The Past Part 2 : Mountain of Doom

"Alright, runts, time to prove yourselves worthy of the Force. We don't want any weaklings, got that?" barked Senior Detective Garfield, the grizzled veteran in charge of our training. "Those who want to proceed further, meet at the top of the mountain by sundown. Go! Go! Go!" His voice echoed through the air.

We, the recruits, took off at a jog, the midday sun blazing overhead. The clock was ticking, and the mountain loomed ahead, a formidable challenge. The terrain was unforgiving—bushes, thorns, rough paths, and steep inclines tested our endurance. Each step demanded more energy than the last, and with no prior knowledge of the route, navigating to the top against the clock was a grueling task.

"Back off, wimps!" a cocky voice rang out from behind, as a burly figure bulldozed his way through Dane and me. It was noon, and the sun was merciless, but we pressed on, determined to reach the summit. The journey was a test of willpower, every obstacle a reminder of the harsh reality of our training.

Finally, gasping for breath, I reached the top, one of the last of the thirty recruits to make it. "You made it just in time," Dane said, resting under the shade of a tree. The fact that he had arrived just before me gnawed at my pride.

"Both of you wimps made it? Thought you would have chickened out and gone back to your mamas," sneered the guy who had bulldozed through us earlier. His arrogance was palpable.

"We don't chicken out," I shot back, locking eyes with him. "Who the hell are you, anyway?" I demanded, stepping closer.

"The best the Force has ever recruited. The name's Drax, but soon it'll be Captain Drax to you," he replied, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Quite the words, big man. Can you back them up?" I challenged, testing his resolve.

"Without a question," he responded instantly, leaning in with a death glare. "And you better stay out of my way, punk-ass."

The tension between us crackled in the air, a silent promise of future confrontations. This was just the beginning of our journey, and the mountain was only the first of many challenges we would face.

As he continued to shoulder his way past me, I stumbled backward, struggling to regain my balance. I could only glare at him with displeasure as he walked away. "Don't worry about him, man. Just leave him alone," Dane said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Oh yeah? You were the one who said never to forfeit the game, remember?" I replied, my face stern as I shrugged off his hand. "Now it's time to play," I added, walking away with determination. Dane just shook his head and sighed deeply.

"Alright, runts, gather up!" Senior Detective Garfield's voice boomed, calling everyone to attention. "Now you need to show that you can match the standards of law enforcement," he continued. We all straightened up, knowing that the results of the next drill would determine our future in the force.

"You are now required to go down this mountain, but through four rendezvous points, each with a set of items half the amount of the previous," he explained, pausing to scan our faces, ensuring we were all paying attention. "This will test your resilience and whether your personality conforms to the Force. Fail to meet the objectives, and you're going back home."

I swallowed hard, realizing this was the moment that would decide everything. Garfield's next words sent a chill down my spine. "Since the items at each of the four points will be half the amount of the last, the number of contestants who meet the objectives will exponentially decrease at each point."

He strolled around us, his voice dripping with menace. "Do you see the person beside you?" We looked at each other, taking in the faces of our fellow recruits. "That guy will be going home in a casket tomorrow," he added, bursting into laughter.

Panic surged through me, freezing me in place. My face remained expressionless, but inside, I was a whirlwind of fear and determination.

Being in the Force isn't some cushy office job where you sit behind a computer," he began, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. "This is a do-or-die mission, just as you saw on the contract form. Any mistake, no matter how small, will be your last. This mountain is now a death trap, rigged with deadly snares. By morning, I expect to see bodies scattered across the terrain," he added, his eyes narrowing with a deadly seriousness.

I glanced at Dane, my heart pounding in my chest. My face must have betrayed my fear and uncertainty, for Dane's expression softened into a sorry smile. It was a look that said he understood my unspoken message perfectly. His eyes conveyed a silent promise of solidarity, a reassurance that we were in this together, no matter what horrors awaited us on that treacherous mountain.

Now go and rest in peace if we never meet again," he declared, ending his speech with a chilling finality. As the words hung in the air, we scrambled down the mountain, the night swallowing us whole. The air was thick with tension, every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs amplifying the sense of impending doom. Our only guide was our memory, a fragile thread in the darkness.

Not knowing where the rendezvous points were left me with too many options—a dangerous place to be, especially with others potentially finding them before me. The group scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving only Dane in front of me. "Dane, do you know where you're going?" I asked, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Down the mountain, of course," he replied, his words rushed as he tried to balance talking and running, navigating through the dense vegetation that cloaked the mountain in darkness.

"What do you mean? What about the items we're supposed to—" My question was cut short as Dane shoved me backward with surprising force, launching himself forward in a swift 360-degree turn. The ground between us erupted in a violent explosion, the shockwave propelling me further away.

"Dane, are you okay?" I shouted, scrambling to my feet, still reeling from the blast.

"I'm alright," Dane coughed, emerging from the dust. "Thankfully, I reacted quickly after triggering that explosive with my foot," he added, walking towards me. After catching his breath, he said, "Let's change route. This one is loaded."

"Let's continue. This is the fastest way to the rendezvous points," he insisted, his determination unwavering.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked, my face a mask of confusion.

"Simple," he replied with a dark chuckle. "It's always the treasure that's heavily secured. These points are surrounded by traps to weed out the clever from the cowardly—by death, I might add."

I sighed deeply, looking away, the weight of his words sinking in.

Without a counterargument, I could only steel my mind for the horrors ahead. What had started as a training drill had morphed into a deadly survival game, courtesy of Senior Detective Garfield, our twisted chef for tonight's main course.

"We're in this together, man. Don't worry," Dane said, patting my back. His attempt at reassurance felt like a thin veil over the impending nightmare.

The darkness seemed to close in around us, every shadow a potential threat, every sound a harbinger of doom. The path ahead was fraught with unseen dangers, each step a gamble with fate. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless drumbeat of fear and adrenaline.

As we moved forward, the air grew colder, the silence more oppressive. The mountain loomed like a malevolent giant, its secrets hidden in the inky blackness. Dane's confidence was our only beacon, but even that felt fragile against the weight of the unknown.