Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 38 Alarming Ratio

Nate stood frozen, face to face with the icy being. Its lifeless, hollow eyes bore into him, and a deep chill seeped into his bones. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, as fear gripped him like a vice.

Behind him, Madison placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Nate, let’s go," she whispered, trying to teleport them away. But her powers failed her. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, they stayed rooted in place.

The being tilted its head slightly, its movements slow and deliberate, as if it was studying him.

Then, in an instant, it grabbed Nate by the neck, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

Nate choked, clawing at its icy grip as he struggled to breathe. He summoned what strength he had, punching and striking its arm, but his fists only bloodied against the creature’s frozen body.

"Let… go!" he rasped, his voice barely audible as his vision began to blur.

The creature’s empty gaze remained locked on him. Slowly, one of its fingers elongated, sharpening into an icy needle. It raised the needle toward Nate’s forehead, the cold emanating from it sharp and biting.

Madison screamed. "No!"

She rushed toward them, her fear overridden by desperation. But with a casual flick of its free hand, the creature sent her flying. She crashed into a nearby tree, slumping to the ground, dazed.

Nate’s strength was fading. His head lolled forward as the icy needle drew closer to his skin. Then, without warning, the creature’s head snapped upward, its attention shifting to the sky.

The sudden change in its demeanor was startling. It released Nate, dropping him unceremoniously to the ground. Nate gasped for air, clutching at his neck as he fell to his knees.

Before either of them could react further, the being disappeared, vanishing as silently as it had appeared.

Madison staggered to her feet and rushed to Nate’s side. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Nate coughed, still trying to catch his breath. "I’m… fine," he managed. "Let’s get out of here."

Madison placed a hand on his shoulder again, and this time her powers worked. They vanished from the frozen clearing, reappearing far away in the dense jungle.

Madison leaned against a tree, her face pale. She closed her eyes, taking deep, steadying breaths. "That thing…" she whispered. "What was it?"

Nate didn’t respond immediately. He was pacing, his mind racing.

Then he stopped and turned to her. "Did you feel it?"

"Feel what?" she asked, still shaken.

"That energy," Nate said. "When its ice spread everywhere, did you feel something… familiar?"

Madison frowned, trying to recall. She closed her eyes, thinking back to the oppressive cold that had surrounded them. Her eyes snapped open, wide with realization. "I… I did," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What did it feel like?" Nate pressed.

Madison hesitated, her expression twisting with fear. "It felt like…" She swallowed hard, her throat dry. "It felt like we were back… in the world beyond the cave."

Nate nodded grimly. "Exactly."

Madison stared at him, trying to make sense of his words. "What are you saying, Nate?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Do you remember what happened after we left that cave? The temperature across the whole island dropped. We thought it was some kind of natural phenomenon."

Madison nodded slowly. "Yeah… but…?"

"But what if it wasn’t natural?" Nate said, his voice low and serious. "What if it was because of something we let out when we went into that world?"

Madison’s breath hitched, and she stared at him, her face pale.

Nate had suspected this wasn’t a natural phenomenon for a while, but until now, he hadn’t pieced everything together. Too many pressing matters had demanded his attention, leaving little room to dwell on the strange cold that had swept across the island.

Now, staring up at the sky, he strained to see what had caused the icy being to release him so abruptly. But the heavens were clear, offering no answers.

"It’s not trying to kill us," Madison said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Nate turned to her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Madison crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "Think about it. If something that powerful wanted us dead, we wouldn’t be standing here right now. It could have wiped out the entire camp already."

Nate considered her words, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. "You’re saying it only showed up because of… earlier?"

Madison nodded. "Yeah. Whatever you did when your whole body lit up—it must’ve drawn it here. Like a signal or a beacon."

Nate ran a hand through his hair, processing her theory. "Makes sense. If it wanted to kill everyone at camp, we wouldn’t be having this conversation."

Standing up, he dusted himself off and started walking toward the beach. It was the only place he felt remotely safe now. "Come on," he said, glancing back at Madison.

