like this."
Kirill stepped closer to Artem.
"He's alone," Kirill said quietly. "Leaving him feels wrong."
Then Rael shouted loudly,
"What can we do? I want to go save him too, but we can't. If we go back, we'll all die."
Then silence fell. Everyone became quiet.
Ethan slowly lowered his head. His shoulders dropped.
He held his head and sat down, muttering,
"This is all my fault. All of it."
The rest didn't understand why Ethan was saying this.
At that moment, a voice came from the jungle side—a disappointed tone.
"Oh shit…"
"I thought after all this drama, someone would come inside anyway."
Everyone looked toward the voice.
A tribesman stood there, laughing.
The tribesman stood there, watching them, laughing as he looked at them. The team was badly disturbed; they started thinking that he had come to kill them.
"Hello, my name is Jack," the tribesman said.
Then he started laughing slowly. "Hehehe… this is not my name. I took it from the last person whose blood I drank. The poor fellow was nice, but everyone has their own reasons, don't they?" he said, joking.
Then he became quiet. The team got a little scared, wondering why he was saying such things.
Then he smiled and said, "Anyway, let's get to the point. I came to return something of yours to you. Hehehe… it's no use to me. Maybe it will be useful to you."
Saying this, he threw something toward them. It was something wrapped in cloth.
The team was just looking at it.
The tribesman said, "Come on, don't be scared. Consider me your friend."
Then he left from there.
The team was thinking whether to look at that thing or not, or if it was some trick of theirs.
"Wait, I'll check," Ethan said, moving toward the thing.
He went there, picked it up, and removed the cloth.
He was shocked. His hands started shaking. He slowly turned back toward everyone.
When everyone saw it, they were shocked.
That thing was Daniel's severed head.
They looked at each other in panic.
[20 Minutes Earlier]
Daniel was running through the jungle in panic, saying this in a voice full of fear.
"Where did they go? They were right in front of me… where did they go?" he was saying in anger and crying.
"Roy! Chief! Ayla! Artem!" He called out loudly.
"Where did you all go, leaving me alone?" he was crying and running. Then he stopped and looked around. "I've been here before. This is where I got separated from them. What's happening to me?" He sat down crying near a tree. He was very panicked.
After a while, he heard a voice: "Daniel, where are you?"
It was Artem's voice.
Daniel immediately ran toward that voice. As he ran there, the voice got louder.
Then he saw the voice was coming from behind the grass. Happily, he quickly went there and pushed through the grass, reaching the other side in excitement, his face lit up like a last hope.
But when he looked there, there was no Artem or any friend. Instead, some tribespeople were there, as if waiting for him.
He got very scared.
In a fearful and panicked voice, he said, "Please don't kill me. My family is waiting for me at home. We… we even planned a trip for tomorrow… I won't tell anyone about you after leaving here. I was just a crew member on that ship. We were going home after finishing work today. Don't kill me. I'm begging you."
Then one tribesman came forward who had told his name was Jack.
He came forward and said, "Okay, we'll let you go."
Then a smile came on Daniel's face. He thought now he would survive.
The tribesman Jack was also smiling.
Then suddenly he stopped smiling and grabbed Daniel's head with both hands and pulled upward with full strength.
CRACKKKKKKKK
[Present Time]
Everyone was very scared. They were looking at each other...
Artem shouted loudly in anger.
"Nooooooooooooooo"
Ethan said quietly.
"We don't stay here. Move."
(SCENE FORWARD)
[Tribal territory, deep in the jungle]
All the tribespeople returned to the village. They went back to their usual work, just like ordinary people do. The old woman was the highest in rank there, like their queen. She ruled over them. She was sitting in her main house while the rest of the tribe people went about their tasks.
Then one tribesman came into the main house.
He said, "Mother Kaelra, I want to say something to you."
(The tribespeople called the old woman Mother Kaelra.)
"Yes, speak. What do you want to say?" Mother Kaelra said with a smile.
Then the tribesman spoke excitedly.
"Those outsiders are moving away from the jungle. Before they go too far, why don't we do something? Why are we afraid? What do we have to fear from these worthless people when we have…"
Before he could finish, Mother Kaelra, who was sitting calmly, suddenly stood up in anger.
The tribesman stopped talking immediately. He got scared and started trembling a little.
"Good…" Mother Kaelra said slowly.
She started walking toward him slowly, very slowly. She came right next to him and stood by his side.
Then she placed her hand on his head and gently stroked it.
"You are still a child… that's why you spoke in excitement… right?" she said with a smile, but her smile felt scary.
