Anna's voice broke the silence of the night.
"Anna: Noah… it's time."
Noah groaned softly, still half asleep as he slowly opened his eyes. The darkness of the jungle surrounded him, and the faint glow of dying embers from their campfire flickered nearby.
"Noah: What is it…? Why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?"
Anna's voice sounded uneasy.
"Anna: The others… they're gone."
Noah immediately sat up. His eyes scanned the campsite, his heart beginning to pound faster.
The ground where Heinrich, Johann, Karoschi, and Barry had been sleeping was empty.
Completely empty.
"Noah: What…? Where did they go?"
Anna pointed toward the thick darkness of the jungle.
"Anna: I don't know… but I think they went into the jungle. There are footprints leading that way."
Noah stood up quickly, his uneasiness growing stronger with every second.
"Noah: Then we should find them."
Without wasting another moment, Noah and Anna followed the footprints into the dense jungle. The night air was thick and humid, and the sounds of insects echoed between the massive trees.
The deeper they walked, the quieter the jungle became.
After several minutes, they reached a large rock formation where the footprints suddenly stopped.
Noah frowned.
"Noah: What the…? They just… end here."
A strange feeling crept into his chest.
Slowly, Noah looked around.
And then he saw them.
His eyes widened in absolute horror.
Lying on the ground were the lifeless bodies of Heinrich, Johann, Karoschi… and Barry.
Their bodies were twisted and motionless, scattered across the forest floor.
For a moment, Noah couldn't breathe.
His hands began to shake violently.
"Noah: No… no… no… no… this can't be real…"
His voice trembled as panic flooded through his body.
He turned toward Anna.
"Noah: Anna… why aren't you reacting?!"
Anna stood completely still.
Her expression was strangely calm… almost empty.
"Anna: N-Noah… it's a-all okay… it w-will s-soon… all b-be over…"
Her voice sounded distant.
And then something impossible happened.
Her body slowly began to dissolve into the air.
Like smoke carried away by the wind.
"Noah: Anna?!"
His heart nearly stopped.
Suddenly
CRACK.
A heavy wooden snap echoed behind him.
Noah slowly turned around.
And there it was.
Towering over him like a nightmare made real stood the Jungle Titan.
Thirty meters of living terror.
Its massive wooden body creaked as it moved, vines twisting around its arms like living whips. Its enormous silhouette blocked the faint moonlight above.
The Titan stared down at Noah.
Its presence alone made the ground tremble.
Slowly… its gigantic arm rose into the air.
Then it came crashing down.
Before the blow could land
Everything went black.
And through the darkness, a voice echoed.
A deep, cruel laugh.
"Karag: Hahahahaha…"
The sound felt like it came from everywhere at once.
"Karag: Your end is near, Noah."
The voice slithered through the darkness like poison.
"Karag: Soon… you will lose everything you have ever loved."
The laughter grew louder.
"Karag: And there will be nothing you can do to stop it."
Noah suddenly jolted awake.
He gasped for air, his entire body soaked in sweat.
His heart was racing uncontrollably.
"Heinrich: Wow… good morning. Looks like someone didn't sleep very well."
Noah blinked rapidly.
He turned his head and saw them.
Heinrich.
Johann.
Karoschi.
Barry.
All alive.
His voice trembled.
"Noah: Y-you're alive…?"
Heinrich raised an eyebrow.
"Heinrich: Yeah… why wouldn't we be?"
Anna walked over and gently placed a hand on Noah's shoulder.
"Anna: Hey… calm down. It was just a nightmare."
Noah slowly nodded, trying to steady his breathing as Anna helped him calm down.
After a while, the group began preparing breakfast.
The morning light slowly filtered through the jungle canopy.
"Johann: So… what's the plan today?"
Karoschi crossed his arms and looked toward the jungle.
"Karoschi: We follow the Jungle Titan's trail. If we manage to find him… we ambush him."
Johann nodded.
"Johann: Sounds good."
Noah suddenly spoke up.
"Noah: Maybe… we should postpone this."
The others looked at him in confusion.
"Karoschi: What?"
"Heinrich: What are you talking about?"
"Anna: Noah?"
Noah struggled to find the right words.
"Noah: I mean… maybe it's too dangerous right now. You know… because of"
Johann interrupted him.
"Johann: Wait a second. You were the one who said if we stick together, we can do this."
Noah hesitated.
"Noah: I know, but"
Johann shook his head firmly.
"Johann: Nope. We're doing it today. Just like Karoschi said an ambush. That gives us the best chance."
After finishing breakfast, the group packed their belongings and began following the direction the Jungle Titan had gone.
For hours they walked through the dense jungle, carefully following the massive footprints pressed deep into the earth.
"Heinrich: Okay… but how exactly does this ambush work? Do we hide behind a tree and jump him or something?"
Karoschi glanced ahead.
"Karoschi: When we find him, Barry attacks from behind. He knocks the Titan to the ground and holds him there. Then we strike."
Johann frowned.
"Johann: Somehow I doubt it'll be that easy."
Suddenly
THOOM.
A heavy vibration shook the ground.
Birds exploded from the treetops in a loud flurry of wings.
Heinrich's eyes widened.
"Heinrich: Holy shit… I think I just pissed myself."
Johann turned to him.
"Johann: What?!"
Heinrich shook his head nervously.
"Heinrich: Not really… just a feeling."
Then they heard it.
That sound.
The deep, rumbling breath of the Jungle Titan.
But this time…
It was much closer.
Only a few meters away.
Then suddenly
The breathing stopped.
The footsteps stopped.
The jungle fell into a terrifying silence.
The group slowly moved forward.
Ahead of them were broken trees and massive footprints crushed into the ground.
They followed the trail carefully.
Until it suddenly ended.
Right in front of a giant rock.
Heinrich whispered quietly.
"Heinrich: Where did he go…?"
Then
CRACK.
A massive branch snapped behind them.
Every member of the group slowly turned around.
And there he was.
The Jungle Titan.
Crouching silently behind them.
Watching them.
Not moving.
Just staring with a terrifying, ancient gaze.