Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 53 A Way Off

Madison couldn’t keep the questions bottled up any longer. She had been pacing back and forth near the camp center, her mind a whirl of anxiety and unanswered questions. When Axel and Alice returned, looking pale and worn, she had initially held herself back. But now, as they stood among the group and everyone gathered around, curiosity and fear consumed her.

She pushed her way through the murmuring crowd, her voice cutting through the chatter. "What happened to you two?"

All eyes turned to Axel and Alice, who exchanged uneasy glances. Axel took a deep breath and spoke first. "When we were out looking for a place to settle, we found... the body of the pilot," he said grimly. "Then we were captured by... them. But we managed to escape."

The group erupted in murmurs, some in disbelief, others in horror.

Madison’s heart sank at the mention of the pilot’s body, but there was another question burning on her lips. "Where’s Nate?" she asked, her voice shaking.

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Axel hesitated, his eyes darting to the ground. "He couldn’t make it back," he said finally, his tone flat and emotionless.

The words hit Madison like a punch to the gut, but before she could process them, Alice stepped forward, her face contorted with anger.

"Couldn’t make it back?" she snapped at Axel. "Nate sacrificed himself so we could escape! He stayed behind to hold the wheel that kept the door open for us!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The weight of Alice’s words seemed to hang heavily in the air.

Nate. Always Nate.

First, he had brought back Claire and her group when they were lost. Then he had gone to save the people abducted by the slimy monster. And now, he had given up his own safety so that Axel and Alice could live. He never asked for recognition, never sought reward. Protecting everyone else had always been his priority.

The murmurs grew louder, a mixture of guilt, awe, and sadness spreading among the group.

Madison’s hands clenched into fists, her mind racing. "Alice," she said suddenly, her voice trembling with a mixture of hope and desperation, "if Nate helped you keep the door open so you could pass, then... that means you didn’t see him die, right?"

Alice blinked, caught off guard by the question. She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "No... no, I didn’t see him die. The door closed before—" She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as realization struck. "He could still be alive."

Madison’s heart leapt. "Then we have to go back! We have to save him!"

Alice’s gaze hardened with determination, and she nodded. "Yes. We have to."

But before either of them could take a step, Axel stepped between them, his hands raised in protest. "No, no, no," he said firmly. He turned to Alice, his face darkening. "You forgot to tell them the other part, didn’t you? About what happened in that damn mine. About the... keepers."

Alice faltered, her voice caught in her throat.

Axel continued, his tone grave. "Nate was fending them off when we left. Those things were everywhere, Alice! And after we got out, I saw the wave of them rushing towards him. There’s no way—" His voice cracked slightly, but he pressed on. "There’s no way he could have survived that."

Madison opened her mouth to argue, but Axel silenced her with a look. "Do you know what they do to people who try to escape if they catch them?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low, chilling tone.

Madison froze, shaking her head slowly.

Axel’s eyes bore into hers. "They remove your eyes. Sew your mouth shut. And nail your ears closed." He paused, letting the horrifying image sink in. "The only thing you have left is your nose, so you can smell your own damn death as you starve, unable to eat or scream for help."

The crowd fell silent, the weight of his words pressing down on everyone like a suffocating blanket. Madison stared at Axel, her mouth dry, her chest tightening.

Her hope wavered.

She sank onto the cold sand, her head spinning. The world around her seemed to blur as the weight of Axel’s words bore down on her. Her chest felt tight, her breath shallow. She had been the only one who couldn’t stop worrying about Nate’s safety, the only one who clung to the faint hope that he would make it back. Now, hearing that he was gone, the hope that had sustained her crumbled, leaving her with a hollow ache in her chest.

The camp was eerily quiet. Though everyone wore sad expressions, there was an unspoken understanding that life would go on. But for Madison, the news of Nate’s fate wasn’t just sad—it was devastating.

As the murmurs and shuffling of the group continued, Jack stood off to the side, his arms crossed, his eyes scanning the crowd. Unlike the others, who seemed consumed by grief, his expression was calculating. His gaze lingered on the faces around him before he finally spoke, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"I know we’re all feeling the weight of this loss," he began, his tone measured. "But I think we’re missing the bigger picture here."

Bella turned to him, her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about, Jack?"

Jack shifted his weight, folding his arms across his chest. "What I’m saying is, we’ve just confirmed something important," he said, his voice steady but firm. "We’re not alone on this island. There are other people here."

The group froze.

Madison glanced up, her dizzy spell momentarily forgotten. The words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding.

Jack turned his sharp gaze toward Ryder, who was leaning against a tree, listening intently. "And if there are others here," Jack continued, "we need to move. Now. We can’t stay here any longer."

Axel frowned, crossing his arms. "Why’s that, genius?"

Jack didn’t flinch. "Because we’re not safe here. If those... things, or whoever it was that took them, know where we are, it’s only a matter of time before they come for us again. And who’s to say they’re not already on their way?"

A ripple of unease spread through the group. Though none of them wanted to admit it, Jack’s words carried a chilling logic.

"He’s right," Ryder said finally, pushing off the tree and standing upright. "We’ve lingered here too long already. The longer we stay in one place, the more vulnerable we are."

The group began to nod in agreement, the realization sinking in. Although the loss of Nate weighed heavily on them, their survival had to come first.

"I’ll get my things," one of the survivors muttered, before quickly disappearing into a nearby tent.

The others followed suit, scattering to gather their belongings. In moments, the beach was nearly empty, save for a small cluster of people who hadn’t moved: Madison, Bella, Axel, Alice, Ryder, and Jack.

Madison still sat on the ground, her knees drawn to her chest, her mind spinning with memories of Nate. She barely registered the conversation around her until Ryder turned to Jack and spoke.

"What are you thinking, Jack?" Ryder asked, his voice low and cautious.

Jack’s lips curled into a slight smile, a spark of determination in his eyes. "I’m thinking that if there are other people on this island," he said, "then there must be a way they got here. And if there’s a way onto the island... there’s a way off."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of Jack’s words sinking in.