I was abruptly slapped on the shoulder.

  “What did you do?” Sana hissed, articulating each syllable sharply.

  Before I could respond, a subtle rumble echoed through the chamber. Suddenly, the wall in front of us began to rise. As it ascended, flecks of dust and tiny fragments of rock dislodged from its surface, falling softly to the ground. We braced ourselves for an attack, but instead, a cave opening was revealed.

  Once the wall had fully retracted and the rumbling ceased, we hesitated, scanning for enemies. Finding none, Kaylie conjured a flame to light our path. As we cautiously entered, the rough stone interior of the cave gradually emerged from the shadows. With no creatures lurking, we allowed ourselves a moment to relax.

  “Great, now we’re trapped,” Jack huffed.

  “Not fully,” Kaylie countered, her gaze lifting to the ceiling. We all followed her eyes upward.

  Sunlight streamed through two jagged holes in the roof, casting beams of light that illuminated the cave. The openings were positioned more toward the center of the ceiling rather than the edges, making them difficult to reach. While they appeared too narrow to crawl through easily, especially given their concave shape, the physical abilities granted by this world, might make it possible for someone like Kaylie or Sana. I kept thinking in terms of my own world’s limitations. For someone as light as Kibi, Carrick’s daughter, it would likely pose no challenge at all.

  I then looked around to get my bearings. The place looked just like a cave with writings on a particular spot on the wall. The only thing that looked different was the flooring. After experiencing trauma from traps in the hallway, I was wary of any flooring. Luckily, it seemed like a natural cave except for a circle in the middle, so we could walk around the perimeter as much as we liked.

  As we realized there were no threats in the area, Kaylie asked, “What did you get?”

  That was when I tore my gaze away from the room and realized I was still holding the ring I had taken. I looked down at it, hoping for answers, and strangely enough, I found one.

  “It is the loop within a loop,” Rabbit said as I turned it over in my hand.

  “What?” I asked, puzzled.

  “When we spoke with the Ancient, she mentioned, ‘The first treasure will fix what you are missing and is located to the east, exactly 45,762 meters from here. The second treasure will let you fix what could have been. This is to the south, exactly 55,066 meters, but to access it, you must first gain the loop within the loop.’”

  I hadn’t memorized our conversations, but of course, Rabbit remembered everything. This ring was the key to the second location. Realizing this, I felt a surge of hope. We were nearing the end of our journey. Encouraged by this thought, I clenched the ring a little tighter, a smile breaking across my face.

  “A ring, do you think it's enchanted?” I asked aloud, holding it up for everyone to see. It appeared quite ordinary, but it did have the tiniest speck of a purple gem, almost too small even to mention.

  “It’s violet,” Rabbit corrected, and I internally scoffed. I never understood people's obsessions with finding the exact correct color. Who cared if a leaf was forest green or olive green?

  Sana extended her hand, and I passed it to her. She scrutinized the ring intently before speaking, “It’s not enchanted, but I get a strong feeling from it, like it’s linked to something bigger.”

  As she handed it back, I slipped it onto my finger.

  Ignoring him, I mused, “I think this might be the key to my second location. If this is what we had to do to get into the first, I’d rather not go through it again.”

  “You know we aren’t coming on another journey,” Sana interjected, and I casually waved her off. I understood that they were helping me get on my feet. This lead seemed like the best chance I had to grow stronger. Once I wasn’t helpless, I wouldn’t need my babysitters anymore.

  “Let’s go check out the next clue,” I said, gesturing toward a wall. We approached, keeping a safe distance, which allowed us to read the inscription without getting too close. It read:

  Two and two, the eyes will shine red and blue

  If you say the wrong hue, it will spell doom

  Two will know, and two won't

  Two and two will be divided

  The time to act is when the eyes of heaven are upon you

  Once entered, it can only end in separation or termination

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “What do you think that means?” I asked, my eyes still fixed on the writing.

  “I don't know, but it's intriguing,” Sana replied.

  “I know exactly what it means,” Jack chimed in.

  “Really? What?” Kaylie leaned in, curious.

  “It means it's lunchtime,” Jack declared, his expression deadpan.

  I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until he said that. We had been fiddling with the traps on the other wall for quite a while, and a break was definitely overdue. Besides, discussing the clue over a meal seemed like a perfect plan. I pulled out our food, and we all settled down to eat at the edge of the cave.

  A little while into our meal, Jack asked, “Did you see any traps in here?”

  “No, I can't see traps,” I replied, my mouth still full. It was a bad habit, but Kaylie didn’t seem to mind.

  What struck me as odd was Jack's almost-perfect table manners. He sat upright, eating quietly without ever joining the conversation with a full mouth. You wouldn’t expect such impeccable behavior from him, given his rough exterior. It turned out he might have inherited this decorum from his upbringing in a noble house, a detail about his past I had only recently learned. I had initially thought Jack was merely a part of the household, but he had revealed that his grandfather was the founder of their noble line. This didn’t necessarily place Jack at the head of the house, but it indicated he was closely related to the current leader, and possibly as part of the main family or a branch.

