Aiden stood frozen.
Not by the cold. Not by exhaustion.
But by fear.
The campfire crackled in the distance, but he didn't move—he couldn't. He stood exactly where he had reappeared, eyes wide and hollow, a full hour ticking by without him even blinking. The memory of the creature, the loss of the pilots, and the app's ominous message kept playing on repeat in his head.
Game #2 Lost.They're gone.Forever.
And now… something new.
His phone buzzed again in his hoodie pocket.
Game #3: MistakesStatus: 0% Completed.
He didn't even react at first. Then it hit him.
"Again?" he whispered.
Something clicked in his mind—no, multiple things did.The shadowed figure on the plane: exactly six hours before landing.The day the girl told him about: the crash happened six days ago.The time it took to reach the far forest: six hours.Six… six… six.
His breath caught in his throat.
But there was no time to spiral again.
The next morning, Aiden sat quietly near the fire, avoiding everyone's gazes. The child—the Karen's son—was still sick. Food was running out. And the girl… she hadn't come back.
Until now, he had let others lead. But something shifted inside him.
He stood and pointed at one of the survivors—an average man who kept to himself.
"You there," Aiden said firmly, "You're coming with me."
The man blinked in surprise. "M-me? Wh-why me?"
"No time to waste." Aiden grabbed his wrist and pulled him without explanation. No one stopped him.
They ventured into the forest, retracing the same steps taken the night before. Aiden's mind was flooded with dread—he wasn't sure what he hoped to find. Redemption? Closure?
Then they saw it.
Her body.
Still in the same place, untouched by time… or nature.
Aiden dropped to his knees. His jaw clenched. "I couldn't save you again…"
He turned to see the man's reaction—but what he saw instead made his blood freeze.
The man's head was on the ground.
Not unconscious. Not sleeping. Just… disconnected.
And standing right behind it was the creature.
Antlers. Hollow white eyes. Ancient and unknowable.
It stared straight into Aiden's soul and whispered in a guttural voice:
"Foolish creature."
Everything went black.
He was back.
The campfire glowed as if nothing had happened.
But the man he dragged out into the forest was gone—like he'd never existed. The survivors talked, unaware or pretending not to notice.
Then the phone buzzed again.
Game #3 – Wasted Potential25% Completed.You let a future ally vanish. Try harder not to waste what could be.
Aiden stared at the screen.
His hands shook.
And this time, he didn't know if it was fear, guilt, or something worse.