The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the island. The air carried a certain uneasiness—a quiet stillness before an incoming storm. Nate stood with his back to the ocean, his silhouette framed against the shimmering water. Kaito leaned beside him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
"You think it's really down there?" Kaito asked, his voice low.
Nate nodded, his jaw tight. "The map led here. The markings were clear—this is where it starts."
Ava joined them, her steps light but focused. Ryuji trailed behind, flipping a coin between his fingers. The four stood in front of an old, rusted hatch, half-buried in the overgrown sand. It looked like it hadn't been touched in decades.
"Underground tunnels?" Ava said. "Sketchy."
"Everything about this is sketchy," Ryuji added. "But that's what makes it fun."
Nate crouched and pulled the hatch open with a creak that echoed through the dunes. A cold draft seeped from below, like the breath of a sleeping beast.
As they descended, the narrow tunnel swallowed them in darkness. The air grew damp, the walls lined with crumbling stone. Torches flickered, placed in holders as if someone had been here not long ago.
"What… is this place?" Kaito muttered.
The answer came quickly—etched murals on the stone walls depicted a story: a kingdom lost to time, a treasure guarded by betrayal and blood. Symbols matched those from the map they found back in Chapter 3.
Suddenly, a clatter echoed through the tunnel.
"Shh—did you hear that?" Ava whispered.
From the shadows, figures emerged—three masked assailants clad in black, blades drawn. They moved fast.
Nate drew a short dagger from his belt and blocked the first strike. The clang of steel against steel reverberated through the corridor.
Kaito lunged forward, swift and powerful, using his momentum to shove one attacker against the wall. Ava ducked low, sweeping another off their feet, and Ryuji stepped in with surprising precision, disarming the third.
"Not bad," Nate said between breaths.
The last assailant scrambled back into the darkness but left behind a torn pendant—a mark of a secret faction.
Ryuji picked it up. "Guess we're not the only ones looking for the treasure."
As the team moved deeper, the tunnels branched. They chose the left path, guided by faint sounds of rushing water. Eventually, they reached a massive underground chamber—a cathedral of stone and silence.
In its center, a pedestal held a rusted journal sealed under glass. Nate stepped closer.
"This belonged to my dad," he said quietly, a storm rising in his eyes. "He left this behind... on purpose."
Ava placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then we're getting closer. We'll find out the truth—together."
Nate nodded slowly, the fire of determination reigniting in him. Whatever secrets lay buried beneath the island, they would uncover them—even if it meant facing ghosts of the past.