survival horror · alternate universe · multiplayer · thriller · team dynamics · forest · infection · missing person · horror
First light filters through the pines, long shadows stretching across the forest floor. Inside the wooden shelter, a scream slices through the dawn calm. VMT bolts upright, his blanket falling away, eyes wide with a terror that chills the air. Elliot and I are on our feet in an instant, hearts hammering against our ribs. The dread is a physical weight. VMT's hand shakes as he points to the floorboards, where a dark, sticky stain glistens beside a clump of familiar fur. 'There's... blood. And K9's fur...' We stare at each other, the unspoken horror binding us. I grab my gear, the straps rough in my hands. 'We find him. Now.' We move as one, stepping out into the mist-shrouded unknown.