Chapter 11: Breakfast
The morning air carried the scent of roasted fish, a rare comfort in the tense atmosphere that had settled over the camp.
The students sat cross-legged on makeshift mats, their breakfast of roasted fish and dried fruit in their hands, but no one was truly focused on eating.
The events of the morning weighed heavily on them.
Brian was alive — but barely.
And his return had brought with it something far worse than just the fear of starvation or isolation. The forest, once seen as a potential salvation, had turned into the most terrifying unknown they had yet to face.
Ms. Reed stood before them, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "Listen up," she said, her voice cutting through the hushed whispers. "We've spoken to Brian. He is stable and recovering, but what he told us confirms what we feared — the forest is not safe."
The murmuring among the students grew louder. Some looked over their shoulders toward the tree line, as if expecting the forest itself to respond.
"This is not up for debate," Ms. Reed continued. "From this moment on, no one is to enter the forest. If you are caught trying to go in, or worse, if you manage to escape whatever is in there and come back, you will not receive medical treatment. We don't have the supplies to be wasting on reckless decisions."
A stunned silence fell over the group. Lucas felt a twinge of unease.
That was a brutal punishment — but also a necessary one. He knew that no matter how serious a warning was, there would always be idiots who thought they could defy it.
"Do we understand each other?" Ms. Reed's gaze swept across the group.