"How the hell did I let you convince me to get up here?" Pablo gasped for breath, his slightly chubby but muscular frame struggling with the exertion.

Alonso, a lean young man with messy black hair and a refreshing smile, laughed heartily. "Hey, we're nearly there, just a couple more steps. Come on, Pablo, you can do it. I believe in you."

Pablo shot him a look, trying to catch his breath. "Remind me, for how many miles have you been saying this?"

Alonso grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, if you didn’t need to stop every two minutes to catch a break, I’m sure I wouldn’t even have to say it once."

Pablo rolled his eyes but couldn't help but chuckle.

With a final burst of effort, they reached the summit. The view was breathtaking, a vast expanse of rolling hills and distant mountains stretching out before them. The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink as the sun began to set.

Pablo stood still, almost paralyzed, as the slightly cold breeze hit his face.

Alonso nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "Totally worth it, right?"

“Well..." Pablo started, but before he could continue, Alonso dropped his backpack and brought out two beers.

"And I have a surprise for you," Alonso smiled, handing one to his friend.

"Okay," Pablo said, holding the beer. "Maybe, just maybe, it was slightly worth it."

"Oh come on," Alonso grinned as he opened his can and raised it up. "Tell me a better place to have a drink with your best pal."

Pablo nodded, opened his can, and raised it too. They clinked their cans together, the metallic sound echoing in the tranquil air.

"Let's toast to the beautiful view, the refreshing breeze, and the kilos you lost climbing up here," Alonso laughed and gulped down his beer.

Pablo shook his head, smiled, and followed suit.

For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, sipping their beers and soaking in the view. The sky transitioned from vibrant hues to the deep blues of twilight, and the stars began to appear.

Alonso broke the silence, his voice soft. "You know, moments like these remind me why I love hiking. It just makes you… feel alive.”

“I really don’t understand how you managed to get back to this so quickly. I mean, you lost your leg, got a prosthetic, and here you are again a couple of months later. It’s … it’s crazy man,” Pablo said, taking another sip of beer.

“I need this,” Alonso answered, looking at the night sky.

“Yes … yes of course you do,” Pablo smacked his head, and the silence returned until he broke it again. “You are one tough bastard, you know that, right?”

“Keep going forward,” Alonso replied. “That’s what my dad used to say.”

“I’m sure the old man would be proud,” Pablo offered a comforting smile.

Alonso looked straight up. “I hope he is.”

Both remained staring at the view as Pablo slowly finished his beer.

“So, what now?” Pablo asked after a while.

Seconds passed, and after receiving no answer, he looked to the side. But there was no one there.

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“Oh come on, really?” Pablo stood up and looked around, but the sun had set and visibility was very poor.

He took his phone out of his pocket and used the torch to have a better look around. It was then that he noticed Alonso's phone on the ground.

As he saw this, a sweat ran down his forehead.

“Okay, that was a good one leaving the phone back, you got me,” Pablo said loudly as he glanced around.

He noticed no movement whatsoever. And now that he thought about it, how had Alonso moved from his position without alerting him?

“Damn, dude, just come out,” his voice became slightly more nervous but there was no answer back.

“You know what,” he crouched and grabbed Alonso's phone, “if you don’t come out on three I will throw your phone down the cliff. And believe me, I am freaking out and totally will do it.”

Still, just the night breeze and the shifting leaves were the only sound.

“3!”

Pablo’s voice echoed through the empty cliff. He glanced around, hoping to see Alonso emerge from the shadows with a mischievous grin. But nothing happened.

“2!”

The darkness seemed to close in around him, the beam of his phone’s torch barely piercing it.

“1!”

Pablo’s heart pounded in his chest, his hand trembling as he held Alonso's phone over the edge of the cliff. He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the area one last time.

“Okay, okay, I give up!” Pablo shouted, his voice cracking with a mix of fear and frustration. “Just come out, Alonso. This isn’t funny anymore!”

He swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing. He knew he couldn’t stay there all night; he had to do something.

"Alonso, if you don't come out now, I'm going to call someone, and this will escalate! Do you hear me?" Pablo's voice echoed through the trees, but there was no response.

Panic began to set in. Pablo pocketed Alonso's phone and quickly started searching the immediate area, calling out Alonso's name and shining his phone’s torch into the darkness. He circled the clearing, peered into the underbrush, and even checked the path leading back to the car park, but there was no sign of his friend.

“Alonso, please!” Pablo's voice was now tinged with desperation.

After several more minutes of fruitless searching, he pulled out his phone, his hands shaking as he scrolled through his contacts to find the number for the park rangers.

"Hello, this is Park Ranger Services. How can I assist you?" a calm voice answered after several beeps.

"Hi, my… my friend is missing," Pablo said, his voice trembling. "We were hiking, and he just ... disappeared. I can't find him anywhere."

"Stay calm," the ranger said, though Pablo could faintly hear the sound of the ranger shifting and whispering to his colleague.

“Another one.”

The words sent a chill down Pablo’s spine.

The ranger spoke again, now directly at him:

"Can you tell me your location?"

Pablo opened his mouth to respond, but the words didn’t come out. His grip on the phone loosened, and it slipped from his hand, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

image [https://i.imgur.com/EPU265m.png]

"So it begins," an old but resolute voice broke the silence and tension in the command center.

"Do we have satellite imagery?" another voice asked, this one belonging to a woman with a tone of command that brooked no nonsense.

"In a moment, ma'am. Redirecting the geostationary satellite to the coordinates now," responded a man, his demeanor professional and focused. He glanced at the tactical display in front of him.

"Visual confirmation in 10 seconds, ma'am," another officer reported crisply.

"Ensure all units are on high alert. I want a full tactical overview the moment we have eyes on the target."

"Yes, commander," came the unified response.

The seconds ticked by with excruciating slowness. Everyone in the room was acutely aware of the importance of the mission.

"Visuals coming online now," the man at the display announced.

The main screen flickered to life, revealing high-resolution satellite imagery of the designated area.

As they laid their eyes on the display, everyone in the room tensed at the sight.

"I expected no less," the old man chuckled.

"Can we have confirmation of the structure's size?" the general asked, her tone measured but urgent.

"We can estimate the size above the ocean, but it will take time to analyze the submerged portion," the technician stammered, breaking from his shock.

"Give me an approximation," she pressed, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"We're on it," the technician replied, his fingers flying over the keyboard. After several seconds, he gulped heavily.