As everyone walked toward the shrine and looked around the area, Sufian thought:

  (Yusuf said people never come here, but it’s breathtaking. It's also kinda eerie...)

  "How could anyone expect visitors to come to a shrine all the way out here?" Ali asked.

  "They didn’t. In fact, they made sure to warn anyone about getting too close," Yusuf replied.

  "That’s strange... I don’t see the others anywhere," Malak said softly.

  "I could’ve sworn I saw someone just now. Now where could they be?" Ali added, scanning the area.

  "We should all look around and see what we can find," Sufian suggested.

  (Should I look around here?)

  "This shrine... nothing looks out of place here."

  A moss-covered shrine of worn stone and dark timber stood before them, half-swallowed by creeping vines beneath the dense canopy. Its arched doorway was shadowed by tangled branches, with ancient runes etched faintly into damp wood. A cracked stone altar sat outside, slick with rain.

  Ali sprinted closer to the shrine’s entrance, pulling out his phone.

  "Check out this place... there are crazy patterns all over."

  (Ali's snapping tons of photos on his phone. Huh, didn’t know he was into that.)

  "I bet they’ve got some freaky demon statue stowed away in there or something!"

  "I don’t know about that... but whatever they worship here isn’t normal, that’s for sure," Malak said warily.

  "What’s this, some sort of animal? A bird? Wait... a reptile?" Jeremy murmured, studying the patterns on the wall.

  "There are patterns of various animals all over... but I don’t recognize any of them," Malak observed.

  "Ooo, what’s this! A lion? Snake? Wait, a lion-snake?! Man, I just eat this stuff UP!" Ali laughed, snapping more photos.

  "Dammit, Ali! Now’s not the time to be taking pictures!" Jeremy barked.

  "What? Maaan..."

  (Jeremy’s right. We have to look for Bayan and the others. Still, this place is so weird, I’m not surprised Ali wanted a few mementos...)

  "Hey, Ali! Take more pics over here!" Sufian called.

  "Oh! You gonna model for me, buddy?"

  Sufian struck a pose—raised eyebrow, one hand on his hip, the other flipping a mock thumbs-up with a smirk that said “Really?”

  "Not you too, Sufian," Malak said with an annoyed face.

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  "Leave them. We'll look on our own if we have to," Yusuf interrupted. "Come on already. We have to find them—and fast."

  "Right, sorry. Okay, let’s go," Sufian agreed.

  ?????

  "Wow... this shrine really does worship beasts," Sufian muttered as they walked.

  "There are places like this all over in Africa," Ali said. "Some even worship monkeys, or weird-arse trees... The ones that worship the lewd stuff are the best!"

  "Hey, watch that talk! There’s a lady present!" Jeremy snapped.

  "Ali..." Malak started, then tried to shift the topic.

  "I wonder... is this the place passed down in the legends we were supposed to visit today?"

  "Legends? Who knows..." Yusuf shrugged. "Like I said, I was told not to set foot in here. I don’t know much about it. But the locals say people get spirited away up in here."

  "I see. That’s... certainly frightening..." Malak said, a chill in her voice.

  Suddenly—

  "GIAOOOOOO Ooo!"

  "What was that sound? I’ve never heard anything like it!" Ali said, eyes darting around.

  "Just trees creaking in the wind or something. Who cares? Let’s go, let’s go!" Yusuf brushed it off.

  "Um, hey guys—don’t stray too far, okay?" Jeremy looked uneasy.

  (The blizzard might not be the only thing we have to worry about. I’ll go check the area around the flowers again.)

  Sufian and Malak walked toward the patch of red lilies.

  "You’ve been pale for a while now, Malak. How are you holding up?" Sufian asked quietly.

  "Ah, well... if I’m being honest, it’s taking all I’ve got to deal with this place..."

  "You shouldn’t push yourself if you’re scared."

  "Thank you, but... our friends might be facing something even scarier, you know? Bayan, Matt... where are you?"

  From a distance, Sufian spotted Yusuf.

  (Hey, there’s Yusuf. Has he found anything?)

  "HEEEY, AMAYA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Yusuf was shouting.

  "Oh, Sufian. Have those guys found anything over there?"

  "Nothing yet... you found Amaya?"

  "Nope... jeez, where the hell is she?"

  "Bayan and Matt are with her for sure. Here, I’ll join the search back near the shrine."

  "That’d be a great help. Thanks."

  (I should check with the others.)

  Malak called for Bayan and Matt softly.

  (Malak’s doing her best to scour the area. I should leave her to it.)

  "Don’t spread out TOO far, everyone! Stay where I can SEE you!" Jeremy warned.

  (Jeremy is doing his best to keep us all together. Still...)

  "Get back here, Ali! Listen to what I say!"

  "Sir, yes sir! I do apologize, your blustership." Ali teased.

  Jeremy was clearly annoyed but said nothing.

  From afar, a familiar voice rang out—

  "DAMMIT, AMAYA. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?!"

  (Yusuf’s upset. It’s understandable. His family is still missing.)

  Sufian spotted Ali across the shrine. Something about his posture felt... off. He looked a little freaked out. Sufian approached.

  "Huh... what? What’s in this picture?" Ali muttered, then looked up.

  "Yooo, Sufiaaaan! You should take some pics around here too."

  "Me? But why?"

  "My phone’s picking up some weird stuff. Might be broken. Let’s check yours."

  "You sure your finger isn’t in the shot?" Sufian teased.

  "It ain't my finger! Something’s, like, all fuzzy in my pics. Go on, take some!"

  (Doesn’t sound like he’s messing around. Guess I’ll take a few test shots.)

  Sufian pulled out his phone and turned on the camera app. He faced it in the same direction Ali had pointed to. Before he even took a photo, something strange flickered across the screen—a distortion.

  He snapped a picture.

  "What the heck?! Huh? Nothing’s here? But the camera definitely picked up something."

  "Hmm? What’s this...?" Ali murmured.

  "What is it, Ali?" Sufian asked.

  Ali suddenly called out—

  "Heyyy, you guuuys! There’s a weird thingy over here!"

  He took a few steps away from the shrine toward the bushes.

  "Weird thingy?" Yusuf echoed.

  "Who knows what that could mean..." Malak mumbled.

  "Wha—hey! Don’t just go off on your own! Grrr... fine, we’ll all go together!" Jeremy gave in.

  ?????