"Yes… maybe…" the tribesman said fearfully, his voice shaking.
Then Mother Kaelra continued.
"But even though you are young now, we have been teaching the tribe people our rules since they were children. Obviously you know those rules too…"
The tribesman said fearfully, "Yes…"
Then Mother Kaelra's smile suddenly turned into anger. She grabbed his head tightly.
"Then how dare you say that we are afraid of these outsiders…?"
She pressed his head hard.
The tribesman screamed in pain. Blood started flowing from his head.
"Mother… forgive me… I'm sorry… I will never say it again…"
Blood was coming from his head.
Mother Kaelra suddenly removed her hand. Her hand was covered in blood.
The tribesman's head was slowly recovering, but the pain was still there – he was shaking from the pain.
Mother Kaelra licked the blood from her hand and said:
"Go… get out of here now."
The tribesman immediately stood up and left quickly – scared, in pain, eyes down.
Then Mother Kaelra's anger slowly turned back into a smile.
(SCENE FORWARD)
[On the other side]
Ethan. Runa. Rael. Kirill. Artem. Roy. And Ayla. They were trying their best to stay as far from the jungle as possible. They were walking together, searching for a safe place to hide.
The island was vast, stretching endlessly under the cold moonlight. The team kept walking, some in fear, some lost in thought about what had happened. They had never imagined anything like this, even in their worst nightmares. There was complete silence around them, broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing too loudly on the rocky ground.
Artem spoke suddenly.
"There was a family... he had told me about them."
Everyone turned to look at him, their faces pale in the dim light.
Artem continued, his voice heavy with regret.
"We went to kill those crew members... because of us. We couldn't save them."
They understood what he meant and looked ahead again, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a shadow.
"No one's fault in this. We didn't know this would happen to us."
Rael said, trying to comfort Artem.
"We can't blame ourselves. We can't even see what's ahead. We should think about how to get out of here."
Silence fell again.
After a while, Kirill, understanding Rael's words, said.
"He's right. Anyway, we came on a rescue mission, and our mission isn't complete yet. We're soldiers—we can't just give up like this."
Then Runa said.
"First, we need to find a safe place as quickly as possible. We don't know anything about this island. Anything can happen anytime."
Saying this, Runa turned to Ayla.
"Ayla, what do you say? Which way should we go?"
Ayla looked at her compass, a bit disappointed.
"Since we came here, this compass hasn't worked at all. I don't understand anything."
Then Runa said.
"We don't need the compass. I'm asking you—without the compass, you led us to the ship yourself."
Ayla blushed a little.
"No, I just did it like that. We'll still need the compass anyway."
Then Kirill said to Runa.
"She's right. Trust yourself, girl."
Ayla started blushing more.
The mood of a few people lightened a bit. They still had hope that everything could be okay.
Then, looking at Rael, he said.
"Chief, you look worried?"
Ethan didn't answer. He was lost in thought. The screams of fear echoed in his ears.
Rael called a bit louder, "Chief!" three times.
Suddenly, Ethan turned back and looked at Rael.
"Huh?... You said something, Rael?..."
Rael replied.
"I was just asking if you're very tense. Anyway, no need to ask now—I've got my answer. I asked the wrong question."
"It's natural to be tense, because things have happened to us like this."
Ethan replied.
No, you're just worried. I'm tense because we don't know what's going to happen next... and I don't know if we'll survive it."
As soon as Ethan finished speaking, Kirill asked, "Did any of you notice something?"
Everyone turned to look at Kirill as they walked.
"What are you talking about, Kirill? What did you notice?"
Kirill thought for a moment, then said, "I don't know, but it feels a bit strange that when the tribespeople attacked us, there was something attached to the back of their necks, like a veil. This is just my guess—I don't know how much truth there is in it. But… I feel like they know everything that's happening on the island."
Hearing this, everyone became a bit confused. They didn't understand what Kirill was trying to say.
"Speak clearly, Kirill. What do you mean?"
Kirill took a deep breath and said, "Didn't any of you notice? I didn't because I was just thinking about getting out of there."
Runa said.
Then Ayla said, "Yes, Runa is right. We were all just thinking about that, so we didn't pay attention."
"Bro, whatever you're thinking, tell us now. We need to know everything, whether there's truth in it or not."
Artem said to Kirill.
"I think they control the island through that veil-like thing. That's how they knew our location so easily. They reached us as soon as we arrived on the island."
Kirill explained to everyone.
Hearing this, everyone's reaction was a bit shocking. "Is this even possible? It seems a bit strange, I mean controlling the whole island," Roy said.
