Page 34 of Cursed By Gold

I crouch down to examine the door closer. "Let's press the symbols in order of the maze paths, from shortest to longest."

Rose agrees, and we begin pressing the symbols. Nothing happens. Disappointed, we step back to examine the puzzle again.

After several minutes, I snap my fingers triumphantly. "The maze paths that lead to the center are in order from longest to shortest, not the other way around!"

Rose shrugs. "Worth a try."

We press the symbols in the revised order: top left, bottom right, top right, and bottom left. This time, with a grinding of stone, the enormous door slides slowly open, revealing the chamber beyond.

"Well done!" Rose says appreciatively.

I can't help but smile back at her, our brief celebration putting aside competition.

Rose claps me on the shoulder. "Don't celebrate too much," she warns. "There will be more difficult puzzles ahead."

I sober at her words, knowing they are true. We have overcome this obstacle through teamwork and observation, but further challenges await.

We step cautiously into the chamber beyond the puzzle door. Torches flicker to life as we enter, illuminating a vast underground space hewn from rock. The air is cold and still, hinting at the age of this place.

Carved into the cave walls are burial niches filled with ancient remains. Bones, urns, and deteriorating cloth litter the floor amongst stone tools and weapons. We have stumbled upon a tomb.

Rose kneels to examine something on the floor. "Look at this," she says, beckoning me over. A mosaic depicts a many-headed serpent entwined around a horned staff. "The symbol of Cheribus," Rose notes. "God of the Underworld."

A sense of foreboding creeps over me as I take in our surroundings anew.

As we step further into the chamber, spikes shoot up from the floor while blades swing down from the ceiling, barely missing us.

Rose eyes the obstacle course of traps warily. "We'll have to move carefully."

I nod. "Agreed. You head right, I'll go left. Watch your step."

We quickly dash between two swinging axes, hearts racing. Rose eyes the obstacle course of traps warily. "Let's make this interesting," she says, a challenging glint in her eyes. "First one to the artifact wins."

I meet her gaze evenly. "You're on." This is our chance to truly test each other's skills. Something we haven't done in years. Once we were friends, in our training days. That was long agothough. Our respective missions keep us busy, and rarely do we have this sort of opportunity to see who is best.

We move through the gauntlet of traps. A flaming arrow launcher springs to life, firing a volley that we jump and roll beneath. "One point for me," I sing, grinning at Rose's scowl.

Sheathing my dagger, I swing on a rope across a chasm to the next section while Rose navigates a series of spinning blades. We both make it through unscathed. "Tied score," Rose says through gritted teeth.

A pressure plate activates below my foot, dropping a net from the ceiling that narrowly misses Rose. I cut myself free quickly. "Two points," I crow.

Rose smirks. "Not for long." She defuses a trap that would have set off a spiked boulder, saving us both. "There, we're even."

We continue through the chamber, adrenaline coursing through our veins as we test each other's speed, agility, and tactical thinking.

Finally, we reach the altar and golden scarab artifact. But as I reach for it, the floor starts sinking into a spike-lined chute.

Rose and I grab on, momentarily united in our will to survive. "Don't worry," I say confidently. "For members of the GGG, this is basically child's play."

Rose laughs. "Literally."

Together, we hold on, wondering if we'll make it out alive. This trap isn't meant for the clever or brave—only the lucky survive. And luck, it seems, is all we have.

As the stone floor sinks further into the spike-lined chute, Rose and I hold on for dear life.

Rose spots two heavy stones nearby and grabs one. "Help me swing these into the gears over there!" she shouts.

I grab the other stone, and we take turns swinging them at the gears powering the trapdoor. After several hits, the gears jam, and the floor stops sinking.

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