"Do you think we’re safe here?" Sophia whispered, glancing around the shadows that seemed to pulse with each flicker of her flashlight. "I don’t like this place. We should leave."Addams leaned casually against the cold stone wall, smirking. "Leaving this cave could be a death wish. What if Richard lost the beast and it circles back? We’d be an easy meal."Sophia shot him a sharp look, catching how his eyes roamed over her in the dim light. She ignored it, her voice soft but edged with worry. "Do you think Richard’s safe?"Addams hesitated, glancing toward the cave entrance where the rain drummed against the rocks. "Richard’s handled worse than this," he said, though his tone was uncertain, as if he were trying to convince himself. Sophia hugged herself tighter, shivering as she murmured, "He doesn’t have his powers in this forest... We can’t just sit here. We should do something."Addams let out an impatient sigh, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "Listen, miss," he sa

At dawn, Richard was the first to wake. The soft light of the rising sun filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the clearing. His eyes darted around the campsite, quickly scanning for the others. Addams and Sophia were still asleep, their breathing slow and steady, but Medusa was nowhere to be seen.Rubbing his eyes, Richard staggered to his feet, his body stiff from the night’s rest on the uneven ground. A faint unease crept into his mind as he realized Medusa’s absence. She’s been strange from the start... but disappearing like this?He was piecing his thoughts together when a voice, soft yet startling, came from behind him.“Breakfast?”Richard whirled around to find Medusa standing there, her lips curved into a seductive smile, a basket of freshly caught fish at her feet."Uhm..." he stammered, his stomach betraying him with a loud growl. "I don't think we've eaten anything since we entered this forest."Medusa’s grin widened, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"This gorilla saved my life," Richard said, gesturing toward the towering creature beside him.Addams, still inching back, swallowed hard. "Can it talk like the trees?" he asked, his voice trembling with unease.Medusa shot him a sharp glance. "They talk, yes, but humans can't understand a thing," she replied curtly, before turning to Richard, her tone more urgent. "Killing one beast won’t solve anything. There are more of them. If we don’t find a way out of this forest soon, we’ll all be dead—including your gorilla."Richard’s lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile, his fingers drumming lightly against his chest as if savoring a secret he was about to unveil."Too late, Medusa," he said, his voice calm yet charged with a hint of foreboding. "The beasts... they’ve already come for us.""We lured them through a portal leading to another planet," Richard explained, his voice steady but edged with gravity. "Once there, I was able to kill the leader of the pack."The group exchanged un

Richard turned toward the desperate shout coming from deeper in the cave. Without thinking, he ran toward the sound, his steps echoing loudly in the quiet space. The air felt heavier as he moved.He stopped when he saw two beasts lying dead on the ground. He knelt beside them, confused. There were no injuries, no blood, and no signs of a fight."What is going on?" he muttered, his fists clenching in frustration."Master," a weak voice whispered from the shadows ahead.Richard turned sharply toward the sound. "Who’s there?" he asked, stepping carefully forward.A trembling beast appeared from behind a rock. Its face was filled with fear and shame. "I’m sorry we failed you, Master," it said. "We need to leave before it’s too late."Richard’s eyes narrowed. "You can leave," he said firmly. "Just tell me where to find whatever did this."The beast hesitated, then pointed deeper into the cave. Its legs shook as it slowly backed away, retreating toward the entrance.Richard moved deeper in

"So, the plan is simple," Richard began, his tone firm. "We get close, assess if they’re hostile or not. If they are, I’ll disarm them, and you take them out. Stay alert and prepared."The beasts nodded in unison, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.They advanced cautiously until they reached the alien checkpoint.Richard crouched low, observing the scene. Unlike the beast-like aliens that had attacked Earth, these creatures were distinctly different—sleek metallic bodies with glowing cores in their chests. They looked more like robots, their movements precise and calculated."These aren’t the same ones from Earth," Richard muttered to himself. "More advanced, and probably harder to deal with."The checkpoint was heavily fortified, with towering gates and energy shields shimmering faintly in the air. The aliens stood in organized formations, their heads swiveling methodically, scanning the area.Richard turned to the beasts, whispering, "We approach slowly. Don’t make a move until