Chapter Five: Into the Wild

Chapter Five: Into the Wild

The forest stretched endlessly before me, a vast sea of shadows and towering trees. The moon hung low in the sky, its pale light filtering through the dense canopy and casting fractured patterns on the ground. The cool night air carried the faint scent of pine and damp earth, a stark contrast to the sterile, metallic atmosphere of the facility. For the first time, I felt the world—raw, untamed, and alive.

I clutched the device Dr. Kane had given me, its soft blue glow faint against the darkness. It pointed me forward, deeper into the woods, but every step felt like a gamble. My bare feet pressed into the cold soil, and twigs snapped underfoot, each sound amplified in the stillness. My heart raced, every shadow and rustling leaf setting my nerves on edge.

I didn’t know where I was going, only that I couldn’t stop. The alarms, the gunfire, the chaos—it all felt like a distant memory, yet its urgency clung to me like a second skin. The people who had breached the facility were after me. If they found me, I didn’t know what they’d do, but I couldn’t imagine it would be anything good.

A sudden rustle to my left made me freeze. My breath caught in my throat, and I crouched instinctively, trying to make myself as small as possible. The shadows shifted, and for a moment, I thought I saw movement—a flicker of motion too quick to track. My fingers tightened around the device, its glow now shielded by my palm.

“Stay calm,” I whispered to myself, though my voice barely broke the silence. “Just keep moving.”

I rose slowly and pressed forward, my steps cautious and deliberate. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction, a maze of trees and darkness. Every so often, I glanced at the device, its arrow pointing steadily ahead. I trusted it, but I didn’t understand it. How did it know where to take me? Did Dr. Kane program it with a destination, or was it leading me blindly into the unknown?

After what felt like hours, the trees began to thin, and the sound of running water reached my ears. I quickened my pace, the promise of something familiar drawing me forward. The forest opened into a small clearing, and at its center, a narrow stream glistened in the moonlight. I dropped to my knees at the edge, cupping the cool water in my hands and drinking deeply. It was the first real comfort I’d felt since escaping.

The relief was short-lived. As I knelt by the stream, the faint sound of footsteps reached my ears. My head snapped up, and my eyes scanned the tree line. The shadows moved again, but this time, they didn’t disappear. Figures emerged from the darkness, their forms silhouetted against the moonlight. There were three of them, dressed in dark tactical gear and armed with weapons that glinted ominously.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding. The device in my hand beeped softly, but its glow was dimming, as if it could sense the danger. One of the figures raised a hand, signaling the others to spread out. They moved like predators, deliberate and precise, their eyes fixed on me.

“Prototype 13,” one of them called, their voice distorted by a mask. “You don’t need to run. We’re here to help you.”

The words were calm, almost soothing, but I didn’t trust them. My instincts screamed at me to flee, but there was nowhere to go. The forest was a trap, and I was caught in it.

“Stay back!” I shouted, clutching the device like a weapon. “I don’t want your help!”

The figure took a step closer, their hands raised in a gesture of peace. “We know you’re scared,” they said. “But you can’t survive out here on your own. Come with us, and we can protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “From you?”

They hesitated, and in that moment, I knew the truth. They weren’t here to help me. They were here to take me back—to the facility, to the lab, to the life I had just escaped. I couldn’t let that happen.

Before they could react, I turned and ran, my bare feet pounding against the forest floor. The night closed in around me, the trees a blur of motion. Behind me, I heard shouts and the heavy thud of boots giving chase. My lungs burned, and my legs screamed in protest, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

The device in my hand beeped again, louder this time, and the arrow shifted. I followed it blindly, weaving through the trees and leaping over roots and rocks. The forest seemed endless, but the device led me with unerring certainty. I didn’t know where it was taking me, but I clung to it like a lifeline.

A sudden burst of light erupted ahead, blinding in the darkness. I skidded to a halt, my heart hammering in my chest. The light grew brighter, and a shape emerged from it—a sleek, metallic drone hovering silently in the air. Its surface gleamed like polished steel, and its single eye glowed a piercing blue.

The drone scanned me, and for a moment, I thought it would attack. Instead, it spoke, its voice calm and mechanical. “Prototype 13 detected. Initiating extraction protocol.”

Before I could react, a beam of light enveloped me, and the forest disappeared. My body felt weightless, suspended in a sea of white. Fear and confusion swirled within me, but before I could make sense of what was happening, the light faded, and I found myself in a new place entirely.

The forest was gone, replaced by sleek metal walls and the faint hum of machinery. The air was cool and sterile, and the device in my hand no longer glowed. I was alone, but I wasn’t sure for how long.

“Where am I?” I whispered, my voice trembling. The walls didn’t answer, but the question lingered, heavy and unanswered.