Then Ethan said to everyone, "Whatever we've seen on this island, we can't ignore this thing. We have to pay attention to every single detail—our lives are at stake. As for Kirill's theory, it feels true to me. This island, whatever it is, is very strange and complicated. If any of you notice anything weird, tell us without hesitation. Because we need to know every single thing. After all, our lives are at stake. One mistake or something we don't know could become the reason for our death."
(8 hours earlier – On the ship, before arriving on the island)
Ethan was standing, gazing at the sea, which looked incredibly beautiful with the sun's rays falling on the water and its sparkle piercing his eyes.
The sea looks beautiful today, doesn't it? A voice came from behind Ethan. He turned around. It was Runa.
"Did I scare you?" Runa asked.
"No, I was just thinking about something," Ethan said.
"Yes, it's true—the sea is very beautiful today."
Then Runa came closer.
"I want to ask you something, Chief," Runa said to Ethan.
Ethan looked at her, thought for a few seconds, and then said, "Yes, ask."
"This mission is to find VIP kids. And the entire military, marines, are involved because they are VIPs, right?"
Ethan was silent for a while. Then he said, "What are you saying? I don't understand."
"Forget it," Runa said. "I was just asking like that. The whole team is assembled—they're waiting for you. Let's go."
Runa left from there.
Ethan just kept watching her go.
(Present time)
The team kept walking without stopping, moving away from the jungle. They were afraid that the tribespeople could attack from anywhere in the jungle. And they weren't ready for that right now. They needed a place to rest.
As they walked, Roy suddenly stopped. There was a somewhat large rock beside him, and he sat down leaning against it.
"Ayla, what happened to you? Are you hurt?" Ayla asked Roy.
"I... I'm tired. I'm not used to walking this much," Roy said in a weak voice.
"But we can't stop here either. Who knows when danger might come from where," Kirill said to Roy.
Roy said nothing. He was just taking deep breaths.
"I need water. Does anyone have any?" he said.
Artem took out his canteen from his bag and gave it to him.
Roy started drinking it in one breath.
"Relax, friend. There's no problem," Artem said to Roy.
Roy nodded up and down as a yes.
"We should stop here for a while. We've been walking for the last one or two hours," Rael said to everyone.
"Hmm... okay, let's rest here for a bit. Anyway, this place is a little open, and the jungle is far, so maybe we're a bit safe," Ethan replied to Rael.
(The Military Base – USA)
Everyone in the base was busy with their own work. The noise of activity was loud and nonstop. In the middle of all that, one soldier came running in a hurry. He was heading straight toward Colonel's office as fast as he could.
(Scene forward)
Inside Colonel's office.
Colonel Rich was sitting in his chair, doing paperwork. He placed his hand on his forehead and sighed.
"Huuush… I think I'm getting used to this work now. Looks like retirement time is coming soon."
At that exact moment, the door opened. Colonel Rich looked up.
There stood a man, panting heavily.
"Ohhhhh… Jack, it seems you've forgotten the discipline I taught you – coming in without knocking," Colonel Rich said in a teasing tone.
(The soldier's name was Jack, and he was Colonel's own student.)
"Sorry sir, I apologize. It won't happen again, but this is very urgent," Jack said to Colonel Rich.
"Why? What's the matter?" Colonel Rich asked Jack.
"You need to come with me right now," Jack told the Colonel.
Hearing this, Colonel Rich's face filled with tension.
(Scene changed, on the island)
Ethan and the entire team had stopped for a short rest. Runa walked over to Rael and sat down beside him.
"Are you okay?" Runa asked Rael.
"Yeah, a little bit now," Rael replied.
"I still can't understand what that old lady knows about me!" Saying this, Rael placed his hand on his head, looking worried.
"Everything will be fine. Don't take tension," Runa said, pulling him into a hug.
Rael stayed like that for a moment, then said, "Did we do the right thing by coming on this mission? Because of me, you're also trapped here. I even told you not to come, but you didn't listen!"
"See, I came because it was my choice. Stop blaming yourself," Runa said. "And looking at everything, it feels like I did the right thing by coming with you."
Rael looked at Runa and gave a small smile.
On the other side, Kirill, Artem, Ayla, and Roy were talking.
"So you two are married?" Roy asked Artem and Kirill.
"Us?..... Oh, okay. First tell me why you're asking this. Don't tell me your heart has fallen for one of us," Artem said in a funny way.
And they all started laughing.
"Oh no, I was just asking like that," Roy said with an expressionless face.
"Hey, why are you teasing him?" Kirill said to Artem.
"Hey, I was just joking. Chill," Artem replied, laughing.