She hesitated for a moment before following him. As she caught up, her eyes drifted to him, and she froze mid-step.

"Nate…" she said, her voice tinged with shock.

"What?" he asked, stopping to look at her.

She gestured toward him. "You look… different."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

Madison pointed to his legs. "You’re taller. And your body… it’s more muscular. Even your face—it’s sharper, more defined."

Nate blinked, surprised, before looking down at himself. He hadn’t noticed the changes, but now that Madison mentioned it, he felt… stronger, more capable. "Huh," he muttered, continuing toward the beach.

---

Meanwhile, back at the camp

Ryder sat with Jack near the fire, their conversation low but tense.

"If we don’t find a solution to this… problem, things are going to spiral out of control," Jack said, his voice unusually serious.

Ryder frowned. "Problem? What problem?"

Jack folded his arms. "The high libido. The men’s and women’s urges are getting out of hand. The ratio of men to women here is 70:30, and it’s already causing arguments. If this keeps up, it won’t just be bickering. Darker thoughts will start creeping into their minds. People will go to extremes."

Ryder’s face grew grim. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "You’re saying this is more dangerous than we think?"

Jack nodded. "Much more. If we don’t address it, it’ll tear the camp apart."

Ryder exhaled deeply, running a hand over his face. "The only real solution is to get off this island. Until then…" He trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

Jack stood, his expression determined. "I’ll do everything I can to get us out of here."

As he walked away, Ryder lingered by the fire, lost in thought. The weight of leadership pressed heavily on his shoulders.

Just then, he heard a faint rustle behind him. Turning sharply, he saw Axel stepping out from behind a tent.

Axel smirked. "Don’t you think it’s weird how a kid knows so much?"

Ryder frowned but kept his tone steady. "Jack is like Nate. They’re both geniuses. The only difference is that Jack’s knowledge is a bit more… advanced."

Axel nodded, his smirk fading slightly. "If you say so."

He turned to leave, but Ryder’s voice stopped him. "Axel."

Axel glanced back, raising an eyebrow.

Ryder’s expression was serious. "Don’t eavesdrop when we’re having important discussions, especially if you weren’t invited."

Axel grinned, tapping his chest with a mock salute. "Yes, boss. I was just passing by."

Ryder watched him go, his jaw tightening. Something about Axel’s casual demeanor didn’t sit right with him.

Axel shoved the flap of his tent aside and stepped inside. Jason was lounging on a makeshift bed, laughing softly while chatting with a girl sitting beside him. She was twirling her hair nervously, clearly flattered by Jason’s attention.

"Hey," Axel said sharply, crossing his arms. "Can we have the tent?"

The girl looked up, startled, but Jason waved her off casually. "You heard him. Get going."

The girl hesitated, glancing at Jason for a moment before leaving the tent in a hurry. Once she was gone, Axel turned to Jason, his face twisted in disgust.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Axel asked, throwing himself onto a nearby crate. "Since when do you start wasting your time on mid girls like that? Have you lost your goddamn standards?"

Jason smirked, leaning back. "Man, listen. If I don’t go for the mids now, I’ll end up with fucking nothing in a few weeks. You see how things are around camp. It’s all a numbers game, bro."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Jason sat up and waved his hand around dramatically. "The ratio, Axel. You blind or some shit? There’s way more guys than girls in this place. And dudes are already starting to circle like vultures. You don’t move fast, you lose out."

Axel snorted, shaking his head. "That’s exactly why I’m here, dumbass." He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "It’s time to make a move. No more wasting time on these random chicks."

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Jason raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

Axel’s expression turned serious, though his tone stayed crude. "Bella and Madison. We can’t fuck around anymore. If we don’t make our move now, someone else will. You know they’re the top fucking picks in this camp."

Jason stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly. "You’re not wrong. Bella’s a fucking dime, and Madison… yeah, she’s up there too."

Axel smirked, leaning back against the wall. "Exactly. We lock that shit down before anyone else gets the chance."

Jason let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Alright, man. Let’s fucking do it."