17 | Altar

                                    

                                          
The jungle enveloped them as they stumbled away from the clearing, the echoes of the awakening monolith ringing in their ears. The air felt charged with energy, a remnant of the force they had just encountered. Mia could hardly catch her breath, her heart racing in rhythm with the thundering pulse of the island.
"What the hell was that?" Jake gasped, glancing back over his shoulder as if the monolith might chase after them. "Did you see it? It was like... it was alive!"
Naomi shook her head in disbelief, her wide eyes reflecting both fear and wonder. "What did we just unleash? We shouldn't have touched it!"
"It was calling to me," Mia whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "I felt something... a connection."
"Connection? Mia, it almost crushed us!" Raj snapped, his brow furrowed with frustration. "We can't afford to be reckless. This island is already toying with our minds; we can't let it manipulate us further."
"Maybe it wasn't manipulation," Mia replied, her tone defensive. "Maybe it was showing us something—something we need to understand. The journal said the island feeds on fear, right? What if confronting that fear is the only way to break its hold?"
"We can't just walk back there," Jake countered, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're not equipped for whatever that was."
"We need to regroup and figure out our next steps," Sarah suggested, looking around at the oppressive jungle. "We're running blind, and we can't afford to make mistakes."
They moved deeper into the jungle, the path winding and overgrown, each step a reminder of the danger surrounding them. The air was thick with humidity, the sounds of the island a constant reminder of its presence. Mia felt the weight of their situation pressing down on her, the fear clawing at her insides.
As they walked, the jungle shifted around them, the trees seeming to close in tighter, the shadows growing longer. Time had lost meaning; they had no idea how far they had travelled since fleeing the monolith.
"Guys, do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Naomi asked, her voice trembling slightly. "What if we're stuck forever?"
"Don't think like that," Raj replied, attempting to sound reassuring. "We'll find a way out. We just have to stay focused and keep moving."
Suddenly, Mia paused, her gaze drawn to a broken path leading off to the right, partially obscured by overgrown vines. Something about it felt familiar, almost like a memory tugging at her mind.
"Wait," she said, turning to the others. "I think we should check that path."
"Are you sure?" Jake asked, hesitating. "We're already lost, and we don't need to wander further."
"I don't know, but something feels... right about it," Mia insisted, her gut instinct urging her forward.
The group exchanged glances, and finally, Raj sighed. "Fine. But let's not linger. We'll check it out, and if it doesn't lead anywhere, we turn back."
They followed Mia as she led them down the narrow path, the underbrush rustling with each step. The air grew cooler, and the sounds of the jungle faded into a haunting silence that felt almost unnatural.
"Does anyone else feel like we're being watched?" Sarah murmured, glancing around nervously.
Mia nodded, the sensation prickling at the back of her neck. "Yeah, I do. It's like something is... waiting for us."
As they continued, the path opened up to a small glade, illuminated by soft beams of light filtering through the trees. In the centre stood a weathered stone altar, covered in moss and vines, its surface etched with symbols that seemed to glow faintly in the light.