"Everyone here has become sad souls. Let me lighten the mood. Okay, I'll tell the truth now. Out of the two of us, only I am married. Kirill hasn't got married yet," Kirill said.
"Ohhh... Nice. How many years has it been since your marriage?" Ayla asked, reacting to Artem's words.
"Oh, actually we got divorced," Artem replied, a little sad.
"Ohhh sorry," Ayla and Roy said to Artem.
Then Artem smiled at them and said, "chill, why are you guys saying sorry? It's not like you caused our divorce." He started laughing (hahaha).
Then, stopping his laughter, he said, "But there's one more thing…"
Then Artem made a slightly serious expression and said, "Yes, there's just one thing—I want to see Mikhail. It's been a long time since I saw him." Artem said this in a silent voice.
Roy and Ayla got confused. "Mikhail? Who?" Ayla asked Artem.
Artem looked up at Ayla and said, "Didn't I tell you? Oh yes, Mikhail is my 12-year-old son. He's very cute."
"Hmmmm…" Ayla reacted.
"Kirill, you tell," Roy asked Kirill.
"Oh me?....." Kirill reacted.
"Leave it, let it be," Ayla said to Roy.
"Oh okay, fine," Roy replied.
"heyy, no problem. I'm not married yet," Kirill answered Roy.
"Guys, leave it. This isn't that important," Ayla said to Roy, Artem, and Kirill.
"Now who knows whether we'll get out of here alive or not. Sometimes sharing things reduces stress and depression," Kirill said.
As soon as he finished saying this, Ethan, Runa, and Rael also came and sat down there.
"What are you guys talking about, friends?" Rael asked calmly.
"Nothing, I was just about to tell about myself," Kirill said.
"Ooh, okay," Ethan said and sat down with everyone.
Then Kirill continued and said, "I used to love a girl. We were very good friends. But I could never tell her how much I loved her. So dude, after we get out of here, just tell her," Rael said to Kirill.
"I can't tell her," Kirill said to Rael.
"Her marriage has already happened—to the one who used to be my best friend."
Everyone's expressions became completely silent after hearing this.
"I had told her that I loved her. I had asked her to give a love letter and also tell her that it was from me. But that friend of mine removed my name, gave her that love letter, and told her his name. And she accepted his letter," Kirill told everyone the whole story.
After Kirill finished speaking, Artem said with a slightly disappointed expression, "I had told you every time not to trust that guy too much, but you didn't listen to a single word of mine."
Then Ethan, trying to calm him, said, "It's okay, calm down. We don't know who is how yet."
Then Kirill said, "Anyway, I didn't tell all this to you guys so that you would know how bad times I have gone through or how broken I am. I just wanted to tell you that… without knowing anyone, don't trust them, otherwise we end up regretting it later."
For some time, the whole atmosphere became silent.
Then after a while, Kirill said, "Just once, if we get out of here safe and sound, I will start a new life again, just like Artem often tells me."
Kirill said this while looking at Artem.
A smile appeared on Artem's face.
"By the way, how long have we been walking in this jungle? We need to find an exact safe place quickly," Rael said as soon as everyone's talk ended.
"Yes, we have been walking for the last 1 or 2 hours. And this island doesn't seem to be ending," Ayla said.
"We should keep walking. We can't say which place is safe and which is not," Runa said.
"Then it's okay, let's rest here for a little more, recover properly, and then leave from here," Ethan said to everyone.
Then everyone replied to him, "Roger."
About 10 minutes later, Roy started feeling a bit uncomfortable. The jungle's heavy silence and the constant rustling of leaves were making him uneasy. He suddenly stood up straight and looked at everyone.
Artem looked at him and asked, "What happened, Roy? Is there any problem?"
Then everyone turned to look at Roy.
"I… I have to pee," Roy said, his voice low and hesitant.
Everyone gave a slight smile and Ethan said, "Come on, what's there to be shy about? Go ahead."
"But… I'm scared to go alone," Roy said, looking down at the ground, his fingers fidgeting nervously.
"Oh, I'll go with you. Come on," Artem said to Roy.
Then both of them walked a little ahead together. The thick trees and vines made every step feel heavier. After some distance, they stopped.
"Come on, do it there," Artem said, pointing to a small clearing behind a cluster of bushes.
Roy went to the place Artem had pointed to. Artem stood there waiting for him, checking his gun, the metal clicking softly in the quiet jungle air.
Roy started doing his business. As soon as he finished and turned to come back, he suddenly stopped. Then he shouted loudly for Artem, his voice cracking with fear.
(Scene forward. Artem's side.)
