Here we were, standing inside the community's sacred monument, preparing to steal a legendary herb in broad daylight.
Never in my life had I imagined becoming a thief.
Yet somehow, this was the one adventure I couldn't bring myself to walk away from.
We slipped silently into the ancient temple.
My gaze wandered across the vast sanctuary, and an icy chill crawled down my spine.
The temple was enormous, its towering walls covered in grotesque carvings that seemed almost alive.
One depicted a man with seven eagle heads, each wearing a sinister grin.
Another portrayed a figure whose entire body was wrapped in venomous serpents, worn like necklaces and jeweled ornaments.
Further ahead stood the image of a monstrous warrior tearing apart two lions with his bare hands.
And then there was the last one...
A creature that was neither man nor beast, a terrifying fusion of both, with the body of a man and the head of a lion.
I forced my eyes away.
For only the second time since this journey began...
I was truly afraid.
Oddly enough, I hadn't felt this terrified during the Herb C trial.
Perhaps it was because this was my first time stealing.
Everyone is afraid the first time they commit a crime...
aren't they?
But Herb C had also been my first deadly trial, a game of riddles where one wrong answer meant death.
Yet I hadn't been afraid then.
Why?
Instead, I had laughed, challenged fate, and embraced every terrifying moment as though it were nothing more than another adventure...
Even when death had been only a heartbeat away.
But this...
This wasn't an adventure.
This was madness.
The moment I stepped into this temple, I realized something dreadful.
I should never have come here.
This wasn't a mission.
It was a suicide march.
As much as I wanted to dismiss our captive's words, a part of me couldn't.
What if he had been telling the truth?
Could we really steal Herb D... and simply walk away?
Could this mission truly be as easy as we had convinced ourselves it would be?
What if something went wrong?
What if we were discovered?
Would any of us leave this place alive?
Then there was our captive.
Why had he seemed so...
eager to help us?
He had revealed everything without hesitation.
The exact location of Herb D.
The hidden underground tunnel beneath the Temple of the Order of the Flame.
The narrow window of opportunity, when every member of the sanctuary, including the shaman, left to bathe in the sacred river before performing their ritual.
He told us everything.
Without torture.
Without bargaining.
Without fear.
Natasha called him a psychopath.
Maybe she was right.
Because no sane man would hand over information that valuable... unless he was absolutely certain we would never leave this place alive.
Still...
We had survived impossible situations before.
Zoah was a god.
He would protect us.
Even if we were caught, he could fight his way out...
...Couldn't he?
Who was I trying to fool?
A god was still only one man.
And this temple was crawling with warriors.
Even gods had limits.
Didn't they?
Every instinct screamed at me to turn back before it was too late.
But my feet refused to listen.
So I kept walking.
Straight into the darkness.
"We need to move quickly," Zoah said in a low voice.
"The shaman and his followers will return soon."
"Exactly," Natasha muttered.
"I don't even want to imagine what will happen if we're caught."
"Simply entering this place as outsiders is already a crime," I said. "Sneaking into their sacred temple makes it even worse."
"And stealing their sacred herb?" Natasha added. "That makes three."
"Three crimes..." I swallowed hard. "Enough to earn us a death sentence."
Zoah glanced over his shoulder.
"You're both forgetting the worst offense."
"What?"
"We kidnapped one of their own."
The words struck me like a hammer.
For a moment, I had completely forgotten about our hostage.
My heart sank.
No...
This mission couldn't fail.
Because if it did, there would be no escape.
No mercy.
Whoever was caught would die.
Only a miracle could save that unfortunate soul.
At last, we reached the center of the temple, the exact place our captive had described.
A massive rug covered the stone floor.
Zoah pulled it aside, revealing a concealed trapdoor.
Unlocked.
A chill crept down my spine.
It could only mean one thing.
The owners hadn't expected anyone to discover it...
Or they hadn't gone far.
Either way, they would be back soon.
We were running out of time.
Zoah slowly lifted the trapdoor.
A narrow stone staircase disappeared into darkness beneath the temple.
"Go on," Natasha whispered, nudging me.
I stared at her in disbelief.
"You're seriously using me as bait? What if there's something waiting down there?"
She folded her arms.
"Weren't you the fearless one? During the Herb C trial, you were always the first to walk through every mysterious door."
I blinked.
Was she really throwing that back at me?
"That's different," I argued.
"Something about this feels... wrong."
Both of them looked at me.
"Our captive told us exactly where Herb D was hidden, and every single detail has been true so far."
I hesitated before continuing.
"But do you know the creepiest thing he said?"
They remained silent.
"He said we'd eventually get caught..."
"...and we'd all be killed."
A heavy silence settled between us.
"If he was right about Herb D..." I whispered, "then there's a chance he was right about everything else."
Natasha's confidence faltered.
"I hate to admit it..." she sighed, "...but you actually have a point."
"For the first time since this journey began..." I said quietly, "I'm genuinely terrified."
I forced out a nervous laugh.
"Why couldn't every herb be as simple as Herb A and Herb B?"
Natasha groaned.
"If Herb D is already this dangerous..."
"...what kind of nightmare is Herb E going to be?"
She slowly turned toward Zoah.
"What exactly have you dragged us into?"
"Stop whining like children,"
Zoah replied, clearly losing his patience.
I folded my arms.
"I think I agree with her this time."
I looked him straight in the eye.
"What have you gotten us into?"
Zoah sighed.
"Since the two of you have decided to mutiny, let me remind you that complaining won't complete this mission."
He stepped onto the staircase.
"I'll go first."
Without another word, he disappeared into the darkness below.
Natasha and I stared after him until he vanished from sight.
"I'll go next," I said.
"The heck you will!" Natasha blurted.
"I am not going last."
I frowned.
"And why not?"
"Because that's how horror movies work!"
She pointed dramatically at the staircase.
"The last person through the creepy door is always the first one to get caught."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So... you're saying I should be the unlucky one instead?"
She smiled innocently.
"I'm saying I'm not volunteering."
Before I could protest, she bolted down the stairs.
"Hey!" I hissed.
Typical Natasha.
I let out an exasperated sigh before following them into the tunnel.
Please...
Just let this mission end without anyone dying.
But deep inside...
I already knew the truth.
I'd seen this story countless times.
A group of people walks willingly into a place they should never have entered.
Everything seems fine at first.
They find exactly what they're looking for.
Then...
Everything falls apart.
One by one.
I had thought Herb C was the most terrifying trial we'd ever face.
I was wrong.
Herb D wasn't just another mission.
It was the beginning of a nightmare.
And as I descended deeper into the darkness beneath the temple...
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was already waiting for us.