The jungle was loud.

Not in a chaotic way, more like it was alive. Insects buzzed, distant calls echoed through the thick trees, and the humid air clung to everything. Leaves brushed against your arms as you pushed through the undergrowth, tablet in hand, muttering quietly while reviewing the tracking data.

"Movement in sector C again... That's the third time today." You murmured.

Probably the Carnotaurus pair again.

You sighed. Owning an island full of dinosaurs sounded glamorous to the outside world, eccentric billionaire conservationist protects prehistoric wildlife, but most days it was just bug bites, mud, and worrying about whether something with teeth the size of kitchen knives had wandered too close to the research camps.

A branch snapped somewhere ahead.

You froze.

That wasn't dinosaur-heavy.

That sounded like… People.

Your hand drifted automatically toward the tranquilizer pistol holstered at your hip as you stepped forward carefully through the trees.

Then you saw them.

A small group of very lost-looking humans pushing through the foliage. Muddy, tired, clearly not expecting to see anyone else out here.

One of them nearly walked straight into you. He stopped so abruptly he almost tripped over his own boots.

"Oh—!"

The man blinked behind slightly crooked glasses, clearly startled. His hair was a mess from humidity and his shirt looked like it had lost a fight with several branches.

You tilted your head.

He stared at you for a second like his brain needed a reboot.

Then he spoke, his voice low. "You're… A person."