Traebus attempted to hurl the malfunctioning mana crystal as far away from himself as possible. He swung his arm back, prepared to release it like a flaming hot potato, but his fingers refused to let go. He shook his hand violently. Still stuck. He pulled at it with his other hand. No luck. The crystal clung to him like a cursed barnacle, its glow intensifying with every passing second.
"Oh, come on! Of all the things to go wrong—" His words cut off as another arc of electricity crackled from the crystal, nearly zapping his ear. "Okay! Okay! Not touching that again!"
The high-pitched whine turned into a rapid, rhythmic pulse, almost like an angry heartbeat. That was enough for Traebus. He did the only thing a man in his position could do—he ran.
He bolted through the jungle, feet pounding against the damp earth, weaving between glowing trees and oversized roots. Each step sent a jolt of panic up his spine as the crystal flickered wildly, discharging erratic bolts of energy that set fire to random patches of vegetation. Behind him, a startled flock of luminous birds took flight, screeching in protest as his very presence turned their peaceful jungle into a disaster zone.
"I swear," he wheezed between gasps, "if I make it out of this, I am retiring. Somewhere cold. Where magic doesn’t explode in my face!"
The crystal sparked again, a stray bolt striking a particularly thick vine, which promptly ignited like dry tinder. The fire spread rapidly, sending glowing embers into the air. Traebus barely dodged as another arc of lightning discharged into a tree, causing its entire bioluminescent canopy to flicker and dim ominously.
Still, the crystal wouldn’t budge. He flapped his arm wildly, hopping on one foot, doing everything short of gnawing the cursed thing off.
"Let. Go. Of. Me!" he shouted, shaking his hand like a man trying to remove a particularly aggressive spider.
The jungle responded with a deep, guttural growl, a sound so low and resonant that it sent vibrations through the ground beneath Traebus'' feet. It wasn’t the rustling of leaves or the distant shrieks of frightened creatures—this was something much larger, something ancient and territorial. The sheer weight of the sound pressed against his chest, making his breath hitch.
He swallowed hard. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope. That is not a noise I need to hear right now."
The jungle itself seemed to hold its breath. The birds that had been screeching moments before were now utterly silent. Even the wind had stilled, as if the entire world had collectively agreed that drawing attention to itself was a terrible idea.
Traebus, however, was still very much glowing, crackling, and sparking like an unstable arcane bomb. He dared a glance over his shoulder, his entire body screaming for him to move, but his feet remained rooted in place as if logic and terror were locked in a duel for control of his limbs.
Then, another growl. Closer. More irritated. And this time, something heavy shifted in the jungle, the crunch of thick vegetation being pushed aside echoing ominously through the stillness.
Traebus groaned, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "Of course. Why wouldn’t there be a massive, hungry death-beast? Today just keeps getting better."
The dense foliage ahead quivered, then violently parted as something massive pushed through, shattering thick branches like twigs. Traebus’ breath hitched as a monstrous head emerged at eye level, covered in rough, pebbled scales the color of deep moss. Two slitted, golden eyes locked onto him with unsettling intelligence, nostrils flaring as it inhaled sharply, tasting the air.
"Oh. Oh no.
The creature’s broad snout wrinkled as its lips curled back, revealing rows of jagged teeth longer than his fingers. The head alone was nearly the size of a carriage, and as more of its massive form came into view, Traebus noted the unmistakable shape of thick, muscled legs and powerful claws sinking into the damp earth. Its tail swayed behind it, cutting through the undergrowth with casual devastation.
His mind struggled to keep up, gibbering warnings that were both obvious and completely useless. That’s a predator. That’s a massive, apex predator. Oh gods, I am so dead.
The creature exhaled, hot breath washing over him like a furnace blast, carrying a rancid stench so thick it made his eyes water. The overwhelming odor of decayed meat and soured blood clawed at his senses, and to his horror, he felt something warm and sticky splatter onto his lab coat. A quick glance down revealed dark, half-rotted flecks of flesh clinging to the fabric, remnants of whatever unfortunate beast had last met this monster’s teeth.
Then it let out a bone-rattling roar, a deep, guttural bellow that seemed to shake the very trees. The sheer force of the sound sent vibrations through his chest, rattling his ribs like a drum.
Traebus made a very undignified squeaking noise, turned on his heel, and bolted.
