Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player



Klaus' group finally received a Golden Ticket hours before the end of the day's activities.

A single Golden Ticket was enough for everyone in a group to receive a 50% increase in their final grade for the month, thus increasing the amount of points they could use as credits within the campus Special Program.

As the boys bullied by the Athletic Department bullies left, Klaus held the Golden Ticket tightly in his hand, feeling the symbolic weight of that small piece of paper that meant so much to them. Then he looked at Emily, Cloe and Andrew, who were also smiling with relief and satisfaction. Although they knew that receiving this golden ticket was only the beginning of their journey into the forest, they also felt that it was an important step toward success in the evaluation activity.

At that hour, the sun shone tentatively through the treetops, creating rays that danced across the ground covered with leaves and roots that seemed to be wishing upon each other.

The fresh forest air filled their lungs as they walked in silence, taking in the serenity and vastness of their surroundings.

Klaus decided it was too soon for them to find a safe place to regain their strength and call it home. The place where they spent the night was fine, very fine, but it was also dangerous. Considering that most people would split up through the forest as the days went by in an increasingly fierce search for the Golden Tickets, the perfect place was closer to the Teachers' Building, not least to avoid troublemakers.

However, since they had walked a lot the day before, they were still in a deep part of the forest when the sun was almost at the top of the sky. So they approached the river that meandered through the forest and decided that this would be the perfect place to take a break. Emily and Cloe sat at the edge of the water, letting their bare feet soak in the cool current, releasing the accumulated tension and cleansing them a bit.

While they refreshed themselves, Klaus and Andrew took the opportunity to assess their resources.

Andrew opened the first aid kit and checked to see if there were any essential items left, such as bandages and antiseptic. Klaus checked the compass to make sure it was pointing in the right direction and mentally planned the next people in his group.

Just as Klaus was about to rush the girls to follow as quickly as possible to set up a decent camp as soon as possible, he watched them closely and saw how they smiled as if they weren't nervous about anything. He saw the resilience in their eyes and realized that they were more friends than they seemed, and that they had become a duo united by the common goal. It was amazing how circumstances like this could bring people together.

Hm. Maybe that's the real intention of this activity. Klaus thought.

With that in mind, he decided not to rush them and went to the riverbank to enjoy it.

Emily and Cloe laughed and tried to protect themselves from Klaus, who threw water in their direction. Andrew, on the other hand, watched with a smile, happy that his friends were calm. However, while Klaus' group was enjoying a brief moment of relaxation by the river, Klaus noticed a strange movement out of the corner of his eye and decided to take a look. He saw a mysterious figure hiding among the trees, watching their every move.

He slowly stood up, wiped his hands on his pants, and turned his gaze more intently to the area where the mysterious figure had been spotted. At first, an ordinary person would see nothing but the lush greenery of the forest, but Klaus' eyes were sharp enough to notice even the smallest details.

"What is it, Klaus?" asked Emily, noticing the serious expression on his face.

"I have a feeling we are being watched," Klaus replied in a low voice, keeping his attention on the vegetation.

The laughter stopped and an air of tension filled the room. Cloe and Andrew looked in the same direction as Klaus, who was staring at the other bank of the river, trying to identify any sign of presence, and Emily immediately left the bank, covering her wet shirt, which was now slightly transparent.

Suddenly, a slight movement in some of the bushes caught the group's attention as it caused the leaves to move a little.

"What was that?" Andrew asked, his eyes puzzled.

Klaus was alert, his mind assessing the possibilities. He felt a mixture of concern and curiosity. What did this strange person want with them? Was it a competitor from another group, looking for the golden tickets?

Suddenly, a nimble shadow dodged from behind the bush and moved to a nearby tree, revealing itself for a brief moment before disappearing again. Whoever was watching started to run, but Klaus obviously didn't want to let that go unnoticed, so he crossed the shallow part of the river and started to run towards the lurker.

"Hey, Klaus, wait!" Andrew tried to shout, but it was no use, Klaus was running so fast that he disappeared between the trees in an instant.

Klaus' heart was pounding in his chest, driving him to run faster and faster in search of the unknown lurker with pure adrenaline. He plunged into the forest, following the visible tracks left by the broken leaves and branches. The light of the midday sun filtered through the treetops, creating irregular patterns of shadow on the craggy ground and making it easy for anyone spying on the group to spot them. Klaus leapt over fallen trunks and dodged overhanging roots, remaining agile and eager in his pursuit. His surroundings were a symphony of natural sounds, with the whisper of the wind between the leaves, and the chase was punctuated by the sound of branches snapping beneath the feet of the two runners.