The sound of rotating blades echoed across the mountains.
One by one, helicopters descended onto the narrow landing strip carved between towering walls of ice and rock.
Wind rushed violently with each landing, carrying snow and dust into the air, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
Suriya stood beside her group, watching quietly.
The moment had come.
The real journey was about to begin.
"Move in order! Don't rush!" one of the guides shouted, directing the groups toward the helicopters.
Despite the instructions, tension was visible on many faces.
Excitement had started to fade.
Reality had taken its place.
Suriya stepped forward when her group was called.
The ten boys followed closely behind her.
No one said anything.
But somehow—
They were already moving together.
Naturally.
As if they had traveled like this before.
Inside the helicopter, the space was tight.
The noise was loud.
The vibration constant.
Suriya sat near the window.
Below her—
The world slowly changed.
The ground disappeared.
Green faded into white.
And soon—
Only snow and ice remained.
The mountains stretched endlessly in every direction.
Cold.
Silent.
Unforgiving.
Yet—
Beautiful.
For a moment, Suriya forgot everything else.
Her eyes remained fixed outside.
That same feeling returned again.
Stronger now.
Closer.
Like something ahead was waiting for her.
Not randomly.
But specifically.
For her.
The helicopter continued deeper into the mountains.
Time passed without anyone noticing.
Then slowly—
It began to descend.
The landing area appeared below.
A narrow strip.
Barely enough space.
No buildings.
No shelters.
Nothing.
Just a flat stretch between massive frozen peaks.
The helicopter landed.
The moment the door opened—
Cold air rushed in violently.
Sharp.
Piercing.
Real.
"Move out quickly!" the guide shouted.
Everyone stepped out.
The moment their feet touched the ground—
The isolation became clear.
There was nothing here.
No signs of human presence.
No safety.
No escape.
Only the mountains.
The helicopters didn't stay long.
One by one, they lifted off again.
The sound of blades slowly faded.
And then—
Silence.
Deep.
Absolute.
For the first time—
Everyone understood.
They were completely on their own.
The organizer's voice echoed again through a portable speaker.
"Listen carefully!"
All groups turned toward him.
"This is your starting point."
He pointed forward.
Far in the distance—
A faint red patch could be seen against the endless white.
"Your first checkpoint is there," he continued.
"The red forest."
"Those trees mark your destination."
A brief pause.
"You must reach there before 2 PM."
Suriya glanced at the sky.
The sun was already rising higher.
"Current time—8 AM," the organizer said.
"You have six hours."
His tone turned serious.
"After 2 PM, this region becomes extremely dangerous."
"Multiple unknown creatures begin to move during that time."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Do not delay."
"Do not stop unnecessarily."
"Move at your own pace—but reach the checkpoint before the deadline."
He looked at everyone carefully.
"This is not a suggestion."
"It is for your survival."
Silence followed.
"Guides will move with you—front, middle, and back."
"But do not depend on them."
"You are responsible for your own movement."
The instructions ended.
No one spoke immediately.
The weight of the situation settled slowly.
Then—
Movement began.
Groups started walking.
At first, everyone stayed close.
A large crowd moving in one direction.
But slowly—
As time passed—
The groups began to spread.
Different speeds.
Different stamina.
Different confidence.
The large crowd divided into smaller clusters.
Then into even smaller ones.
Until—
Each group walked almost independently.
Suriya walked with her group.
The ten boys remained around her.
Not too close.
Not too far.
But always aware of her presence.
The snow beneath their feet crunched softly.
The cold air made breathing slightly harder.
Wind moved steadily across the open land.
Time passed.
Without anyone realizing it—
Nearly two hours had gone by.
The red forest was closer now.
Still far—
But visible.
Some groups had moved ahead.
Some had fallen behind.
Everyone was focused on reaching the destination.
Then—
Suddenly—
A voice echoed from one of the guides.
Urgent.
Sharp.
"Everyone stop!"
The command spread quickly through nearby groups.
People slowed down.
Confusion appeared.
"What happened?"
"Why are we stopping?"
Before anyone could guess—
Another announcement came through a handheld device.
The guide listened carefully.
His expression changed.
Serious.
Then—
He raised his voice.
"Emergency update from the authorities!"
Everyone froze.
"The government has reported a sudden outbreak of insect swarms in this region!"
A ripple of fear spread instantly.
"Insects?" someone asked in disbelief.
"Yes!" the guide replied. "Multiple types!"
"They are moving toward this area!"
Panic began to rise.
"What do we do?"
"Where do we go?"
The guide pointed toward a cluster of trees ahead.
Large trees.
With deep red flowers.
"Everyone move under those trees immediately!"
"Do not stay in the open!"
People didn't question.
They moved.
Fast.
Groups rushed toward the trees.
Suriya and her group followed without hesitation.
The moment they reached—
They noticed something strange.
The trees were connected.
Branches extending.
Covering a wide area.
Almost like a natural shelter.
More and more people gathered under them.
The space became crowded.
But no one complained.
Because fear had already taken over.
The guide spoke again, this time without a microphone.
"These trees release a scent," he explained.
"It keeps the insects away."
Relief spread slightly.
"But listen carefully," he added.
His tone became heavy.
"Do not step outside."
"Not even for a second."
Someone swallowed nervously.
"What happens if we do?"
The guide didn't hesitate.
"They will eat you alive."
Silence.
Complete silence.
"They don't just eat flesh," he continued calmly.
"They consume everything."
"Even bones."
A chill ran through the crowd.
Someone whispered, "That's not possible…"
The guide bent down and picked up something from the ground.
A bone.
No one knew what it belonged to.
"I'll show you," he said.
Before anyone could react—
He threw it outside the tree's boundary.
The moment it left the protected area—
The air moved.
A dark swarm rushed toward it.
In seconds—
The bone disappeared.
Not broken.
Not dropped.
Gone.
Completely consumed.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Fear became real.
Suriya felt it too.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
For the first time—
A clear emotion appeared on her face.
Fear.
The ten boys noticed immediately.
Haoran stepped slightly closer.
"We'll stay here," he said calmly.
"Nothing will happen."
Jingwei nodded.
"Trust us."
Suriya looked at them.
Then nodded slowly.
Around them—
The sky darkened.
Not because of clouds—
But because of the swarm.
Even though it was still morning—
It looked like evening.
No sunlight.
No warmth.
Only darkness.
And the sound—
A constant, unsettling vibration in the air.
Everyone remained still.
No one dared to move.
No one dared to speak loudly.
Because now—
They understood.
They were not on a trip anymore.
They were inside danger.
Real danger.
And this—
Was only the beginning.