Chapter 34

“The wind’s picking up,” Stellan said, his voice husky. No sooner had the words left his mouth than Odalys darted forward, grabbing his shirt collar and yanking him back with surprising force.

A deafening crack followed. Lightning flashed, striking the very spot where Stellan had just stood.

Instantly, Stellan’s legs nearly gave way. He realized that without Odalys pulling him away, he’d probably be dead. The stone on the ground was visibly scorched and cracked from the strike.

“Thanks,” Stellan murmured, his voice trembling.

Standing firm, her small hands behind her back, Odalys looked solemn as she pulled out a small paper charm. With a quick dip of her finger in a pouch of red powder, she sketched some cryptic markings on it and pressed it against the cave entrance.

“Wait, is that a… charm?” Freya asked, leaning closer with her flashlight for a better look. The yellow paper, adorned with unreadable symbols, looked oddly authentic to her.

“Yeah,” Odalys replied quietly.

The group exchanged uncertain glances before turning their attention back to Odalys. Meeting their questioning stares, Odalys finally spoke with a touch of irritation. “I grew up in the mountains. My mentor was a theologian. So, besides knowing herbal remedies, I’ve picked up a bit of knowledge in astrology and theology.”

“What kinds of stuff?” Freya asked eagerly, stepping closer. She was discovering layers to Odalys she hadn’t encountered before, each more fascinating than the last.

“Star readings, divination, paper charms, energy fields,” Odalys replied, pointing to the darkened sky. “When we got off the boat, I noticed something was off about the stars. That’s why I predicted tonight’s storm.”

“All this ancient wisdom has a reason behind it,” Odalys added. “People can say it’s superstition all they want, but if you understand it, you’ll see it works.”

“Odalys, you’re my hero!” Freya declared, throwing her arms around her. “Come here—let me soak up some of your energy. I’ve had the worst luck lately.”

Freya then clasped Odalys’s hands, pressing them against her own cheeks in mock reverence.

Watching from the side, Selah was stunned. “Wait, you can really read energy fields? Are we going to make it through this alive?” she asked, her face pale.

The thunder was so loud; it felt too dangerous, Selah thought.

“We’ll be fine,” Odalys replied matter-of-factly.

Stellan stood there, watching the two women. He hesitated to speak, wanting to interject but unable to get a word in edgewise, so he simply sat down next to the suitcase and listened.

“Oh no! The [item—presumably a bag or container]’s still outside!” Freya exclaimed suddenly, leaping up to retrieve it.

The storm had calmed momentarily, but the winds still howled as the group scrambled outside to bring in their supplies. The night was alive with movement—birds and animals darting through the trees in a frenzy. The branches above shook violently, and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore grew louder.

Chapter 34 (continued)

Selah pointed at the charm Odalys had placed earlier. “So… what’s that supposed to do?” she asked hesitantly.

“It’s a protection charm,” Odalys explained. “It will help block water, wind, and lightning. Since we’re by the coast, there’s a good chance the tide will rise and flood the lower areas. This cave is higher up, so we’ll be fine, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

Odalys added, “The trees outside might seem like a liability during a storm, but they have their advantages too. This spot has strong energy, and it’s safer than it looks.”

Glancing at the scorched tree outside, Odalys made a mental note to collect some lightning-struck wood in the morning—it was rare and valuable, after all.

Suddenly, Odalys’s phone buzzed, breaking her train of thought. She answered quickly, hearing Kenny’s voice on the other end. “Odalys, you’re right! It’s really starting to storm. How do you know?” he asked excitedly.

Kenny had specifically asked the meteorological bureau, and they all said there wouldn’t be any wind. Unexpectedly, it started to blow in the middle of the night.

“I just had a feeling,” Odalys replied calmly. “But listen, the tide might come in soon. It won’t be too bad, but you should move to higher ground just in case.”

Hearing this, Kenny hesitated but asked, “Is it safer over there with you?”

“Yes,” Odalys replied softly.

The eight participants in the variety show had their cell phone signals blocked. The production team could contact them, but they couldn’t reach the outside world. Thus, while Kenny could contact them, they couldn’t contact the director themselves. In other words, their phones were only usable for taking photos and couldn’t connect to the internet.

“Would you mind if we joined you? Some of our equipment is pretty expensive,” Kenny continued.

After being awakened by the thunder, the production team got up and casually checked the live stream. On the hidden camera feed, they overheard Odalys’s conversation with Kenny. So the production team also knew Odalys understood theology and astrology. Most importantly, she’d placed a paper charm on the entrance.

People in the industry were superstitious and believed in the power of theology. So Odalys’s words became a lifeline immediately, and Kenny called her to confirm the situation quickly.

“Alright. I’ll send the cameramen over,” Kenny said before hanging up.

Not long after, the production team arrived in full force, carrying their equipment. As soon as they entered the cave, a fierce storm hit from outside.

Not far away, a large tree was uprooted with a loud crash and fell to the ground.

“Jesus, that was close,” a crew member muttered, visibly shaken.

Several of the staff huddled deeper into the cave, while others grabbed their phones to record the chaos outside. The cameraman set up a live feed, capturing the storm’s wrath in real time.

Then Kenny turned to a staff member and asked, “What about Group A’s cave? Are they doing okay? Maybe we should check in.” With that, he dialed another number.

19:04 Mon, Jan 6 GB.

Chapter 31

Over in Group A’s cave, Sophia picked up her phone groggily, her voice laced with irritation. “Who is this?”

“It’s Kenny,” Kenny replied. “The storm’s picking up. How’s it looking on your end? Are you sure it’s safe there?”

Hearing this, Sophia sat up quickly. Peering outside, she saw the relentless downpour and occasional flashes of lightning. She shrank back instinctively and said dismissively, “Yeah, I guess it’s storming, but we’re fine.”

After a pause, Kenny asked, “You’re sure? We’ve regrouped with Group B, and it’s safer to stick together. Do you want to move over here? More people, better odds of staying safe.”

Sophia scoffed lightly. “Come on, Kenny. What could possibly happen in a cave? We’ll be fine.”

“Alright, just stay alert,” Kenny said, his tone resigned as he hung up.

The phone clicked off, and a wave of unease crept over Sophia. She glanced toward the cave entrance, a strange feeling gnawing at her.

“What’s going on?” Atlas asked as he sat up, blinking against the dim light.

“Damn!” Atlas muttered, his eyes widening as he spotted a tree split in half not far from the cave entrance.

(The final character is unintelligible and has been omitted.)