Daniel Hayes didn’t believe in miracles.

  In his experience, survival was never about luck.

  It was about preparation.

  About observation.

  About staying calm when everyone else panicked.

  Standing in the blood-soaked clearing, Hayes slowly exhaled.

  The bodies of the armored men lay scattered across the ground. Broken shields, bent swords, and torn cloaks painted the grass in dark stains.

  The air smelled of iron and death.

  Hayes had seen battlefields before.

  This one was different.

  Not because of the corpses.

  Because of the creature.

  He glanced toward the direction where the beast had disappeared into the forest.

  A truck-sized monster.

  Four legs.

  Stone-like skin.

  And strong enough to tear trained fighters apart like paper.

  Hayes muttered quietly to himself.

  “Yeah… that’s definitely new.”

  He tightened his grip on the sword he had taken from one of the fallen men.

  The weapon felt strange in his hand.

  Too heavy compared to the rifles he was used to. Too primitive.

  But right now, it was better than nothing.

  Hayes crouched beside one of the corpses and began checking the equipment.

  Habit.

  Even after death, soldiers checked the battlefield.

  A leather belt.

  A small pouch.

  Inside it—dried meat.

  Hayes stared at it for a moment.

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  Then shrugged.

  “Guess I’m not in a position to complain.”

  He took it.

  Another body carried a waterskin.

  Useful.

  He slung it over his shoulder.

  Piece by piece, he collected what he could.

  A short dagger.

  A cloak.

  One of the shields was cracked but still usable.

  Hayes examined it closely before strapping it to his arm.

  Improvised gear.

  Better than walking around naked.

  Within ten minutes, the clearing looked slightly less chaotic.

  Hayes stood again and looked around the forest.

  The sun was already lowering.

  That meant one thing.

  Night was coming.

  And somewhere out there…

  That creature was still alive.

  Hayes’ brain shifted instantly into survival mode.

  Rule number one:

  Shelter.

  Rule number two:

  Water.

  Rule number three:

  Stay alive long enough to figure everything else out.

  He turned toward the forest.

  “Alright,” he muttered.

  “Step one.”

  The forest was thick.

  Thicker than anything Hayes had seen before.

  The trees were massive, their trunks twisted and ancient. The ground was uneven, covered with roots and dense vegetation.

  Hayes moved carefully.

  Quietly.

  Every few steps, he stopped to listen.

  Old habits.

  No gun.

  No night vision.

  No radio.

  No backup.

  For the first time in years, Hayes was completely alone.

  After nearly an hour of walking, the forest began to change.

  The terrain rose slowly into rocky hills.

  Good.

  Higher ground meant visibility.

  It also meant caves.

  Hayes climbed carefully over the rocks, scanning the area.

  Then he saw it.

  A narrow opening between two stone formations.

  A cave.

  He approached slowly.

  Sword ready.

  Inside, the darkness swallowed the entrance.

  Hayes picked up a stone and threw it inside.

  The rock clattered against the ground.

  Nothing moved.

  He waited.

  Ten seconds.

  Twenty.

  Still nothing.

  Carefully, he stepped inside.

  The cave wasn’t large.

  But it was deep enough.

  Dry.

  And most importantly…

  Defensible.

  The entrance was narrow.

  Only one or two creatures could enter at a time.

  Hayes nodded slightly.

  “This’ll do.”

  He gathered several stones and branches from outside and placed them near the entrance.

  Improvised barricade.

  Not perfect.

  But good enough for one night.

  Once the basic defenses were set, Hayes finally sat down against the cold stone wall.

  The exhaustion hit him immediately.

  Adrenaline had been carrying him all day.

  Now his body demanded rest.

  He opened the pouch he had taken earlier.

  The dried meat tasted awful.

  But it was food.

  Hayes chewed slowly.

  His mind finally had time to process everything.

  Explosion.

  Death.

  Forest.

  Monsters.

  Medieval soldiers.

  He rubbed his face.

  “Okay,” he sighed.

  “Let’s assume this isn’t a dream.”

  That left only one possibility.

  He was somewhere else.

  Somewhere very far from Earth.

  Hayes leaned his head back against the stone wall and stared at the cave ceiling.

  His voice was quiet.

  “…So what now?”

  The answer came quickly.

  Simple.

  Clear.

  Soldier logic.

  First—survive.

  Second—understand the environment.

  Third—find civilization.

  And finally—

  Find a way home.

  Hayes closed his eyes.

  For the first time since waking up in the forest, he allowed himself to think about Earth.

  About the team.

  About the mission.

  About the explosion.

  His jaw tightened.

  “Damn it.”

  He pushed the thoughts away.

  Emotion could wait.

  Right now, survival came first.

  Outside, the sun slowly disappeared behind the trees.

  Darkness swallowed the forest.

  Strange sounds began echoing through the night.

  Distant howls.

  Heavy footsteps somewhere far away.

  Creatures moving in the shadows.

  Hayes slowly tightened his grip on the sword.

  He didn’t sleep deeply that night.

  But he slept enough.

  Because tomorrow…

  He would start figuring out what kind of world he had fallen into.

  And how the hell he was going to survive it.