The damp cave walls glistened in the flickering torchlight. James ran his callused fingers along the jagged rocks, searching for handholds to pull himself up. His boots splashed in shallow puddles as he trudged down the narrow passage.

“Any sign of an exit yet?” Mila's voice echoed behind him.

James shook his head and kept moving forward. His mind raced as fast as his heartbeat, analyzing the terrain and calculating their odds of survival. After five years of watching engineering tutorials, his brain operated like a high-powered computer, constantly problem-solving.

He stopped, tilting his head. A faint scraping sound. Up ahead, something—or someone—was moving.

Mila pushed past him, her hand on the hilt of her sword. She peered into the gloom, eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

The sound faded. An illusion born of panic and exhaustion? James wiped the sweat off his brow. Getting delusional wouldn't do them any good.

He kept walking, brushing his fingers along the wall. His calluses snagged on something—a loose stone.

“Look, an air pocket!” He wrenched the stone free, revealing a hole big enough to stick his head in. A draft of fresh air flowed into the passage.

Mila squeezed in beside him. “It leads upwards. I can see light filtering down from above!”

Hope surged in James's chest. He searched the ground until he found a sharp-edged rock, then ripped a strip of fabric from his shirt and used one of the bandages with the strong adhesive.

“We're getting out of here.” He tied the rock to one end of the fabric. “When we reach the top, I'll toss the grappling hook up. Once it catches, we'll climb up the rope.”

Mila's eyes gleamed with determination. “Let's do this.”

James swung the make shift grappling hook upwards into the shaft of light. After a few tries, it caught.

“It's secure. Climb!”

Hand over hand, they pulled themselves up the rope. Fresh air flowed over James's face, rancid but sweeter than the stench of the cave.

At last, they dragged themselves out of the hole and into the sunlight. James blinked at their surroundings—an odd landscape of bizarre rock formations and twisted trees.

But at least they were out. He turned to Mila, who was brushing dirt off her clothes, and allowed himself a weary grin.

“Now, where exactly are we?”

Mila shook her head, scanning the alien terrain. "I don't recognize anything. This place is strange."

James frowned, peering at the unusual rock formations jutting upwards like twisted fingers. The sky had a sickly yellow tinge, and the sun seemed dimmer and more distant than it should be. An uneasy feeling stirred in his gut.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he said.

Mila blinked at him. "What's Kansas?"

He waved a hand. "Never mind. Just an old reference." James ran a hand through his hair, thinking hard. "Do you have any idea where that cave might have led us?"

"No." Mila unsheathed her sword, eyes narrowed. "But whatever this place is, I don't like it. We should find shelter and rest. Then we can try to figure out where we are and how to get home."

"Agreed." James peered around but could see no obvious dangers. Still, the strange landscape and dim sun filled him with foreboding. He had a feeling they weren't alone here—and whatever else inhabited this place probably wouldn't be friendly.

"Let's get moving," he said. "The sooner we get back home, the better."

Mila nodded and set off across the rocky terrain, sword in hand. James hurried after her, clutching the scrap of crystal he'd taken from the cave. Whatever it was, it might prove useful if they figured out its purpose. But for now, simply surviving this bizarre world was challenge enough. His Marine training had prepared him for many things, but an otherworldly realm of twisted rock and a dim yellow sun was not one of them. This was going to be interesting.

They trudged across the landscape, scanning their surroundings for any signs of life. An eerie silence hung over the land, broken only by the crunch of rocks under their boots.

After a few hours of walking, Mila stopped abruptly. She held up a hand, eyes narrowing at a line of boulders up ahead. “Do you see that?”

James peered between two large rocks, and his breath caught. A group of creatures stood motionless behind the boulders, weapons drawn. They were humanoid in shape, with green skin, muscular builds, and sharp teeth.

His heart pounded. Orcs. He’d read about them in fantasy novels, and seen them a few times and it still always unerved him.

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“Steady,” he murmured to Mila. He didn’t want to provoke an attack before they knew the creatures’ intentions.

But the orcs didn’t move. They stood as still as statues, eyes glowing red, focused on the cave entrance behind them. It was as if they were waiting for something to emerge from the cave, not paying any attention to the two humans watching them.

James frowned, glancing at Mila. Her knuckles were white around the hilt of her sword, but she seemed as puzzled as he was. The orcs’ strange behavior filled them with tension and questions. What were the orcs waiting for?

He tightened his grip on the scrap of crystal in his pocket, wondering if it might prove useful against these strange creatures. But for now, avoiding confrontation seemed the wisest course of action.

“Let’s go around them,” he whispered to Mila. “No need to engage if they’re not hostile.”

She nodded, eyes still fixed on the orcs. “Agreed. But stay alert. If they do attack, be ready to fight.”

“Always.” James peered at the motionless orcs one last time. What were they guarding in that cave?

Mysteries only seemed to deepen in this twisted realm of danger and magic. Shaking off a chill, he followed Mila as they crept around the line of boulders, leaving the glowing-eyed creatures behind.