Artem was whistling softly while checking his gun. Suddenly he heard Roy's loud shout. He froze and got a little scared. He started running toward the side where Roy was. And he reached that place.
Artem reached there and saw that Roy was standing right there.
"Oyee Roy!" Artem called out loudly.
Roy looked toward him. Then Artem, looking at him, said, "What happened? Why were you shouting so loudly?"
Saying this, Artem went closer to him. Then Roy pointed to a spot and told him to look. Then Artem looked where Roy had pointed. He saw that a little ahead of the sea shore, between the rocks, a house was visible nearby.
Then Roy excitedly said immediately, "Look, there's a wooden house there. We can safely rest there."
Then Artem calmed him down and said, "Whose house could it be in the end? Do you know? What if it belongs to one of the tribespeople?"
Artem said to Roy.
"But how far is this house? Why would any tribespeople live so far away?" Roy asked Artem.
"This whole island belongs to them. Why can't they live here? Think about it," Artem said to Roy.
"But we should check. We can't stay in this open place either," Roy said to Artem.
Then, hearing this, Artem started looking toward the house. Then he noticed that the house was about 2-3 kilometers away from the jungle, and he knew that they were not safe in the jungle, and last time the tribespeople had not come out of the jungle. Then he thought for a while.
"Okay, then first let's bring our friends here, then we'll see what to do and what not to do."
On the other side, Ethan, Ayla, Runa, Rael, Kirill, were waiting for artem and Roy.
Then Runa walked over to Ayla and sat down beside her.
"Are you okay?" Runa asked Ayla.
"Oh hey Runa, I'm fine for now," Ayla replied to Runa.
"What are you thinking?" Runa asked Ayla.
Then Ayla gave a slight smile and said, "Nothing… just… Just once, if we get out of here safe and sound, then I will live my life the way I want to."
"Uhmm, meaning?" Runa asked Ayla, confused.
"That I have spent my life in family tragedy, depression, stress, just blaming life for every single thing. The last few years have been very difficult for me. But now all that feels better than that place," Ayla said to Runa.
Then, smiling, she said her final line, "Now we just have to get out of here."
"You are very strong… very…" Runa said to Ayla.
Then Ayla said to Runa, laughing, "Hey, not as much as you."
"Come on, accept it," Runa said, laughing.
Then suddenly the sound of fast footsteps started coming. The place where they had stopped had big rocks and boulders, and from between those boulders, it sounded like someone was running toward them.
Then Ethan quickly stood up and said, "Everyone pick up your guns. Someone is coming."
Then they quickly took their positions.
Then the sound of footsteps grew louder and suddenly the footsteps stopped. They were ready.
Then suddenly Ethan shouted, "Stop everyone!"
Everyone stopped. In front of them, no one else — Artem and Roy were standing there.
"Stop, don't fire!" Artem said.
"Who comes running like this, Artem?" Ethan asked Artem.
"Sorry, but I have something to show you, Chief. I thought there was no point in stopping here. Let's do it quickly," Artem said to Ethan.
"What do you have to show?" Ethan asked Artem.
"Just everyone pick up your bags and follow me," Artem said.
(Scene forward)
Then everyone followed behind Artem. As they walked, Artem told them about the house.
"Come on, it's good. At least we can feel a little safe in that house," Ayla said excitedly.
"We have to stay a little alert. After all, we don't know how that house got there, but right now we don't have any other choice. Just don't put too much hope on it, because if the hope breaks, it becomes very difficult to handle," Ethan said to Ayla and everyone.
Hearing this, Ayla hid her excitement.
"Anyway, I'm just saying don't put all your hope on that one place. I also want that place to be safe," Ethan added.
Then, hearing Ethan's words, Ayla nodded in agreement.
After walking for a while, they reached there. It was a rocky area, and a little further away was the house, about 2-3 kilometers away from the jungle. Everyone kept looking at the house. Then they held their guns and slowly started moving toward the house. The house was not completely surrounded by rocks — it stood in an open space where there was only a rocky ground. Then they all reached the door of the house. There was a small hole on the side of the door. Rael carefully looked inside through the hole. He saw that there was no one inside — only dust and a little darkness. Then Rael signaled Ethan. Ethan gave a hand signal to everyone to take their positions. Then they all took their positions and stood there. Rael slowly opened the door. The sound of wood scraping came as he opened it, and the light from outside started coming in. Then one by one, holding their guns, they entered the house. The house was not very big — it was built just for sleeping and sitting.
The entire house was empty. There was no one there.
Then everyone turned on their torches and started looking around the house. Just by looking at the walls and ceiling, it was clear that the house was very old.
