Narratives of Survival

Read the first-person accounts of heroes who ended up in the shadow jungles. Every character has their own motivation, survival strategy, and viewpoint on the shadow world.

Max Kravchuk

Scout

Alina Petrenko

Hunter

Taras Shevchenko

Shadow Shaman

Iryna Koval

Engineer

Day 1: The Collision

May 12, 2023

The aircraft went down. I can't recall what transpired. We were flying over the ocean one minute, and then there was turbulence, panic, darkness, and I was here. I'm surrounded by jungle, but something's off. Like a photo negative, everything has an odd bluish-gray tint.

The majority of passengers vanished. Specifically, their bodies vanished. Rather, all that was left were shadows—conscious, moving shadows that spoke with the voices of people I knew. I look "bright" and "strange," they all say. I appear to be the only one who has maintained my physical form.

From the wreckage, I collected what I could. I have a bottle of water, a first aid kit, a folding knife, and a lighter. I made a makeshift shelter beneath a big tree for the night. The shadows of the passengers remain near me, as though they sense a bond with me. I'll begin exploring the area tomorrow. If there are other survivors, I must locate them.

Day 3: Initial Meeting

May 14, 2023

I believe I met the world's indigenous people today. They are enormous shadow beings that resemble entwined branches and vines. They move elegantly and slowly. I considered running at first, but they weren't hostile.

One of them came up to me and touched me. The wind felt chilly. Following this interaction, I started to comprehend their language—not words, but mental images and feelings. They identify as "Root Keepers" and appear quite taken aback by my presence.

According to the Keepers, I'm not the first "physical one" in this world; that's what they refer to as beings with physical bodies. However, other "physical ones" arrived here in the past and all of them eventually turned into shadows. They directed me to a trail that would lead to a community of other shadows who could provide insight into the situation.

Additionally, they issued a warning about "hungry shadows," which are beings that prey on life energy. I must exercise caution, especially at night, as it appears that my physical form contains a lot of this energy.

Day 7: Shadow Settlement

May 18, 2023

I arrived at the settlement mentioned by the Root Keepers. It's a fantastic place with streets that glow blue at night, houses made of entwined shadow plants, and shadow creatures of all sizes and shapes. Some appear nearly human, while others resemble odd animal-plant hybrids.

Shadow of Wisdom, their leader, greeted me. I learned about this world from him and his council of elders. They claim that although this location is on a separate "layer of reality," it is parallel to our world. Beings from one of these worlds may occasionally cross over into the other.

It was at this intersection that our plane crashed. For some reason, I kept my physical body, while the majority of passengers were instantly changed into shadow form. According to the Sage, this has something to do with my soul's unique qualities or destiny.

Most intriguingly, they think I can return to our world. But in order to do this, I must locate the "Transition Crystal," an artifact that is stored in the jungle deep within the ruins of an old temple. The issue is that no shadow creature can get close to the temple because it is protected by "hungry shadows."

I'll begin getting ready for the temple excursion tomorrow. I was promised supplies and route knowledge by the shadows.

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