When fate plays its hand

“With all this time left, why don’t we try looking for some rare plants?” Miranda suggested. Plus, who wouldn’t want a perfect score?

“Sure, I’m in!” Madison said enthusiastically. “Honestly, I don’t care much about 100 or 80; I just want to hang out with you guys!”

After a short rest, the three set out again

There wasn’t a specific list for rare plants–finding one was like an open–ended question. As long as they discovered a plant recognized as uncommon, it would count. But this time, their search wasn’t as

s easy. As dusk fell and the light began to fade, Madison panted from exhaustion. “We’ve covered at least a dozen sections by now and haven’t even glimpsed a rare plant! How long is this going to take? I’m starving

Sebastian had gotten her into the habit of morning runs lately. Whether it was the increased activity or something else, Madison had been finding herself hungrier than usual. Her legs felt weak, and she genuinely couldn’t keep going.

Miranda was also tired, but with only two sections left in Area A, it would mean they could exclude it from their search tomorrow. And, judging by the time, they could make it before dark.

“Let’s push on a bit longer. We should be able to finish the last two sections in Area A before nightfall,” she encouraged.

“There’s only two more?” Madison asked.

“Yes,” Miranda replied.

“Then I’ll skip the break and come along! It’s the last stretch; if I give up now, I might end up slapping myself later. Let’s go!”

She was about to get up when Miranda held her back. No need to rush. Take two more minutes. Drink some water and have a snack.”

“Right!” Madison’s eyes sparkled. “Miranda, you’re the best!”

As she spoke, she let herself settle back down, not quite ready to move yet.

Miranda and Sebastian exchanged a look silently.

But a moment later, Madison noticed something odd. Do you guys feel like it’s getting warmer?”

Miranda looked around and seemed to realize something. This area had noticeably lush vegetation. Thinking back to the handbook they’d been given at the garden’s entrance, she had a hunch. “I think we’ve entered the tropical plant area.”

They had passed through the heated plant area around noon, but now they’d crossed half a hill, so reaching a specialized zone wasn’t surprising.

Sebastian nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, this area probably has a special temperature control system to simulate a specific environment. We’ve been seeing camphor and banana trees along the way, which are common tropical plants.”

+25 BONU

These were just regular trees that they hadn’t paid much attention to earlier.

Madison’s eyes lit up. “I think the handbook mentioned there are rhododendrons in the tropical section. There are so many types of rhododendrons–maybe we can find an uncommon variety? Would that count as rare?”

Miranda said, “Rhododendrons are incredibly diverse–there are already over a thousand recorded varieties. The most common type is the large–leaved rhododendron, which you can find across most tropical regions, so it’s not considered rare. Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

“However, the tree–like rhododendron is much harder to find and only grows in the Cloud Mountains. If we could find a tree rhododendron, that would definitely count as rare.”

The Cloud Mountains were at least three miles away from their current location and in a high–altitude: area, much of it still an untouched natural reserve. It was even rumored that critically endangered tigers might still inhabit those forests.

Given that this was just a man–made botanical garden, the chance of encountering such a large, rare tree was slim.

Madison sighed in disappointment. ‘Guess I got my hopes up for nothing.”

Miranda smiled but didn’t say anything. She continued walking in the direction they’d been searching. pushing through the undergrowth, feeling the damp air becoming thicker.

Moving carefully past thorny vines, she approached what felt like a water source. Then, about 30 feet from the stream, she unexpectedly found something hidden within the dense forest.