"The wooden parts of the house are rotting slowly," Kirill said.
Then Runa moved her torch from the wall down to the floor. As soon as the beam of her torch landed right in front of her, she froze in shock and took a sharp, deep breath.
Rael looked at her. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Saying this, he looked where Runa's torch was pointing. Then everyone's eyes turned in that direction.
They saw a dead deer lying there, completely soaked in blood, its stomach torn open.
"Ohhh shit, what is this?" Artem said, reacting like he was about to vomit.
"No wonder the smell in here is so bad," Rael said, covering his mouth with his hand.
"That means this place isn't empty," Ethan said.
"But there's no one here right now," Artem said to Ethan.
"Maybe the deer came here and died, and it's been rotting here. There are also a lot of insects," Artem said.
"But how can insects do this much damage to the deer?" Roy asked.
"Look carefully. The deer's blood isn't flowing anymore — it has all clotted," Rael said to everyone.
"We can't keep roaming outside like this. Let's move this deer out of here and rest for a while," Kirill said.
"You're thinking about rest?" Artem teased Kirill.
Kirill stayed quiet.
"Anyway, let's move it out of here for now," Ethan said to everyone.
(Scene forward, on the military base)
Colonel Rich and Jack were heading toward the camp. While walking, Colonel Rich said to Jack, "How did they suddenly disappear?"
Colonel said. "Sir, I don't know. In one moment, our signal with them got cut off and the ship disappeared."
Jack replied, "We are still trying to figure out where the ship went in that one moment."
As soon as this conversation ended, Colonel Rich and Jack reached the camp where contact was made with all ships and soldiers. Colonel Rich entered the camp. Everyone started saluting him. Colonel went straight to a radio operator and said, "Can you explain something to me?"
"Sir, our ship, the Valiant. It disappeared in one moment and our contact with its crew also got cut off. It's difficult to say right now whether the ship is safe or not," the operator said to Colonel Rich.
"Could it be just a signal issue?" Colonel Rich asked.
"We can't say, sir. We are still trying to make the signal strong again somehow," the operator said.
"And sir, there is one more thing," the radio operator said to the Colonel.
Colonel got even more tense after hearing all this. "We have to do something. Reduce break time and from now on we will work 24 hours. And only 1 hour break will be given, that too only for eating. Quickly, everyone get back to work."
Hearing this, everyone immediately got back to their tasks. Colonel held his head and sat down.
Year 1946, 23 April, Bombay, India
A passenger ship docked at the port and came to a stop. All the passengers were slowly coming out. Among them, a man wearing a coat and hat stepped out and stood waiting for someone.
Then, from the front, someone waved and called out, "HEYY WILLIAM!"
The man in the coat was William. He walked toward the man happily and said, "ARVIND!"
Then he went to him and hugged him tightly. "It's been so many days since we met, my friend," William said to Arvind.
"I was on my way back after finishing my work in America. Then I heard that a great astrologer named William Ashford is coming, so I stopped," Arvind said to William.
"Hey, stop it man. I'm not that great," William replied with a laugh.
"Haha, I know. That's why you got permission for this research so easily," Arvind teased William, laughing.
"Hey, I didn't get permission. I paid money to get the work done. Those people weren't letting me do research on it," William said.
"That ship disappeared and we still don't know where it went. So why are you so obsessed with it? So many people have worked on it and found nothing. Why are you wasting your time?" Arvind asked William.
"Who knows? The thing I'm searching for might be connected to it," William said with a smile. He placed his hand on Arvind's shoulder and motioned for him to walk.
Then both of them started walking away together.
William and Arvind both reached a house. It was Arvind's rented house where he was staying.
"So, how do you like my house?" Arvind asked William.
"The house is nice. Did you buy it?" William asked.
"No, I took it on rent. Only for as long as we are here," Arvind replied.
"Come on, tell me what research you have done so far," Arvind asked.
"The Paradise ship left the port in 1944 and till now it has neither reached its destination nor returned. How can such a big passenger ship just disappear like this? Don't you find it strange?" William said to Arvind.
"Yes, but what if it sank?" Arvind said.
"That's the point. If it had sunk, there should have been some trace by now," William said.
"I am researching an island, and according to my theory, whoever goes there — whether people or ships — has not returned till now," William said.
As soon as he said this, Arvind interrupted him and said, "Dude, that's just an old, worn-out story. There are very few chances of it being true because neither the government, military, nor marines have any proof of its existence. How long will you keep wasting your time on this? You've already wasted enough."
Hearing this, William looked at Arvind with slight disappointment.
