Though it moved swiftly, its youth restricted it to crawling. Should it be seven days old, it could fly and would have instantly burrowed into Nicole's flesh.

Nicole noticed the parasite nearing, panic setting in. Her hands clumsily worked the bindings, but it was too late.

The parasite reached Nicole's feet and began its ascent up her leg.

Nicole attempted to swat it away, but the parasite, proficient at burrowing, was relentless. Despair washed over her.

Just then, a blazing stick landed at her feet. The parasite was instantly destroyed by the flames.

For a moment, Nicole felt a calm settle over her. She glanced up to see a figure approaching briskly, clad in a snug jacket.

Even from a distance, his imposing stature was recognizable to Nicole.

It was Jarrod. How had he found her here?

Hope surged through Nicole. Perhaps she could make it out of this.

Clearly, Jarrod had planned for this rescue, evidenced by the bag of burning sticks he carried. Down below, his team battled the swarm of parasites, hurling the sticks outward to form a barrier. The flames deterred the nearby parasites and kept the distant ones at bay.

Yet, the number of parasites was too great, overwhelming any efforts to fully eradicate them.

Jarrod's men, overwhelmed themselves, could no longer lend aid. It was Jarrod alone, concerned for Nicole's safety, who braved the danger to aid her.

Upon seeing Nicole's injured hands, pain mirrored in Jarrod's eyes as if he himself had been struck. Silently, he knelt and used his knife to slice through the bindings on her feet.

Once Nicole was unbound, Jarrod hastily ripped his sleeve and fashioned a makeshift bandage for her bleeding hands, his actions driven by a shared sense of her pain. He asked gently, “Does it hurt?"

"No," Nicole responded, her voice low, prioritizing survival over her discomfort.

Their focus now shifted to escaping safely.

Jarrod, his expression tense, prepared to carry Nicole to safety.

“Climb on my back, I'll get us out of here," he said, crouching to lift her.

In light of the current danger, carrying Nicole on his back proved more practical than in his arms, allowing him to keep an eye on the swarming parasites and defend against any that approached too closely.

Suddenly, Nicole halted Jarrod. "Wait! What about Roscoe? Please, help me save him."