Neal Watson had always loved the thrill of adventure, especially when it involved hiking. As a college student with a passion for the outdoors, he often organized trips with his close-knit group of friends. This weekend was no different-they had planned a rough hike up the rugged peak known as Stormbreaker Mountain a few miles away from their town in Westershire.

The morning sun rose as Neal and his friends, Sarah, Chris, and Alex, gathered at the base of the mountain. "Ready for the fun?" Neal asked the others with all of them responding positively. Neal and Chris were the organizers of this hike so they made sure to check if they had everything ready and so when the last check of supplies ended, the hike began.

The start of the hike was quite easy, Neal thought. But only as they progressed farther up the mountain did the hike truly began. The jagged rocks of the cliff were sharp enough to cut their hands while climbing and there was already an incident with Alex, who had lost his footing when climbing a steep edge. He'd been very lucky to avoid any injury in the fall.

They took a break after the scare to catch their breath and get some lunch in. "You good Alex?" Sarah asked with concern as Chris and Alex started to arrange a few logs for them to sit on. "Yeah I'm fine, it was no biggie, the rock was loose I should've avoided it anyways but I didn't and here we are stopping early because of me," Alex answered with a frustrated gesture. "Come on man, you were lucky you didn't get hurt, get some rest and we'll start again," Chris said as he and Neal joined the two of them. "Yeah, just a few minutes now and we'll be off again, kay?" Neal asked. "Alright," Alex said with a sigh as he sat down and got started with the sandwiches he had prepared for his lunch.

A few hours later the group was back on track and Neal was enjoying the experience even if it was a challenge to climb the steep cliffs. He took frequent stops to catch his breath and admire the breathtaking scenery from the mountain. Neal was lagging behind everyone due to these stops but he wasn't trying to compete with his friends, he was only there to enjoy nature. So when some dark clouds gathered in the sky and it looked like rain or maybe even a storm was imminent Neal didn't pay it much mind. However, unlike him his friends did not unsee the gathering storm clouds.

"Looks like a storm's rolling in," Sarah called back, concern creasing her brow. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, and within minutes, rain began to pelt down in heavy sheets.

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"We need to find shelter!" Chris shouted over the rising wind, pointing to a cluster of trees up ahead. They hurried towards the sparse cover, but Neal, further behind didn't hear them and instead noticed a small opening in the cliffside-a cave, barely visible against the jagged rock face.

Heart pounding with urgency and panic due to the unexpectedly strong storm Neal dashed towards the cave just as lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the landscape in stark relief and cursed those weather forecast updates he'd been following for a week before planning the hike. He stumbled inside, grateful for the relative dryness and safety from the storm raging outside.

Inside the cave, the air was cool and damp, the echoes of the storm muffled by the solid rock walls. Neal leaned against the rough stone, catching his breath as he watched the rain lash against the mouth of the cave when he finally realised that his friends were still out there in the rain but he could only hope that they had found some shelter in the mountain just like he had.

Neal opened his backpack to check if the firewood they had been collecting throughout the hike was still dry which it thankfully still was. So he took out his lighter and lit a fire inside the cave and remembering the survival studies documentary he had seen a few years ago he made sure to grab his flashlight and explore the cave for any animals or bugs that could harm him if he were to be stuck in the cave for a long time.

After making sure there was no reason to be fearful inside the cave Neal proceeded to sit down and look through his backpack as his stomach had started rumbling during his exploration of the cave. He took out a couple nutrient bars and munched on them in silence as he watched the rain outside marked by the occasional rumble of thunder and the steady patter of rain on the cave's entrance. Exhaustion and relief washed over Neal as he settled into an uneasy sleep a few hours later, his mind swirling with thoughts of his friends and their safety.

When Neal awoke, the storm had already passed so Neal hurriedly started packing all his stuff so he could go look for his friends. Eager to reunite with his friends and continue their journey, he stepped outside, blinking against the brightness which he thought was unusual as it should be around midnight unless he had slept nearly a whole day away.

But as Neal emerged from the cave, he froze up. As the landscape stretched before him was unlike anything he had ever seen-towering trees with iridescent leaves, strange bird-like creatures soaring overhead, and a distant horizon that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow.

Panic and disbelief gripped Neal as he stumbled back into the cave, his mind racing with questions. Where was he? How had the storm changed everything so dramatically? Was he even on Earth? How could this have happened? Why him? What happened to his friends? Did they get sent to this place to or was he on his own from now on? A thousand such questions raced through his mind within a few seconds but one question stood out- What happens next?

Standing at the mouth of the cave, Neal Watson, the avid hiker and adventure seeker, faced the daunting reality that he was no longer in his world that he had stumbled into another realm, one filled with mysteries waiting to be unraveled...

To be continued...