"Okay dude, sorry. I'm not saying it doesn't exist or anything, but you have a family — your wife, your son. Why don't you live happily with them? I want you to spend the remaining years of your life in peace. You have already wasted 17 to 18 years on this," Arvind said and paused for a moment.
"I accept that you are worried about me, but I have worked very hard on this. And people are dying meaningless deaths after going to that place. I don't like it. That place exists — I am completely sure of it," William said and ended the conversation.
William and Arvind reached that port the very next day — the same port from where the Paradise had begun its journey.
After roaming around the entire port, both of them headed to meet the chairman.
"Do you think he will tell us anything about it?" Arvind asked William.
"I don't know, but we can at least try," William replied.
Then they reached the office.
(Scene forward: Chairman's Office)
Arvind and William were sitting in the office, waiting for the chairman.
"Is he definitely coming today?" Arvind said.
"What do you mean?" William asked.
"Hey, I mean how long have we been waiting here? He still hasn't come," Arvind said.
Just as he said this, the door opened and someone entered. It was the chairman.
"I apologize for making you wait, Mr. William," the chairman said to William.
"Hello, Mr. Vinay," William said while shaking hands with Chairman Vinay. "I was waiting for you."
"Actually, we were the ones waiting for you," Arvind said.
Chairman Vinay looked at Arvind and asked, "And who are you, sir?"
"This is my friend Arvind, from America," William told Chairman Vinay.
"Ohh, hello Mr. Arvind. Nice to meet you," Chairman Vinay said and shook hands with Arvind. "Please, have a seat. Let's talk."
Then all three sat down on the chairs.
"When I came to know that you wanted to meet me, I felt very good that such a big personality is coming to meet me," Chairman Vinay said to William.
"Hey, it's nothing like that. Everyone here knows who the real big personality is," William said. Then all three laughed.
"What help can I provide you, Mr. William?" Chairman Vinay asked.
"Not much, I just wanted to know a few things," William said.
"And what is that about?" Chairman Vinay asked with a smile.
William looked him straight in the eyes and said, "About the PARADISE."
Chairman Vinay stopped smiling and looked at both of them.
Chairman Vinay was staring at William and Arvind with a serious face. Then he smiled and said, "Paradise?..... Paradise ship? Huhhh?"
"Yes, I have come to know about that same ship. Where did that ship go in the end and why was its research stopped?" William said to the chairman.
"Look, Mr. William, you are a well-known and I would say one of the best archaeologists. Why do you want to waste your time on this thing? Research has already been done by many people and still nothing came out of it. That ship must have sunk somewhere," the chairman said.
"Why do you think that the ship must have sunk? What if it got trapped in a place where we haven't reached yet?" William said.
"Look, I don't understand what place you are talking about, but just think — that ship disappeared during World War 2. What if it was a mistake or someone attacked that ship with a missile by force?"
"But I don't think so," William told the chairman, sharing his opinion.
"What is there to think or not think? Whatever happened, we cannot change it now," the chairman said to William in a very polite tone.
William couldn't say anything.
"Then it's fine. It was nice meeting you, Mr. William and Mr. Arvind. But now I would request you not to waste any more of my time. No offense," the chairman said.
"Hmmm," William said, nodding his head slightly
(Scene forward, at Arvind's house)
It was already late at night. William was sitting at his desk, deeply immersed in research on the Paradise ship. Newspapers, old articles, history books — everything related to the ship was spread out in front of him. He kept reading every page twice, his eyes tired but determined, desperately searching for even the smallest clue. He looked extremely stressed and restless.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. William looked toward the door and asked, "Who is it?"
A voice came from outside, "William, it's me — Arvind."
"Yes, I'm coming," William said as he got up, walked to the door, and opened it.
"I brought food from outside. Come, let's eat," Arvind said.
"Wait a minute, let me clean the desk first," William replied.
(Scene forward)
William and Arvind were having dinner at the dining table. Even while eating, William's mind was still occupied with the Paradise. He was lost in his thoughts.
"Stop it, my friend. We still don't have any confirmation about where the Paradise is. We can continue our research," Arvind said.
"I don't know, Arvind. Sometimes even I wonder why I have so much faith in a place that no one has ever seen. I am completely sure that place exists and people are being held captive there. I have seen so many cases in history where ships and tourists simply vanished into the sea. And all those theories point toward that island," William said.
"Don't take so much tension, brother," Arvind said, trying to calm him down.
