The passage from Floor 2 narrowed as it climbed, the rough-hewn tunnel gradually transforming into a smoother corridor with roots giving way to packed earth. Alexander led the team single-file through the final stretch, noting how the air grew less damp with each step forward. A faint light appeared ahead, growing brighter as they approached.

  "Visibility change incoming," he warned, blinking as his eyes began to adjust. "Prepare for environment transition."

  Nothing in their preparation could have readied them for the moment they stepped through the passage exit. After weeks in the custrophobic tunnels of Floor 2, the sudden expanse before them was almost overwhelming.

  Verdant Meadows stretched as far as they could see in every direction—a vast sea of waist-high grasses that rippled and swayed like water in the gentle breeze. The sky above was an impossible blue, dotted with puffy white clouds that cast moving shadows across the ndscape. Sunlight, real sunlight, warmed their faces after so long in darkness.

  Alexander instinctively dropped into a crouch, feeling dangerously exposed. "Looks like we have a completely different game now," Alexander said, eyes scanning the horizon. "No pce to hide out here."

  The team spread out, though the openness of their surroundings made their tunnel tactics pretty much useless. There was simply nowhere to hide.

  "This is..." Valeria began, her usually composed face showing rare amazement as she slowly turned in a complete circle.

  "Crazy different," Riva finished, still favoring her healing leg as she knelt to examine the grasses. "I thought floor changes were supposed to be gradual. This is like stepping into a whole other world."

  Alexander remained focused on checking for dangers. "We're totally exposed out here," he said, already thinking about how they needed to change tactics. "We need to figure out how to move without being spotted from a mile away, maybe use the grass height to hide better."

  Elijah had been oddly quiet since emerging from the passage. He stood still, head slightly tilted like he was trying to hear something faint.

  Alexander moved closer to his brother. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

  Elijah blinked, seeming to return from somewhere distant. "Yeah, just... it feels different here," he murmured vaguely. "Not like in the tunnels."

  Alexander nodded, understanding his brother's cryptic comment. During rare moments alone, Elijah had mentioned strange sensations he called "whispers" - something he was clearly uncomfortable talking about in front of the others, but which had helped them avoid danger more than once.

  "We need to get to higher ground," Alexander decided, pointing to a small hill not too far away. "Not much, but at least we can see what's coming."

  As they walked through the grass toward the hill, Alexander kept his eyes open, noticing how the grass showed exactly where they'd walked. In the tunnels, they could hide in darkness; out here, anyone could follow their trail.

  "Look," Valeria said suddenly, pointing to some weird rock formations in the distance. "I can start mapping if we get to that hill."

  Riva had picked some grass samples as they walked, checking them out with her tools. "These aren't just regur grass," she reported. "They bend without breaking and pop right back into pce. And they kinda change color depending on how you look at them."

  "Think we could use that for camoufge?" Alexander asked.

  "Definitely," Riva nodded. "With some work, we could make stuff to help us blend in."

  When they reached the hill, Alexander felt something through his boots—not like the snake's rumbling from Floor 2, but something big moving far away. He looked toward where he felt it and spotted dark shapes moving near the horizon.

  "Guys, check that out," he said quietly, raising his binocurs. Through them, he could see what looked like huge buffalo-type animals moving together, eating the taller grasses.

  "Just some big pnt-eaters," he said after watching them. "Probably not dangerous unless we get too close."

  The hill wasn't much, but it let them see over the grass in all directions. Alexander started figuring out how to set up camp while Valeria pulled out her mapping stuff.

  "I can see at least seven major ndmarks from here," she said, marking them in her interface. "Enough to start figuring out where we are in Floor 3."

  The sun started going down, making the meadows glow gold and orange. The temperature, which had been pretty warm during the day, began to drop fast.

  "Gonna get cold tonight," Alexander noticed. "Better get ready for that."

  Elijah had been walking around the edge of their hill, stopping now and then with his eyes closed like he was concentrating. When he came back, Alexander joined him away from the others.

  "Anything?" Alexander asked quietly.

  Elijah gnced over at Valeria and Riva before answering in a whisper. "It's weird here. Like a rhythm that changes with the wind. And something else too..." He frowned, trying to expin. "Like I can almost hear things before they happen."

  Alexander nodded, noticing that distant look his brother got sometimes. "Just let me know if you pick up on anything useful," he said. Whatever strange thing Elijah was experiencing, it had saved their butts more than once.

  As twilight approached, they established their first camp in the new environment. The hill wasn't much, but its slight elevation provided the best avaible advantage in the surrounding ftnds. Riva had fashioned simple blinds from the meadow grasses, which proved surprisingly effective at breaking up their silhouettes.

  "Different worlds require different tactics," Alexander said as they gathered for their evening meal. "We succeeded in the tunnels by mastering confined spaces and using darkness to our advantage. Here, we'll need to develop entirely new approaches."

  Valeria nodded in agreement as she reviewed her preliminary map. "The most significant tactical consideration is the visibility factor. We can be seen from much greater distances, but we can also see potential threats long before they reach us."

  "The ecosystem seems less immediately hostile than Floor 2," Riva added, "but appearances can be deceiving. These grasses could hide any number of predators designed to ambush prey."

  As night fell completely, the meadows changed again. Glowing insects rose from the grass, creating patterns of soft blue light that drifted through the air. It was beautiful but kind of creepy, like floating through a sea of tiny stars.

  "Regur watch shifts," Alexander told everyone, "but we need to watch the whole area, not just tunnel entrances like before. And keep an eye on the grass—if it's moving against the wind, something's there."

  Later, when the others were getting ready to sleep, Alexander found Elijah standing at the edge of camp, staring out at the dark meadows.

  "You sure you're okay?" he asked, making sure the others couldn't hear them.

  Elijah checked that Valeria and Riva weren't listening before answering. "It's harder to make out here. Like trying to hear someone talking in a noisy room."

  Alexander looked out at the huge darkness surrounding their little hill. Floor 3 was going to be totally different, and they'd need to adapt fast. The tunnel tactics they'd gotten good at were useless here in the open.

  As he settled in for his watch, Alexander felt weirdly exposed but also free. The tunnels had been scary but predictable. These endless meadows gave them room to move but nowhere to hide. Their journey through the Green Realm was changing with each floor, forcing them to learn new ways to survive.

  And somewhere out there in the grass waited whatever Floor 3 had in store for them. But tonight, they would rest and get ready for whatever came next.