The cave was unlike anything I had imagined. Its entrance yawned wide, resembling the mouth of a beast frozen in mid-roar, its jagged rocks forming teeth that gleamed faintly under the dim light of the moon. A chill crept into my spine as we stepped inside, the cool, damp air wrapping around us like a shroud.
Elara trailed behind me, her movements hesitant. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure she was still there. Her eyes darted nervously across the cavern walls, her body tensed like a coiled spring.
"Stay close," I said, my voice echoing faintly.
She nodded, though her trembling hands betrayed her fear. I couldn't blame her. The mastermind's clue had led us here, and the oppressive darkness of the cave made it clear this was no ordinary place.
As we ventured further, faint markings began to appear on the walls. Strange, almost primal symbols carved into the stone with an eerie precision. Some resembled arrows, others spirals, and a few even looked like faces twisted in anguish. I ran my fingers over one of the carvings, the cold stone rough against my skin.
"The markings," Elara whispered, her voice barely audible. "Do you think… he left them for us?"
I didn't answer. The mastermind was cruel, but not careless. Everything here had a purpose, and I wasn't about to ignore it.
But, what was the reason for the markings? It looks totally random.
The deeper we went, the more the cave seemed to shift. The walls closed in, the ceiling lowered, and the floor became uneven. The resemblance to a mouth wasn't just cosmetic—the very structure of the cave felt like we were being swallowed whole.
Then came the dangers.
The first trap was subtle—a thin wire stretched across the path, nearly invisible in the dim light. I stopped just in time, pulling Elara back before she could trip it. She gasped, her hand gripping my arm tightly as I carefully stepped over it.
"What kind of sick game is this?" she muttered, her voice trembling.
"It's not a game," I said grimly, scanning the path ahead. "It's a test."
We pressed on, navigating pitfalls, false paths, and sharp spikes that jutted from the walls like fangs. Each step was more treacherous than the last, the mastermind's warning echoing in my mind. Each step would become increasingly difficult.
But something was off.
The traps weren't untouched. Some had already been triggered—wires snapped, spikes dislodged, and pressure plates activated. The signs were subtle, but unmistakable. Someone had been here before us.
"Elara," I said quietly, pointing to a smear of blood on the ground.
Her face paled as she followed my gaze. The blood was fresh, leading in a trail deeper into the cave.
"Someone else was here," she whispered.
I didn't respond, my eyes fixed on the trail. Whoever had come through this cave hadn't just survived—they had pushed forward, bypassing the traps with a determination that matched my own. But at what cost?
The trail led us to the heart of the cave, a chamber that opened wide like the belly of the beast. The walls glistened with moisture, the air thick and heavy. In the center of the room stood a stone pedestal, its surface scratched and smeared with blood.
The pedestal was empty.
I approached cautiously, my footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. The faint scent of iron lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy smell of damp stone. Elara stayed close, her eyes darting nervously around the room.
"It's gone," I muttered, my hand brushing over the surface of the pedestal.
"What's gone?" she asked, her voice tight.
"The badges," I said, my jaw tightening. "They were here."
Elara looked around, her eyes wide. "But… who took them? And where did they go?"
I studied the ground, noting the faint outlines of footprints in the dirt. They led away from the pedestal, back toward the entrance of the cave. The blood trail continued, thicker now, as if whoever had been here was injured—or worse.
"We're not alone in this part of the island," I said, my voice low. "Someone else had already figured it out."
Elara swallowed hard, her fear palpable. "Orion… what do we do now?"
I straightened, my resolve hardening. "We find the next cave."
She stared at me, her exhaustion and fear etched into her features. But she didn't argue.
We left the cave, the chill of the night air a stark contrast to the oppressive heat inside. The mastermind's puzzle was far from solved, but the empty pedestal had given me a clue. The badges were out there, scattered across the island. And if someone else was after them, it meant we didn't have time to rest.
As we walked, I glanced at Elara. Her steps were slower, her energy waning, but she didn't complain. She trusted me to lead, to protect her. I only hoped I could live up to that trust.
The forest loomed ahead, the shadows growing darker as we moved away from the cave. The mastermind's voice echoed in my mind again, a taunting reminder of the challenge we faced. Be careful of the darkness. Mind your teeth.
The next cave awaited. And with it, the next test.