Chapter 3: Conversation about us

They were all sitting on the rocks, the night sky a blanket of stars above them. James had found some food, and they warmed themselves by the fire they had made. The warmth and the food provided a small comfort after the trials of the day.

"This is really tough. I should've just been a nurse or something to make some money," Ellie said, poking at the fire with a stick.

"Don't think that way. We've already made it this far, so we only think about what's gonna happen," Isaac replied, his eyes reflecting the firelight.

Thomas groaned in pain, resting his head on a rock while his injured leg was propped up on James's lap. James was carefully rewrapping the bandage, trying to make Thomas as comfortable as possible.

They sat in silence for a while, the crackling of the fire and the distant sounds of the strange new world around them filling the night.

James was the first to break the silence. "I used to be a naval officer," he began, his voice low and thoughtful. "But I got caught up in something...something dark. There was a mission, a secret one, and it went horribly wrong. I lost my crew, and I was the only one who made it back. The navy blamed me for it, said I had acted recklessly. I was discharged, dishonored. I need the money to clear my name, to prove that I wasn't the one at fault. It's haunted me ever since."

Ellie looked at him with a newfound respect. "I never knew, James."

He shrugged, his usual bravado tempered by the weight of his confession. "It's not something I like to talk about."

Ellie sighed and looked into the fire. "I grew up on the streets, stealing to survive. Got pretty good at it, too. But it's a hard life, always running, always hiding. I thought if I could get my hands on this treasure, I could finally be free. No more stealing, no more running. I could start over, maybe open a shop, or even go legit."

Isaac nodded, his face serious. "I come from a long line of historians and scholars. My family has always been obsessed with finding this lost civilization, the one the map points to. They spent their lives searching for it, but never found it. I need to find it, not just for the treasure, but to complete their work. To finally prove that they weren't chasing a myth."

They all turned to look at Thomas, who was wincing in pain but listening intently. He took a deep breath. "I always wanted to be an adventurer, to see the world, to do something that mattered. My father was a cartographer, but he never went on any adventures. He just made maps from the safety of his study. I wanted to be different. But I also need the money. My mother is sick, and we can't afford the treatment she needs. This treasure...it's my only hope."

They all sat in silence again, the weight of their stories hanging in the air. Each of them had their own reasons, their own burdens. But they were in this together now.

Suddenly, there was a rustling behind them. Before they could react, someone stepped out of the shadows and struck Dr. Isaac on the back of the head, making him unconscious. Ellie leaped to her feet, but another figure emerged and knocked her out with a swift blow.

"Ellie!" Thomas shouted, trying to rise, but his injured leg gave way. James tried to defend them, but he too was quickly overpowered.

As Thomas struggled to stay conscious, he saw shadowy figures moving around them. His vision blurred, and then everything went dark.