Whispers of Ember Hollow:The Final Game

Dawn of the Hunt

The sun cracked the jungle canopy in golden slashes. Myles, heart pounding, clutched a sharp rock he had found during the night. His shoes were gone. Feet bleeding, skin torn, he pushed through the thick vines, haunted by the echoes of hunting horns.

From behind, the hounds howled. The hunters were on his trail.

Each step felt like a choice between death and pain. He knew they weren’t hunting for food or sport. They were hunting for the thrill of dominance. And he was just another “game” for their perverse tradition.

A Deadly Trap

Myles stumbled upon an ancient temple ruin—mossy stone, forgotten by time. He climbed inside, breathing hard. As he hid, he remembered the words of the old man the night before:

“They play with their food here. But if you last till dusk, you earn your freedom.”

But Myles didn’t trust promises made by devils.

From a crevice, he spotted one of the hunters—tall, cruel eyes, high-powered rifle in hand—moving closer. Myles waited, heart still.

At the perfect moment, he leapt. A scuffle. The rock struck hard. Blood sprayed the stone wall. Myles was no longer prey. He had tasted what it was like to be the hunted.

Now, he would become the hunter.

Turning the Tide

Myles took the man’s weapon, boots, and satchel. Inside was a map of the island, and something else—photos of other victims. Men, women, children.

This was no one-time hunt. This was a tradition.

A dark society, hidden from law, luring castaways, tourists, runaways... and killing them for pleasure.

Myles burned with fury.

One by one, he picked them off. Ambush after ambush. Using their traps against them. Their arrogance became their undoing.

By dusk, only the leader remained—the man who greeted him with wine and charm.

Final Confrontation

In the burning remains of the manor, Myles faced him. The man smiled even now.

“You're quite the hunter after all. But you'll never escape. This island... it eats the truth.”

Myles didn’t reply. He raised the rifle.

Bang.

The man slumped, and silence returned to Ship-Trap Island.

Escape & Legacy

Myles set a flare from the armory. Three days later, a cargo ship saw the smoke.

When they found him, he was half-starved, haunted, and silent.

Back on the mainland, no one believed his story.

But the island remains. Unmarked on maps. Hidden in mist. Waiting for its next ship.

And Myles?

He never stopped running—not from people, but from sleep.

Because in dreams, he still hears the horn blow at dawn.

END:

Some hunts never end. Even when you survive them