The jungle blurred past him in streaks of glowing green and deep shadow as his feet pounded against the damp earth. Twisting vines and gnarled roots seemed to conspire against him, snagging at his boots and forcing him to leap and stumble through the dense undergrowth. Behind him, the ground shook with each thunderous step of the pursuing beast, its heavy footfalls crashing through the jungle like an oncoming storm.
A tree splintered to his left as the massive predator plowed through it as if it were made of twigs. Traebus could feel the beast’s breath at his back, hot and rancid, laced with the coppery tang of old blood. The sheer presence of the creature sent every instinct in his body into overdrive. He had no plan—no strategy beyond ''do not get eaten''—and his body obeyed, throwing itself forward with reckless desperation.
"This is not how I wanted to go!" he howled, ducking just in time to avoid a massive, snapping jaw as the creature lunged at him. The displaced air alone sent him sprawling forward, rolling across the damp earth before scrambling back to his feet.
The glowing mana crystal, still very much stuck to his palm, crackled wildly, surging with unstable energy. A stray arc shot outward, striking a massive tree ahead of him. With a deafening crack, the tree split at its base, teetering precariously before crashing down in the beast’s path. The impact sent a wave of dust and splintered bark through the jungle.
Traebus didn’t stop to see if it slowed the monster down. He just ran, lungs burning, legs screaming, heart slamming against his ribs as he searched desperately for any salvation in the endless expanse of glowing wilderness.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Then, suddenly, the jungle thinned, and he burst into a wide clearing bathed in the soft glow of luminescent flora. His feet skidded over the damp earth, barely keeping him upright as he realized what stood before him. Massive, armored reptilian behemoths, nearly identical to the corpse he had examined on the beach, loomed ahead. Their thick, muscular bodies gleamed faintly beneath the jungle light, their three-horned heads lifting as they took notice of his frantic arrival.
A herd. A living, breathing herd.
The creatures grunted, shifting their heavy frames as they regarded him with cautious curiosity. Some of the juveniles let out short, startled cries, stepping back toward the safety of the towering adults. Their tails flicked nervously, and for a moment, Traebus thought he might have just traded one lethal encounter for another.
A deafening crash behind him reminded him that he had much bigger problems.
The massive predator tore through the jungle, splintering thick branches and sending debris flying as it barreled toward the clearing. The moment its golden eyes locked onto the herd, the triceratops-like creatures reacted instantly. They stomped the ground, bellowing in deep, resonant warning calls that shook Traebus’ very bones. The adults formed a defensive line, their heads lowering as their jagged horns gleamed ominously.
Traebus, panting and barely holding himself together, wheezed, "Oh, please tell me you''re about to ruin that thing''s whole day."
The tension in the clearing snapped as the massive predator charged, its golden eyes locked onto the herd. The triceratops-like creatures let out deafening bellows, their thick legs stamping into the earth as they braced for the inevitable collision.
The first of the massive herbivores lowered its horned head and lunged, aiming its three deadly spikes straight for the predator’s exposed flank. The tyrannosaur twisted at the last second, dodging the full force of the attack, but not without consequence—the tip of a horn carved deep into its side, sending a spatter of thick, dark blood across the clearing. The beast roared in fury and lashed out, its massive jaws snapping shut around the attacking creature’s frilled neck. With a sickening crunch, it yanked the triceratops to the ground, shaking it like a ragdoll before tossing the lifeless body aside.
Traebus winced. "Okay, not the start I was hoping for."
The rest of the herd did not retreat. Instead, they surged forward in a unified wave of raw muscle and rage. The ground trembled beneath their stampede as they rammed, kicked, and gouged at the carnivore, their sheer numbers turning the battle into a brutal, chaotic melee. The tyrannosaur fought back viciously, its jaws claiming another victim, its claws raking deep wounds into the flanks of those that dared get too close. But the herd did not waver.
One particularly massive triceratops, likely the dominant male, reared up and brought its full weight down against the predator’s side, forcing it to stagger. The momentary lapse was all the others needed. Another beast rammed its horns upward into the tyrannosaur’s ribcage, driving them deep. The predator let out a wheezing, gurgled snarl, its body trembling as it struggled to remain upright.
A final charge came from two more of the triceratops, their horns plunging into its exposed belly and forcing it backward. With a great, heaving collapse, the monster crashed to the ground, its massive frame sending up a cloud of dust and shaking the earth with its final breath.
For a long moment, silence reigned. The herd stood victorious, their bodies marked with wounds but their stance unbroken. The surviving members snorted and stamped the ground, their warning clear—this land was theirs, and no predator, no matter how fearsome, would claim it.
