At The Forest Of River Styx.
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The Adam hunting team was still on their way, making significant progress towards River Styx Forest. Although the forest was originally thought to be a long way off, they had managed to reach the forest within 24 hours.
Their swift progress could be attributed to the exceptional speed of the boat they used. This remarkable vessel, designed specifically by Adam's work team, seemed to outpace the water itself.
Upon reaching the forest of Styx, Adam and his men decided to set up camp for the night due to the encroaching darkness. They planned to resume their journey the next morning.
As the other team members slept soundly, Adam, Carlos, and their friend Damian stayed awake, engaged in a conversation.
Damian, while staring at the moon casting its light across the forest, remarked on the eerie sounds emanating from the woods. "The voices from this forest are so unsettling. I've never heard such animalistic noises apart from the howls of wolves," he shared.
Carlos, sensing the tension in the air, cautioned Damian to keep his voice down. "This is a dangerous place, and we must remain vigilant to survive. Don't let your guard down," he advised, leaning against a tree.
Adam, deep in thought and gazing at the crackling fire, remained silent throughout the conversation. Carlos, noticing his friend's preoccupation, inquired, "Is something on your mind, Adam?" Adam glanced up briefly before returning his gaze to the flames, lost in his own thoughts.
"Not really. Perhaps you should join them and get some sleep. I will keep watch," Adam suggested. Carlos nodded, easing himself against the tree where he had been resting.
Adam stood up, moving a short distance away to scan the surroundings, ensuring everything was calm.
"Does anyone know where we're headed to find what we came for? I hope we have the exact location in mind, considering we're already deep in the forest," Damian exclaimed loudly, prompting Adam to reprimand him.
"I already told you to be quiet! Just rest until morning!" Adam's voice was firm as Damian nodded in understanding.
"You're right, I was just concerned," Damian replied sincerely.
"Damian, we haven't ventured far yet. We need to go deeper into the forest to find it," Carlos clarified, dispelling any lingering doubts. Damian nodded before settling down to sleep.
Carlos lingered a while longer before finding a comfortable spot on the ground to rest, soon drifting off. Adam remained the lone figure standing, growing weary of standing and eventually seating himself on a fallen tree.
After a few minutes, his eyes began to droop, despite his efforts to stay awake. Succumbing to drowsiness, he rested his head against the nearby tree. Just as he was about to drift off, a sudden noise jolted him awake once more.
He felt and heard the movement. "Did anyone see that?" he asked, scanning the area to catch another glimpse of it.
Receiving no response, he turned back to find the others still fast asleep. Taking a deep breath, he realized it must have been his imagination. In this unsafe place, any noise would have roused them instantly.
Adam took another deep breath, resting his head against the tree. Suddenly, he noticed the movement again and stood up, scanning the surroundings.
Unable to pinpoint the source of the footsteps due to their speed, he was certain he heard them matching. The surroundings showed no signs of an intruder.
Approaching Carlos, Adam gently tapped him. "Wake up! We have a situation here," he whispered, prompting Carlos to rise to his feet.
"What's going on?" He whispered to Adam, trying to remain discreet and not attract attention from other creatures.
"I sense something moving nearby. I'm not sure what it is, but there's definitely something out there," Adam said. Carlos grabbed his gun, and Adam did the same, also taking their torchlights.
Realizing the moonlight wouldn't suffice, they switched on their torches. Carlos gestured to the left, signaling for them to split up.
Adam and Carlos parted ways, with Adam searching from the left and Carlos from the right. Not long after, Adam spotted a clue.
  
"Carlos, this way! I think I found something," Adam's voice echoed in Carlos's mind as they communicated through connected earphones.
  
Upon hearing Adam's call, Carlos immediately abandoned his search and joined Adam.
  
"What did you find?" Carlos inquired as he knelt down to examine the mysterious footprints on the ground, radiating a peculiar energy.
  
Adam refrained from answering, waiting for Carlos to draw his own conclusions, as even Carlos was unable to identify the creature responsible for the tracks.
  
"Any idea what kind of creature made these?" Adam questioned, to which Carlos shook his head.
  
"I'm not sure. It's unlike anything I've seen before. It appears to possess an internal energy source," Carlos remarked, prompting Adam to scrutinize the footprints closely.
  
"Really?" Adam queried.
  
"Indeed, you can see the energy shimmering around the footprints," Carlos explained, engrossed in the discovery. Their focus was interrupted by a sudden noise ahead, causing them to exchange anxious glances.
  
"Did you hear that?" Adam whispered, as Carlos swiftly readied his gun.
  
"I heard it too," Carlos confirmed, advancing towards the source of the sound. As they approached the area, it became clear that they were surrounded by an eerie atmosphere.
It felt like a familiar presence lingered in the air as Carlos and Adam combed through the area, their torches flickering unpredictably.
"What's happening?" Adam inquired, tapping his torch against his palm.
"Come closer! There's something nearby," Carlos announced. Adam hurried to his side, and just then, their torches extinguished, leaving only the feeble moonlight to illuminate the dense forest around them.
As they stood frozen, a set of approaching footsteps caught their attention, causing their hearts to race and their breaths to grow heavy. Gripping their guns tightly, they braced themselves to confront whatever lurked in the shadows.
"Stay close and don't make a move. Stay still," Carlos instructed Adam, both men ready to react at the first sign of danger. Suddenly, the underbrush rustled, startling them, almost prompting them to fire their weapons before realizing it was Damian.
"Wait wait wait! easy guys!" Damian exclaimed, causing Adam and Carlos to release a collective sigh of relief as they lowered their weapons.
"What were you two doing out here alone? I woke up and couldn't find you. What's going on?" Damian inquired, shining his own torchlight as Carlos and Adam fumbled to relight theirs.
"We were just on a little hunting trip. We needed some meat for dinner," Carlos explained, while Damian nodded understandingly, a smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah, joining the hunt now?" he asked before his torch suddenly went off.
"Wait! Why did you turn off that torch?!" Carlos shouted at him.
"Turn it back on!" Adam also yelled at him.
"It wasn't me who turned it off," he protested as Adam snatched the torch from his hand.
"You've never been serious about anything!" Adam remarked, trying to turn on the torch. He then noticed something with glowing eyes resembling the moon standing behind Damian.
"Damian..." he started to say, but was cut off by Damian's piercing scream, causing Adam and Carlos to quickly retreat and stand at a safe distance, holding their guns tightly.
"Aaah!!" Damian's screams echoed loudly seems the beast caught him.
"Are you okay, Damian?!" they yelled after him, hesitating to shoot out of fear of harming their friend.
Suddenly, Damian fell silent, the surroundings growing eerily quiet as the mysterious figure vanished. Their cries alerted the others, who rushed in with their torches, illuminating the gruesome sight of Damian lying lifeless on the ground.
"Holy shit!" Carlos gasped, fear spreading among them, realizing the danger that now surrounded them.