Jericho

Thomas and his friends arrived to Jericho around twelve o'clock. They immediately grabbed a couple bags from the back of the car, carrying food to enjoy that night, and began hiking up the mountain. Its rugged landscape was difficult to traverse, even for someone like Daniel who trains every day. 

"So," Billy began speaking to the group, "What do you guys plan on doing once we're done with high school"

"I'll be working for the family," Charles responded with his hands behind his head as if he were relaxing on a beach. 

"I plan on becoming a pilot," Daniel responds, "I need to make good use of my strength on something other than boxing, what about you, Billy?"

"Oh, I don't really know yet, Im also considering being a pilot, to follow my dad but I don't know if that's the life for me."

The entire group then began to look towards Thomas who was enjoying the forest landscape surrounding the trail up the mountain. Thomas had no clue what to do with his life, he didn't own a soul drive and getting one was near impossible in today's day and age, but he also needed a job to support his mother and younger brother, since their dad died in an accident ten years ago. 

"I think I'm just gonna get a decent paying job to provide for my family," Thomas said.

"Hey, I can always put in a good word for you at the company," Charles responded, "my parents already love you."

"Thanks but no thanks," Thomas replied. The group laughed a little and continued upwards. 

Jericho took approximately five hours to climb to the top, it had been about two and a half hours since the group began their ascent and it didn't seem like the peak was in sight.

Then, suddenly the Earth began to shake, the rocks from the mountain fell onto the path the group was on, Thomas seeing the falling rocks quickly pushed Billy to the side before he was crushed by the boulder, but in the process Thomas lost his footing, and fell off the side into a forest of trees surrounding the mountain. Thomas' friends looked in disbelief and fear as they witnessed his body drop almost forty feet into the trees, and they quickly began descending the way they came to make sure Thomas was alright.

The sound of branches breaking could be heard as Thomas plummeted through the foliage, until finally his body hit the dirt. He felts a strong pain in his ribs and had cuts and bruises all over his body from the fall, but he somehow managed to stand up and brush the dirt off his clothes. It was a miracle that he had survived that fall, but now he was lost in the forest and didn't know what to do.

Thomas began walking through the forest hugging the side of the mountain intending to eventually find the trail. He had a limp in his step and he held is ribs the entire time attempting to ease the pain he felt whenever he breathed. Until suddenly, the sound of whispers reached Thomas' ears.

"Xen-shala, Xen-shala" the whispers uttered a language foreign to Thomas, and he began thinking he was losing his mind or about to die.

"Xen-shala, Xen-shala" the whispers began getting louder the further Thomas walked until eventually, they stopped. At that moment Thomas found a cave entrance in the side of Jericho, he looked inside and saw a strange white portal distorting the cave. Thomas knew he should probably find his friends and report the portal to the IOP, but something about it drew him closer. He stepped into the cave and reached his hand to the portal. Then everything went white.

...

Thomas was sucked into the portal and on the other side was a closed room with no exit and only a small pedestal containing something that looked like a USB drive. 

"Is that, a soul drive" Thomas thought to himself as he approached the pedestal, "but why is it just here, shouldn't it be protected by a dungeon." As Thomas was thinking to himself what to do he suddenly heard the whispers again, this time coming from the pedestal.

"Xen-shala, Xen-shala, mek bro timo sapa" Thomas couldn't understand what he was hearing for the life of him, but something about it made him feel as if it was telling him to take the drive. Thomas walked slowly towards the pedestal and gently took the drive out of the pedestal.

As soon as he held the drive, the room began shaking violently causing Thomas to fall to the ground, meanwhile the pedestal retreated beneath the ground and the drive began giving off a bright blue light. The light enveloped Thomas and everything went blank.