Traebus, still gasping for breath, pushed himself up onto his elbows, staring at the fallen beast. "Well… remind me to never piss you guys off."
Traebus, still gasping for breath, pushed himself up onto his elbows, staring at the fallen beast. Its golden eyes, once filled with predatory fury, were now lifeless. Its massive form lay motionless, its once-mighty presence reduced to a broken husk. The triceratops herd stood victorious, their deep, rumbling breaths filling the clearing.
He took one last look at the felled predator and let out a breathy chuckle. "Hail to the king," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Slowly, carefully, he began backing away, mindful not to startle the herd. The last thing he needed was for the now-emboldened beasts to decide he was next on their list of things to trample. His boots pressed lightly into the soft, churned earth, moving inch by inch toward the safety of the jungle’s edge.
The dominant male triceratops turned its massive head, one deep, intelligent eye locking onto him. Traebus froze mid-step, offering what he hoped was a non-threatening smile. "Just leaving, don''t mind me. Great job with the big guy, by the way. Excellent teamwork. Truly inspiring."
The triceratops snorted, flaring its nostrils, but after a tense moment, it turned away, signaling the rest of the herd to resume their grazing. Only then did Traebus dare to breathe again, continuing his slow retreat until the jungle swallowed him once more.
The dense foliage soon closed around him, the bioluminescent glow of the jungle casting eerie shadows as he pressed forward. His heart still pounded from the encounter, but he forced himself to focus. Survival depended on movement, and movement meant finding resources—preferably water.
He pushed through the tangled undergrowth, sweat slicking his brow, when the distant sound of rushing water caught his ear. His head snapped up. A river. A source of fresh water. And where there was water, there was a chance—however slim—of finding civilization.
With renewed determination, he followed the sound, navigating over thick roots and beneath drooping vines. The jungle was dense, but the promise of a lifeline kept him going. Minutes later, he stumbled out onto a sloping embankment where a river, its surface reflecting the unnatural hues of the sky, cut through the jungle like a shimmering vein.
The water was clear, its current swift but not overwhelming. Kneeling at the edge, Traebus scooped up a handful and took a cautious sip. The cool liquid soothed his dry throat, a small relief in an otherwise grueling ordeal. He exhaled sharply, standing as he let his gaze drift downstream.
"Alright," he muttered, adjusting his coat. "Downstream it is. If anything’s living out here, they’ll be near the water. Or, more likely, lurking just out of sight, sharpening their teeth, and debating whether I’d pair better with a red or a white wine. Either way, I’ll get some answers. Not necessarily answers I’ll like, but hey, life’s full of disappointments."
With that, he began walking along the riverbank, his eyes scanning for any signs of life—or danger—hiding in the thick jungle beyond.
As he followed the winding path of the river, the dense foliage pressed in from both sides, giving him a lingering sense of being watched. The bioluminescent plants shimmered faintly, their glow reflecting off the water’s rippling surface, casting eerie, shifting patterns across the embankment. The deeper he went, the more aware he became of the quiet—a stillness that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
After what felt like an eternity of trudging through thick underbrush and navigating treacherous, muddy slopes, he spotted a promising location ahead. The river curved sharply, forming a small, naturally secluded nook where the water pooled deeper before continuing downstream. Towering rock formations jutted out from the bank on either side, creating a narrow bottleneck that would make approaching from land difficult. A single fallen tree extended partway into the water, forming an awkward but useful bridge to a stable patch of ground just above the waterline.
"That''ll do," he murmured, stepping carefully onto the fallen trunk and making his way across. He tested the ground, finding it firm enough to settle in for the night. The natural barriers on either side meant that anything—be it lizard, beast, or cosmic horror—would have a much harder time sneaking up on him. It wasn’t perfect, but perfection wasn’t exactly an option.
With a weary sigh, he shrugged off his tattered coat and slumped onto the ground, resting his back against the smooth, cool surface of a boulder. His entire body ached, his muscles burning with exhaustion. The events of the past few hours pressed on him like a weight, but for the first time since waking up on that damned beach, he allowed himself a moment of stillness.
"Alright," he exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Step one: don’t die. Step two: survive the night without becoming jungle leftovers. Step three: figure out what fresh nonsense tomorrow has in store for me. And step four: stop rewriting this list because, at this rate, I’ll have a step for every bad decision I’ve ever made."
With that, he let his head rest against the rock, his tired eyes scanning the alien stars above, wondering what other nightmares this world had waiting for him.