  This heritage explained why table manners were drilled into him, though the same couldn’t be said for the way he talked to me. Jack often spoke down to others, a trait not uncommon among nobles, who typically regarded those beneath them with disdain. In a country built on the backs of slaves, such attitudes were likely magnified, though I couldn't say for sure, as he seemed to really dislike me.

  Jack swallowed a small bite and then asked, “What about the other room we were in? You spotted a ton of traps.”

  “That wasn’t Trap Detection,” I replied. “It was just analysis, pure and simple. Certain stones had distinct characteristics. Unless those exact types of stones are in here, there’s no way for me to know. Besides, it was Sana who initially pointed out which stones were traps.”

  “But her Detection skill is really low-level,” Kaylie chimed in, speaking with her mouth full, much like I had been. She was slouched over, eating quickly and cheerfully, unconcerned with manners. Glancing at Sana, I noticed she was the opposite, chewing slowly and taking small, deliberate bites.

  It seemed the camp was divided into two distinct groups when it came to dining etiquette. Sana and Jack maintained proper decorum, approaching mealtime with a certain formality, while Kaylie and I were more laid-back, not minding a bit of mess.

  A moment later, Sana chimed in, “I can check for traps after we eat. This place isn't large, and I'm fairly certain I can cover the entire area quickly. But remember, that's no guarantee against higher-level traps. As you get deeper into the Labyrinth or the dungeons, the enemies and traps become more sophisticated. The last batch of traps was at the edge of what I can detect, and they weren’t particularly challenging. Maybe we should try fishing for traps.”

  “Fishing for traps?” I echoed, puzzled, until I caught Jack’s knowing smile. “Oh, you mean using me as bait.”

  “Well, you are dressed for it,” Kaylie quipped as I glanced down at myself.

  Indeed, I was still clad in some of Jack’s armor. He himself wasn’t wearing any over his chest, which was an oversight, but he appeared unconcerned.

  The cave was small, and if something had wanted to attack us, it likely would have already done so. I realized I still had a rope tied around my waist and shoulders. I was unwittingly prepared to be bait. As I stood up to begin, Sana abruptly yanked me back down. “We are still eating,” she scolded. “That was rude.”

  “Fine, fine. You two are stuffy,” I muttered, not needing to specify who I meant. Each side thought the other was absurd. Kaylie, however, seemed oblivious to the tension, her gaze fixed with a serene smile as if she was untouched by the world’s cares.

  “What do you think the riddle means?” Kaylie asked, and I realized she was staring at the writing.

  “There are a lot of numbers in there. Is your analysis helping at all this time?” Jack asked. “It turned out right with that circle thing.”

  Since Rabbit was silent now, I assumed he didn’t have any insights this time, so I scrutinized the text myself. “Hmm, there are a lot of twos, and it says, ‘Two and two will be divided.’ But that equals one. Nothing else stands out to me.”

  “Well, if you read the last line, it states, ‘Once entered, it can only end in separation or termination,’” Sana pointed out. “I think that implies we might be separated.”

  “What? All of us?” Jack asked, his confusion evident.

  “No, two and two. There are four of us. I think we will be split into two groups of two,” Sana explained. “Or, ‘separation’ might mean something more final, which I definitely don’t like the sound of.”

  I reread the riddle, questioning Sana's interpretation. “Look at the first line: ‘Two and two, the eyes will shine red and blue.’ That could mean two eyes and two colors, right? I don't think it necessarily refers to us. Besides, what if a solo adventurer had reached this point? If four were required and only one showed up, they'd be stuck here forever.”

  “Sorry, but that’s not necessarily true. Places like this often adapt and change based on who enters. They’re ephemeral and intelligent,” Sana countered, scanning the room.

  “Wait, so the outer room we came from, would it have been different if I had come alone?” I probed.

  “No, I doubt that. It seemed like that room would have stayed the same regardless of the group size,” she clarified. “And I'm not saying this room is adapted to our specific group, but it’s possible. I think the ‘two and two’ might still refer to our party of four, but it’s just speculation at this point.”

  “True, but what can we definitely take from the riddle?” I pressed, still puzzled about the 'two and two' reference. I believed it pertained to the colors and the eyes, yet her theory might hold water, too.

  “From what it sounds like, we need to choose a color, the correct one, or we face dire consequences,” Kaylie interjected. “I'm not sure exactly what that entails, but I’d wager we only get one shot at picking the right color.”

  “Agreed, I think the options might be red or blue,” I replied.

  "Umm, sorry, I disagree. It says 'hue,' not 'color,'" Sana countered. "If you think about it, when red and blue light interact, they could blend into any hue in between, like purple."

  "I hadn’t considered that. You’re right," I acknowledged.

  "Any other thoughts?" Kaylie asked, turning to Jack for his input.

  "Nope," Jack replied, bored.

  I then posed a question that had been nagging at me, "Does anyone know what 'heaven’s eyes' are? I'm new here, so I might be missing something."

  "Sorry, that’s not something I'm familiar with," Sana responded.

  "Yeah, it's not a common phrase. You’re not missing out on anything. We don’t know either," Kaylie assured me, echoing Sana's sentiment.

  “Okay, I guess it's time for a little Alf fishing,” Jack declared with unwarranted enthusiasm.