The Lost Realm

Chapter 2 Ha! It's Just A Joke

Suddenly the computer screen flared with an intense, blinding light, Gravo and his friends felt their vision blur and their senses reel.

When their eyes finally adjusted, they found themselves standing at the edge of a twisted, primeval forest that seemed to writhe and twist around them like a living entity.

The air was heavy with the noxious scent of damp earth, the putrid stench of dead bodies, and something faintly, unsettlingly sweet - like the stench of decay and death.

The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the ragged sound of their own breathing, and the rustle of leaves that seemed to whisper secrets in the wind.

Above, the sky hung like a bloody canvas, a deep, foreboding red that seemed to pulse with a malevolent life of its own.

Gravo's skin crawled as he felt the weight of unseen eyes upon him, the sensation of being watched by multiple, malignant presences that lurked just beyond the treeline.

As the oppressive silence hung heavy over them, One of Gravo friend - Vicolar's eyes welled up with tears.

The stench of death and decay, the eerie red sky, and the weight of unseen eyes upon them were all too much for her to bear. She let out the sob, her body shaking with fear and anxiety.

Gravo, Andrew, and the others turned to her, their faces etched with concern and uncertainty.
"Vicolar, it's okay," Gravo said, trying to reassure her, but his own voice was laced with doubt.
"We'll get through this. We just need to...to figure out what's going on..."

But Vicolar just shook her head, her tears streaming down her face.
"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered with her trembling voice.
"I don't know if I could even survive in this place,I don't want to die."

Everyone attention was focused on Vicolar, and for a moment, they forgot about the dangers lurking in the forest.

But as they stood there, frozen in uncertainty, the silence around them began to change.
The rustling of leaves grew louder, the snapping of twigs more frequent. It was as if the forest itself was awakening, responding to Vicolar's distress.

Oven emerged from the shadows, a wicked grin spreading across his face like a crack in a mirror. "Ha! You should see your faces!"

he exclaimed, his laughter echoing through the forest like a madman's cackle. "You're so gullible, this is too funny. Hahahahahaha!!!"

Addy and Puck joined in, their own laughter ringing out like a chorus of hyenas as they stepped forward, their eyes sparkling with mischief.

Vicolar's tears stopped abruptly, replaced by a flush of embarrassment and a hint of shame. Her face was a picture of mortification, her eyes cast downward in defeat.

Gravo's face darkened, his eyes narrowing like a predator's as he took a step forward. "Can you shut the fuck up?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.
"Do you have any brain? You're going to attract the monster with all that racket! Oh, my bad, I forget - your brain is made of a broken oven." He rolled his eyes, his contempt for Oven and his team palpable.

The laughter stopped abruptly, like a record scratch when they heard Gravo's insult. Oven's face turned red with rage, his eyes blazing like hot coals. "How dare you say that, you son of a bi*ch!" he snarled, taking a step forward, his fist clenched and ready to strike.

But before he could make contact, his hand suddenly exploded in a shower of blood and gore.