The night descended swiftly as Kara and her team finally reached the other end of the Iron Horizon bridge. Before them stretched a dense, uncharted forest, its thick canopy concealing the stars and the sky above. The bridge's cold, metallic surface gave way to towering vegetation, the flora here unlike anything they had encountered before on Jumbar. The plant life seemed almost alive, whispering softly in the breeze, their luminescent edges casting an eerie glow in the fading light.

"Set up camp here," Kara ordered, scanning the treeline warily. The creatures on the other side of the bridge were notorious for their cunning, and they couldn’t afford to be caught off guard. Ryan, Torik, and Zera moved quickly, their well-practiced routine unfolding as they built a small fire and arranged makeshift chairs from supplies they carried.

As they sat around the crackling flames, their conversation turned to what lay ahead. "We must be the first to ever make it this far," Zera remarked, her voice a mixture of awe and exhaustion. "No one’s ever spoken of the portal shacks… it's like we unlocked something that wasn’t meant to be found."

Kara nodded slowly, her eyes scanning the dark forest ahead. "It feels too easy. There’s something... watching. Something waiting."

Torik's eyes never left the perimeter. "We can't let our guard down. This planet has a way of reminding us we're not in control."

But none of them knew the full truth about the portals. Each activation did more than just transport them forward—it unknowingly moved them closer to something ancient. Each portal led further down the line, deeper into the secrets left behind by the Soomites.

 

Miles behind them, Dorian Reeve and his team stepped into the thick, unnatural mist. They had stumbled upon the first portal shack Kara’s team had used, the door left ajar as if inviting them into the unknown. Reeve grinned as Vek scanned the area for signs of life, his eyes narrowing in concentration.

Lira hesitated at the threshold. "We should be cautious. We don’t know how far this will take us."

Reeve waved off her concerns with a dismissive gesture. "It doesn’t matter. Kara’s just ahead. We’ll follow her trail through these portal shacks until she’s within reach." He activated the portal, watching as the swirling energy engulfed the room.

Moments later, they emerged at a portal station on the outskirts of something long forgotten—the edge of an empty Soomite city. Towers of sleek, angular design loomed in the distance, their surfaces etched with faintly glowing symbols. Rusted machines lay scattered along the deserted streets, a graveyard of ancient technology that had long ceased to function. The air was thick with silence, interrupted only by the distant hum of machinery that still clung to life.

"This... this is a Soomite city," Lira whispered, her eyes wide as she took in the ancient structures.

These cities were once marvels of engineering, self-contained ecosystems that had sustained their creators for centuries. The portal jump had taken them one portal station past the last portal shack on the Iron Horizon bridge, landing them at the edge of the first Soomite city along the line of portal stations. There are many of these cities scattered across the vast land beyond the bridge, each isolated yet connected by ancient technology.

"But there’s nothing of value here," Vek muttered, inspecting a dilapidated machine. "No working tech, no treasure." He glanced at his wrist device, fingers tapping rapidly across the screen. The device blinked, displaying a map of the surrounding area. His face remained impassive, though his eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"Kara and her team are three kilometers behind us, moving in this direction," Vek reported, his voice low but steady. "They'll catch up soon."

Reeve’s jaw tightened. "We’re close to something. I can feel it." He scanned the city streets, his mind calculating. "Kara has no idea what she’s about to walk into."

 

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