Calvin and his team pushed deeper into the dark forest, their footsteps muffled by the dense undergrowth. Each step was a reminder of the tension weighing on them. The thick canopy above blotted out most of the moonlight, leaving them to navigate by the faint glow of their flashlights. The further they ventured, the quieter the forest became. No birds, no animals. Just the occasional crunch of leaves underfoot and the rhythmic rustling of wind through the trees.The forest seemed to close in around them, the silence pressing on their ears. Calvin, leading the way, had a grim expression. His sharp eyes darted between the shadows, as though expecting something—or someone—to leap out at them at any moment.After what felt like an eternity, the group reached a small clearing. Calvin suddenly halted, his arm rising to signal the others. Lizzie, catching up beside him, looked around, her eyes wide in the eerie half-light."Is this it?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as though the fo

Calvin and his group pressed through the dense, suffocating jungle, their steps heavy with urgency. Each crack of twigs underfoot and the occasional rustle of leaves seemed to amplify the tension in the air. The forest loomed around them, thick with vines and towering trees whose canopies blotted out the sky, leaving only fragmented beams of moonlight to guide their way. The heat was oppressive, clinging to their skin like a damp cloak, and the smell of earth and foliage-filled their lungs. Calvin’s heart pounded in sync with the rhythmic pulse of his feet hitting the forest floor. Every second mattered."Keep moving," Calvin barked, his voice hoarse from the strain. He glanced back at the others, their faces glistening with sweat, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. They were all aware of what was at stake—the Fountain of Health was within reach, and the knowledge that it could slip through their fingers was like a knife twisting in Calvin’s chest.Suddenly, Lizzie skidded to a hal

Lizzie sprinted through the thick underbrush, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Sweat poured down her face, dampening her clothes as the humid jungle clung to her skin. She was pushing herself to the limit, every muscle burning with effort, but it didn’t matter. Despite their best efforts, the distance between them and their destination only seemed to grow. The thick canopy of trees and the uneven terrain slowed them down, and in the back of her mind, she could hear the faint, relentless sound of the helicopter still hovering in the distance.“Calvin!” she shouted, her voice strained with desperation. “You better have a plan right now!”Calvin, running beside her, gritted his teeth, his eyes darting ahead as if searching for some last-minute solution. His heart pounded in his chest, not just from the exertion, but from the pressure weighing on his mind. He didn’t have a plan. His usual calm and calculated demeanor was slipping, replaced by the panic of knowing they were about to be t

Calvin wiped the sweat from his brow, the moisture mixing with the mist that hung heavy in the air. The terrain before him was treacherous—damp, uneven, and cloaked in a deep darkness that their meager lights could barely penetrate. The rocky walls of the ravine loomed above them like ancient sentinels, their surfaces slick with moss and vines. The earthy scent of decay, wet foliage, and mossy stone filled the air, making every breath feel thick and humid.He paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadowy abyss below. The soft, persistent murmur of water echoed faintly from the unseen depths, a constant reminder of the life-giving spring that could be hidden somewhere in the darkness. His gut told him they were close—closer than they had ever been.“The Fountain of Health should be down there," Calvin muttered, almost as if the words were for himself rather than the others. His voice, steady yet laced with tension, was barely above a whisper. "Right at the base of this cliff."L

As the Han Xin group held their breath, eyes darting through the shadows, the eerie breathing grew louder, reverberating through the damp air of the ravine. The leader squinted into the darkness, trying to make sense of the unnatural sounds. Then, from the shadows, a pair of glowing, amber eyes flickered into view—hovering just above the ground, low and predatory.It wasn’t human.From the darkness emerged a creature unlike anything they had ever seen. Its massive, muscular body was covered in thick, matted fur that dripped with moisture from the humid air. Long, sinewy limbs ended in clawed hands, sharp as blades, and its elongated snout, filled with rows of jagged teeth, quivered as it sniffed the air. Its eyes locked onto the group, hungry and filled with primal rage. More pairs of glowing eyes began to appear, as if the first beast had called its pack.The leader’s pulse quickened as the realization hit him. They weren’t alone in the ravine—they had walked straight into the den of