"I have spent 18 to 19 years on this case. I haven't even seen my son's face properly. My wife has been angry with me for so many days because I can't give her time. And the more I dig into this case, the more everything becomes blurry. Sometimes I myself start doubting everything. I don't even know what I should do anymore. If this case turns out to be just a story in the end, then I will have nothing left," William said, clearly frustrated.
"Relax," Arvind said to William.
William calmed down a little and said, "Sorry, I was a bit stressed."
"I can understand," Arvind replied.
"Come on, finish dinner and sleep. I'm very tired today," Arvind said.
Both of them smiled and started joking around lightly.
Then there was a knock on the door. Arvind went and opened it. An American girl was standing there.
"Hi," the girl said.
"Yes, who are you?" Arvind asked.
Then William looked and said, "Oh, you've come. You're quite late."
William walked toward the door.
"HEYY Willy!" The girl immediately hugged him.
"Sorry I'm late," the girl said.
"Hey, no problem," William replied.
"Arvind, meet her. This is Elisa Jones. My old friend. We studied archaeology together," William introduced Elisa to Arvind.
"Hello Arvind," Elisa said.
"Hi, nice to meet you," Arvind replied.
"Come on, have dinner first. Then sleep. We have a lot of work tomorrow," William said to Elisa.
"Okay," Elisa replied.
The next day.
Elisa and William were sorting through all the paperwork while Arvind helped them. They were going through every piece of information related to the Paradise ship, but most of it was useless. There was still no confirmed information about the ship.
"By the way, if you believe it so strongly, then why don't we just go out to sea ourselves and search for the Paradise?" Arvind asked.
"If it were that simple, we wouldn't be sitting here doing all this," William replied. "We need to present strong proof to the government. Only then will they take the search for the Paradise and that island seriously."
"And even if we go looking for it, where would we search? Do you even know its location?" William asked.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Wait, I'll check," Elisa said. She opened the door. A paperboy had dropped the newspaper and left. Elisa picked it up, brought it inside, and began reading. The moment she saw the front page, she froze in shock.
"Arvind, William… you both need to see this," Elisa said urgently.
When Arvind and William read the headline, they were also stunned. The newspaper showed a photo of the Paradise ship in terrible condition with the headline: "Paradise Ship Found on Bombay Beach After 2 Years."
William stared at the photo, completely shocked, and muttered, "How… how is this possible?"
(Present Time)
Ethan and his team had cleaned the entire house. They were now resting. No matter how bad their time had been so far, this rest wasn't giving them much peace, but there was still one hope keeping them going — the hope of getting out of here alive.
"Do you think the person who lived here before us was from the tribe?" Kirill asked everyone.
"If he was from the tribe, why would he live so far away? It's possible that someone else got trapped here before us and started living in this place," Rael said.
"Anyway, for now we might be safe, so let's stop thinking about it. Besides, we are all mentally exhausted right now," Ayla said.
"Ayla is right. Let's just relax for now," Runa said.
"Yeah, I agree too," Artem said.
Then everyone became quiet and started arranging their bags and places to sleep. The house was small, but they had no other choice.
A little while later, the darkness of night began to spread. The pitch-black night had returned once again. Ethan's team was trying to sleep inside the house.
Slowly, a shadow appeared at the door of the house. The shadow tried to quietly open the door. There was a hook locked from the inside. The shadow tried to remove the hook through a small gap.
The sound of the hook being moved woke up those who were sleeping, and some who were already awake.
"Looks like someone is trying to break the door. We are all inside, so who could it be?" Kirill said.
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone stood up and got ready. Ethan placed a finger on his lips and signaled everyone to stay silent. Everyone became completely quiet.
The only light in the house was coming from the moonlight, faintly entering through the gaps in the wooden walls.
Then the person outside removed the hook and slowly started opening the door. Everyone's eyes were fixed on it. As soon as the door opened fully, a man stood in front of them — in extremely bad condition. Moonlight was shining on his messy hair and dirty clothes. In a very tired and deep voice, he said,
"Who are you people? What do you want?"
No one gave any answer.
"Looking at you, it doesn't seem like you are from the tribe," the man said.
Hearing this, Ethan and the others became a little confused.
"So you are not from the tribe?" Ethan asked.
"No, I have been escaping from them for many days. The tribespeople don't come out of the jungle, that's why I wasn't surprised to see you people inside the house," the man said.
"Then who are you? And how can we trust you?" Ethan asked.
Everyone had their guns aimed at him and were also a bit tense.
Then the man slowly moved the hair away from his face. His head looked exhausted from the long hair.
"I… My name… My name is Max."
Hearing this name, everyone was shocked and looked at each other.
And in shock, Ethan said, "In this place… but how?"