They picked their way over the rocky terrain, moving as quietly as possible while keeping off the trail. The orcs remained motionless behind them, like strange statues guarding the cave entrance.

After a few minutes of walking, Mila paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Something’s not right. Why aren't they following us? They saw us come out of that cave, and we have something that belongs to them.” She nodded at the scrap of crystal James still clutched.

“Maybe they didn’t see us take it,” he said. “Or maybe they don’t care.Heck maybe they are not getting messages anymore. Either way, I’m not complaining. The farther we get from those things, the better.”

Mila frowned, unconvinced. “We should assume they’re still a threat. Be on your guard.”

“Always,” James repeated. He knew she was right to be wary. In a world this strange, danger could emerge at any moment.

They walked on in silence, picking their way over the treacherous terrain. The air felt heavy and damp, and an eerie chill clung to James’ skin. Everything about this place felt wrong and alien. He couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched, though when he glanced around, there was no sign of the orcs or any other creature.

After a while, Mila came to an abrupt stop. “There. Do you see that?” She pointed at a crumbling stone archway ahead, covered in twisting vines and thorns. Beyond it was a narrow ravine filled with mist.

James stared at the archway. There seemed to be a strange shimmer in the air around it. “Some kind of magic?” he asked. The mysteries of this world deepened with every step.

Mila nodded. “Powerful magic. And dark. I can feel it from here.” Her expression was grim. “Whatever’s on the other side of that archway, we’ll have to be ready to face it.”

James flexed his fingers around the hilt of his knife and handle of his hammer, watching the shimmering archway with a sense of foreboding. “We knew this mission wouldn’t be an easy one to survive,” he said. “Are you ready?”

Mila bared her teeth in a fierce grin. “Always.”

They crept toward the archway, weapons at the ready. The closer they got, the more Mila could feel the dark magic pulsing from it like waves of heat. His skin crawled with a strange, unpleasant tingle.

When they passed under the arch, the sensation intensified. The air itself seemed twisted and warped. Even the sounds around them were muffled and strange.

On the other side, the ravine opened into a large cavern. But this was no ordinary cave. Strange symbols and runes were carved into the walls, glowing with an eerie red light. In the center of the cavern was a massive machine of glowing crystals and churning gears.

And surrounding it were the orcs. At least a dozen of them, all frozen in place, their eyes glowing as red as the runes.

James and Mila froze in their tracks, caught between the orcs and the dark magic of the cavern. They were trapped. James’ heart pounded as he tried to think of a way out. They couldn’t fight so many orcs, not with their limited weapons and in this strange place.

“We need a distraction,” he whispered to Mila. “If we can draw them away from the entrance, we might be able to slip past.”

“I have a better idea.” Mila’s eyes gleamed with defiance as she stared at the orcs. “We fight.”

Before James could argue, one of the orcs jerked into motion. Then another. In perfect unison, they turned to face the entrance, weapons raised, and began marching forward.

James swore under his breath. Trust Mila to choose the most direct approach, even when it was foolish. “Here they come,” he said, gripping his knife tightly. “I hope you’re ready.”

“Aren’t I always?” Mila flashed him a fierce grin and charged into battle.

James shook his head and followed. Today was going to be interesting.

James swung his knife in a wide arc, catching an orc across the chest. Black blood spurted from the wound, but the orc barely reacted. It lunged for James with a snarl, swinging a spiked mace.

He ducked under the blow and stabbed the orc in the leg. Still no reaction. The orc stomped forward, oblivious to its injuries.

What in the world? These orcs felt no pain. James backed away, looking for an opening in the line of orcs. Mila was holding her own, but she was tiring. They couldn’t keep this up much longer.

An orc charged at James, axe raised overhead. He grabbed its arm and used its momentum to flip it over his shoulder. The orc crashed to the ground, but immediately started to rise again.

As James watched, the wounds on its chest and leg began to close. He stared in disbelief, then understanding dawned. These orcs were under some sort of spell or enchantment. They would keep coming until there was nothing left of James and Mila but bloody pulp.

“Mila!” he shouted. “We have to get out of here! Now!”

She spared him a glance and saw the truth on his face. With a grunt, she slammed her sword into the nearest orc and disengaged from the fight. The orcs turned as one to follow them.

James and Mila ran for the entrance, ducking and weaving around the orcs. James slashed at ankles and knees to slow their pursuers as Mila guarded their backs. Step by step, they made progress toward the outside world and freedom.

The sunlight nearly blinded James as they stumbled out of the cave. He grabbed Mila’s arm and pulled her along, sprinting away from the army of orcs spilling from the rocks.

They ran until the sounds of pursuit faded into silence. Finally, gasping for breath, they slowed and looked at each other. James patted his pocket, reassured by the weight of the crystal within. At least now they had a clue about the strange magic at work here.

“Well,” Mila said with a rueful smile. “That was interesting.”

James laughed. Trust Mila to have such a gift for understatement. “Yes,” he said. “Interesting is one word for it.”