Ander walked alongside Josh as the group continued their journey toward Zafarí.

  They watched animals resembling squirrels with bat wings flutter past them, leaving them astonished.

  "Look, Josh, you can see the savanna ahead," Ander said, pointing.

  The change in biome was clear: a beautiful view that filled the group with joy, a sign their journey was nearing its end.

  "Wow… it’s beautiful, isn’t it, Alicia?" Josh commented.

  Alicia’s eyes lit up.

  "This is the area with the most wildlife."

  "Yes… and also the most danger," Andrew added.

  "From now on, be more cautious. Watch our surroundings carefully," Néstor warned.

  The group paused so Rebecca could rest.

  Even in their situation, the survivors prioritized caring for her.

  "Ah!" Rebecca excimed, feeling discomfort in her belly.

  "Are you okay?" Lix asked, rushing to help.

  "Let’s rest a bit, Rebecca needs it," Rogelio said.

  They settled beneath some trees, using the shade to analyze the area.

  Ander approached Rebecca.

  "Do you need anything, ma’am?"

  "No, Ander, thank you. My feet are killing me, and my baby’s just a little tired."

  "Raise your feet a bit," Rogelio suggested, propping them on a stone.Julia leaned toward her.

  "Rebecca, you need to take better care of yourself. You’ve been walking nonstop for days," she reminded.

  "I can’t imagine how exhausted you must feel… I think I have an idea,"

  Ander said.

  Everyone exchanged confused looks.

  ***

  The group resumed their march, but now Ander carried Rebecca on his back so she wouldn’t strain herself.

  "Are you sure I shouldn’t get down? I’ve got more energy now, I can keep going," Rebecca said.

  "Don’t worry, you need more rest," Ander replied.

  Andrew walked beside them.

  "Look at this kid… not a drop of sweat," he remarked, impressed.

  Ander kept walking with Rebecca’s weight on his back, but he did so proudly.

  Helping others was a drive born deep within him—something his father had taught him.

  As the sun set, they set up camp and prepared roasted fox.

  "Thank Andrew and Cody for tonight’s dinner, for their great work as teachers," Luke said.

  "We didn’t do anything. It was our students, showing off their aim," Cody replied sarcastically.

  The group enjoyed their meal.

  Days together had forged friendship and camaraderie.

  The battles and survival strengthened their bond more each day.

  "I didn’t want this, but I know we all need as much energy as possible," Ander said.

  "Don’t feel bad, kid. That’s nature," Néstor replied.

  Anna interrupted.

  "I agree with Ander. Aren’t we also running from our hunters?"

  "Hostiles aren’t part of our nature," Rogelio affirmed.

  "They’ve been with us for over a hundred years. I think they are," Martin concluded thoughtfully.

  "But they don’t attack other species—only us," Luke expined.

  Ander stared at the meat cooking.

  "They want to take our pce at the top of the food chain."

  "We’re their only competition," Andrew concluded.

  "If this conversation was meant to make me vegetarian, sorry—it didn’t work," Adriano joked, biting into a piece of meat.

  Ander looked at everyone seriously.

  "If they’re not part of our nature… then what am I now?"

  Silence fell over the group.

  "You’re still one of us," Josh replied.

  "You’re better than us," Rebecca added.

  Everyone nodded, showing empathy.

  Ander felt motivated by their trust.

  It seemed they had become a true team.

  "Tomorrow we’ll keep debating. For now, let’s rest," Néstor said, extinguishing the fire.

  Night fell, and most went to sleep.

  The sky was starless, the moon hidden by clouds.

  Ander took his watch shift alongside Néstor.

  Rain began to fall softly.

  Iván got up and walked to a nearby tree to relieve himself.

  Suddenly, he heard a strange noise.

  "What the hell was that?" he muttered nervously in the dark.

  Growls echoed in the night.

  Glowing eyes appeared among the bushes: a pack of hyenas, but rger than normal.

  Iván backed away slowly, not turning his back.

  "No way… I didn’t bring my weapon," he whispered desperately.

  The hyenas advanced faster.

  Iván decided to run.

  "Help! Wake up!" he shouted.

  "What’s happening?" Ander asked, seeing Iván sprint toward camp.

  "Ander! Ander!" Iván cried, just before a hyena rammed him, biting his leg and dragging him away.

  Ander pointed.

  "Néstor, over there!" he alerted.

  The pack charged straight toward camp, while another attacked Iván.

  Without hesitation, Ander ran to the hyena dragging him.

  Néstor fired precisely, killing the beast.

  "Hold on, we’re here!" Ander said.

  "Iván, can you walk?" Néstor asked.

  "I think so… thank you," Iván replied, breathless.

  The hyenas, enraged, attacked again.

  Ander held one by the jaws to stop its bite, while Néstor shot it cleanly in the head.

  The rest of the group woke to the chaos.

  Darkness and rain made it hard to see, but the growls and ughter were unmistakable.

  "Wake up! But… they’re not hostiles," Italia excimed, shocked.

  Everyone armed themselves quickly, moving under orders to stay together.

  The hyenas prowled in the shadows, exploiting the confusion.

  "Stay together and aim carefully!" Luke ordered.

  "Don’t fire unless you’re sure of your target!" Lix added.

  Rain poured harder.

  Ander and Néstor carried Iván to the center of camp, where Rogelio and Alicia treated his wound.

  "Press here, Alicia," Rogelio instructed.

  The rest of the group tried to drive the animals back.

  "Form a circle, protect each other’s backs!" Luke shouted.

  The group managed to form a defensive ring.

  Balto barked fiercely at the hyenas, his small body trembling with courage.

  The night had become a battlefield.

  They weren’t hostiles, but natural predators.

  The group had to prove they could survive not only the horrors of the unknown, but also the savagery of the wild.

  The first hyena attacked…