Chapter Three: The Ruins Beneath the Earth
1356 Words
The dense jungle canopy stretched high above them, filtering sunlight into scattered golden beams that flickered against the damp ground. Ethan, Isabelle, Lucas, and Rafael pushed forward, their breath ragged from the sprint. The sound of gunfire had faded behind them, but they knew the mercenaries weren’t far.
“We can’t keep running forever,” Isabelle said between breaths, glancing over her shoulder.
“No,” Ethan agreed, “but we can’t fight them head-on either. We need a plan.”
Lucas checked his tablet. “They’re regrouping. Looks like they’re trying to cut us off from the east.”
Rafael, his machete in hand, gestured toward a moss-covered stone structure up ahead. “There. That’s part of the ruins. If we can get inside, we might be able to lose them.”
The ruins were ancient, overgrown with vines and half-buried in the earth. Stone pillars and crumbling walls jutted out from the ground, their surfaces worn smooth by time and the relentless grip of nature.
“This matches the markings from the journal,” Isabelle murmured, running her fingers over a series of symbols carved into the stone. “We’re in the right place.”
Ethan glanced at the carvings, then at the jungle behind them. “Then let’s hope there’s another way out of here.”
They hurried toward the ruins, ducking beneath fallen beams and stepping over loose stones. As they moved deeper, the jungle seemed to close in around them. The air grew cooler, damp with the scent of moss and earth.
“Over here,” Rafael called. He stood at the base of a massive stone door, partially hidden behind thick vegetation. “This could be a way inside.”
Lucas ran his hands over the surface. “There’s an opening mechanism, but it’s old. Rusted.”
Ethan examined the carvings. “There’s a pattern here. It looks like some kind of puzzle.”
Isabelle nodded. “I’ve seen something like this before. Give me a second.”
She studied the markings carefully, tracing the grooves with her fingers. “This isn’t just decoration. It’s a pressure system.”
Ethan turned to Rafael. “Can you help clear some of these vines?”
Rafael didn’t hesitate. With swift, precise swings of his machete, he cut away the overgrowth, revealing more of the stone surface.
“There,” Isabelle said, pointing to a series of small, circular depressions in the wall. “We need to press these in the right sequence.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “And if we press the wrong one?”
“Let’s not find out,” Ethan muttered.
Carefully, Isabelle pressed the first symbol, then the second. A deep rumbling echoed through the ruins. Dust cascaded from the top of the doorway as ancient gears groaned to life.
“Come on,” Isabelle whispered, pressing the final symbol.
With a loud *clank*, the stone door shifted, grinding against the earth as it slid open just enough for them to squeeze through.
“Inside, now!” Ethan ordered.
One by one, they slipped through the gap. As soon as they were all inside, Rafael pushed against the door, and with another *clank*, it sealed shut behind them, leaving them in darkness.
---
Lucas flicked on his flashlight, illuminating the vast chamber they had just entered. Dust hung thick in the air, disturbed only by their presence. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings, depicting figures in ceremonial robes, holding what appeared to be the relic they were searching for.
“This place is ancient,” Isabelle whispered, stepping forward in awe. “Thousands of years old, maybe more.”
Ethan ran his hand over the wall, feeling the deep grooves of the carvings. “And we might be the first people to set foot in here in centuries.”
Rafael, ever the pragmatist, kept his voice low. “Which means there could be traps.”
Lucas groaned. “Of course there are traps. There are always traps.”
They moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The chamber stretched ahead, leading into a narrow tunnel lined with more carvings. Faint symbols glowed along the walls, reacting to the light from their flashlights.
“This writing… it’s a lost dialect,” Isabelle said, squinting. “I can barely make out parts of it.”
“What does it say?” Ethan asked.
She hesitated, running her fingers along the stone. “Something about a test… or a trial.”
Lucas exhaled sharply. “That doesn’t sound promising.”
Ethan took a step forward—and the floor beneath him shifted.
“Stop!” Isabelle shouted.
A series of grinding sounds filled the chamber. Lucas swung his flashlight upward just in time to see dozens of small holes in the walls.
“Move!” Rafael yelled.
A barrage of darts shot out from the openings. Ethan dove forward, rolling as the projectiles whizzed past his head. Isabelle pressed herself against the wall, while Lucas and Rafael hit the ground just in time to avoid being skewered.
The darts ceased after a few moments, and an eerie silence settled once more.
“Well,” Lucas muttered, pushing himself up. “That was fun.”
Isabelle shot him a look. “Ethan, you okay?”
Ethan dusted himself off. “Yeah. Let’s be more careful.”
They pressed on, moving deeper into the underground structure. The passageway widened into another chamber, this one dominated by a massive stone bridge extending over a dark abyss.
Ethan shined his flashlight down, but the darkness below seemed endless. “I don’t like this.”
Lucas examined the bridge. “This thing looks ancient. Think it’ll hold?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Ethan said, stepping forward. The stone beneath his foot felt solid enough. He took another step, then another.
One by one, they followed, moving carefully across the bridge. The air was thick, carrying the faint scent of something old, something forgotten.
Halfway across, a low *rumble* vibrated beneath them.
“What now?” Lucas groaned.
The bridge trembled. Then, without warning, the section behind them *collapsed*, crumbling into the abyss.
“We can’t go back!” Rafael shouted.
“Run!” Ethan ordered.
They sprinted, the ancient stone crumbling beneath their feet. Rafael was the first to reach the other side, followed closely by Isabelle and Lucas. Ethan pushed himself forward, leaping just as the last piece of the bridge fell away.
He hit the ground hard, rolling onto his back. Dust filled the air as the last remnants of the bridge tumbled into the darkness.
Lucas groaned, sprawled on his back. “Remind me why we do this again?”
Ethan grinned despite himself. “For the adventure.”
Rafael shook his head. “You’re all crazy.”
Isabelle helped Ethan to his feet. “We made it. That’s what matters.”
They turned to face the chamber ahead. At the far end, standing atop a raised platform, was an ornate pedestal. And resting upon it…
“The relic,” Ethan whispered.
It was smaller than he expected, a golden artifact covered in intricate symbols, glowing faintly in the dim light. It pulsed with an energy that sent a chill through the air.
“This is it,” Isabelle said in awe.
Lucas eyed it warily. “Okay, but let’s just assume touching it activates another death trap.”
Ethan approached cautiously. He could feel the energy radiating from the relic, humming like a heartbeat. This was what his grandfather had spent his life searching for.
He reached out, hesitated for a moment, then grasped the relic.
A sudden *boom* shook the chamber. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the ground trembled violently.
“Now what?” Lucas yelled.
The walls began to shift, ancient gears grinding to life.
Isabelle’s eyes widened. “We just triggered something.”
Ethan clenched his jaw. “Then we better get out of here—fast.”
The ruins were coming down around them. And somewhere in the jungle above, the mercenaries were still hunting.
This was far from over.
- Writer
