AMBU5H

TIVANA, SPECTRE, and RADRIN trudge deeper into the forest, their path now narrow and overgrown. The digital glitches have grown more frequent, and an eerie silence seems to stretch between each of their footsteps.

TIVANA – (nervous whisper) I feel like the forest is closing in on us… every rustle and flicker makes my skin crawl.

SPECTRE – (muttering) Yeah, I'm with you. It's like we're being herded into a trap, one we can't see coming.

RADRIN's handheld device buzzes more insistently now. He stops abruptly, crouching beside a gnarled root with a furrowed brow.

RADRIN – (urgent) Hold up—look at these readings. There's a sudden surge in the digital noise, almost like a warning… or an attack signal.

Before any of them can respond, a series of rapid, shuffling sounds break the hush. Dark, shifting forms dart from behind the trees. The sound of frantic movement and the unnatural whirr of mechanical parts echo through the clearing.

TIVANA – (alarmed) Something's coming! Get down—now!

In an instant, shadow-like entities materialize from the underbrush, their forms blurred and indistinct. They move in a coordinated, almost predatory fashion. The trio instinctively huddles together.

SPECTRE – (shouting) Ambush! Take cover!

The first of the entities lunges forward. Its movement is swift and calculated—a fleeting blur of darkness with a faint digital distortion trailing in its wake. Tivana ducks behind a fallen log as Spectre pulls her to safety. Radrin scrambles, his device still clutched tightly.

Amid the chaos, the forest erupts with a cacophony of snapping twigs and the buzz of static. One of the shadow forms slashes at Spectre, its touch cold and unyielding. He grunts in pain as it clips his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood.

SPECTRE – (through gritted teeth) Damn… I'm hit!

TIVANA – (panicking) Spectre! Stay with us, please!

Radrin scrambles to pull up a digital log on his device, trying desperately to analyze the attackers. "I'm reading multiple interference spikes—they're not just creatures, they're some sort of automated sentinels. Their behavior is too systematic to be random."

The entities circle them like predators hunting in a pack. The digital glitches intensify; the very air seems charged with a static buzz. A particularly large shadow emerges, its outline sharper than the others, and it moves with purpose toward Tivana.

TIVANA – (hissing) No… Get away from me!

In a split second decision, Spectre lunges forward, intercepting the larger entity. Their clash is sudden and violent—a blur of fists and distorted movements as both struggle fiercely. The sound of fists meeting what feels like liquid metal echoes as Spectre grunts in exertion.

SPECTRE – (strained) I won't let it take you, Tivana!

Radrin, eyes wide with a mix of fear and focus, yells, "Now's our chance! We need to regroup and fall back to higher ground!"

Amid the melee, one of the smaller shadow forms surges toward Radrin. He barely dodges, feeling the chill of its near-miss. His device flashes a warning signal, and he instinctively backs away.

The ambush intensifies. In rapid, overlapping exchanges of dialogue and chaos, the trio fights to hold their ground. The forest around them seems to pulse with the sound of digital interference—a distorted heartbeat marking the rhythm of battle.

TIVANA – (breathless, between shouts) We need to retreat! These things are too coordinated—they're not just random attacks!

SPECTRE – (grimacing as he struggles with the larger entity) I'm trying, but they keep coming! Radrin, can you disable one of them?

RADRIN fumbles with his device, his fingers trembling. "I'm trying to override their signal… I'm capturing fragments of their code. If I can disrupt it even a little, maybe we can break their formation."

For a moment, the chaos seems to pause—a brief lull as Radrin concentrates, his face lit by the eerie glow of his screen. Then, with a sharp beep, he shouts, "Now!"

In that instant, a burst of static emanates from his device, and the nearest shadow shudders as if hit by an invisible force. It falters, its movement erratic, giving the trio precious seconds to push forward.

TIVANA – (determined) This is our chance! Everyone, fall back!

Spectre, nursing his wound, nods and rallies, pulling a struggling Tivana along. They dash through the forest, their path lit by intermittent flashes of blue from the glitching trees. Behind them, the ambushing shadows reassemble, but the disruption has bought them time.

As they sprint, RADRIN remains behind briefly, continuing to work furiously on his device. "I've got more data now," he calls out, his voice echoing through the static. "We need to follow the signal—it's leading us away from this ambush. The forest is guiding us to a safe passage… or maybe to the next clue."

Breathless and bruised, the trio reaches a narrow, winding trail that appears less congested with interference. The chaotic clamor of the ambush fades into a low murmur behind them, replaced by the natural sounds of the forest trying to reclaim its calm.

SPECTRE – (catching his breath) That was too close. I can't believe we just… we managed to hold them off.

TIVANA – (voice trembling yet resolute) We did what we had to. But this ambush—this isn't random. They're clearly protecting something… or someone.

RADRIN, still glancing back at the fading figures, nods in agreement. "Every attack, every glitch, is a fragment of a bigger system. Protocol Negative 77 is more than just a code—it's the framework behind all of this."

They pause in the relative safety of the narrow trail, and the adrenaline slowly subsides. In the quiet that follows, their shared ordeal forges an unspoken bond. The pain of Spectre's wound and the shock of the ambush remind them that the forest—and whatever secret it guards—is dangerous beyond measure.

TIVANA – (softly) We need to stick together. Every step we take from here on out is a step deeper into this mystery—and into danger.

SPECTRE – (with a weary, determined smile) We've got each other's backs. No matter what, we move as one.

RADRIN clutches his device, his eyes glinting with both fear and resolve. "I'm logging all of this. Every anomaly, every attack—it's all data. And data is the key to unraveling Protocol Negative 77."

The trio takes a moment to catch their breath and tend to minor wounds, their voices a mix of relief and grim determination. The forest around them, still intermittently glitching, seems to murmur secrets as if encouraging their pursuit.

With the ambush now behind them, they press onward along the narrow trail, aware that this encounter is only a fragment of the enigma they face. The threat of the shadow entities lingers like a specter in their minds—a constant reminder that in this realm where nature and technology collide, danger is never far behind.