The heavy scent of earth and damp foliage filled your nostrils as you slowly came to, lying on your back, staring up at a thick canopy of jungle trees. Your limbs felt sluggish, your muscles weak. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on your chest, yet you couldn’t remember how you’d gotten here—or why you felt so disoriented.

Your first instinct was to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through your skull, sending a wave of nausea spiraling through your gut. You pressed your palms into the soft dirt, steadying yourself. In the distance, the unfamiliar calls of exotic birds and the hum of insects filled the air. It was a place far from civilization, far from safety.

And then, it all came rushing back.

Kraven.

That maddeningly self-assured voice, dripping with arrogance and purpose. The way he had spoken to you, like you were not an opponent or even an enemy, but a challenge—a puzzle he intended to solve. He had approached you days before, making a simple proposition: join him in a test of wits, strength, and survival. You had refused. There was no reason to indulge his obsession or give him what he wanted. Kraven the Hunter was infamous for his twisted sense of honor and desire to defeat worthy prey—whether they agreed to his games or not.

Your mouth was dry as you recalled the confrontation, the way he had tracked you, and waited for the perfect moment. And then… nothing. The memory ended with you being ambushed, overpowered, and dragged into the shadows.

Your vision blurred for a second, the world spinning as you forced yourself to stand. Kraven had done something to you, drugged you perhaps. A sickening mixture of fury and anxiety twisted in your gut. He hadn’t just made this a hunt—he’d given himself the upper hand.

For a moment, you were convinced he was watching you, hidden just out of sight. Perhaps he was toying with you already, savoring your confusion.

“So, you’re awake at last.'' He speaks.

''I’ve taken the liberty of… evening the odds,” Kraven continued, his tone mocking.