Mini Objective

It is the day four. After a couple of hours, they came across a moss-covered rock formation that looked out of place. The rocks seemed to form an entrance to a hidden cave, half-concealed by vines and foliage. "This looks promising," Rizman said, stepping closer to inspect the entrance.

Hakim's excitement was palpable as he carefully moved aside the vines, revealing a dark, narrow passage leading into the cave. "This has to be it," he said, glancing back at the group. "Let's see what we can find."

They cautiously entered the cave, their footsteps echoing off the damp stone walls. The air inside was cool and musty, a stark contrast to the humid forest outside. As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, they noticed faint carvings on the walls, ancient symbols that hinted at the cave's purpose.

Sarah moved closer to one of the carvings, tracing it with her fingers. "These look like instructions or a riddle," she said. "Maybe this is the puzzle we need to solve."

Hakim joined her, examining the carvings. "Let me try to decipher from the carving. There are four carving at the walls. The first carving shows one stick person holding a torch. The second one shows a sharp object, looks like a trap. The third one shows an animal, the design look like a wild boar. The last carving shows one chest."

"This first part mentions something about light and reflection," Rizman pointed out. "Maybe we need to use a light to find a way to go deeper into the cave."

"Good idea," Hakim agreed. "But, I don't think we can use the flashlight. The torch is more better."

"But we don't have anything that can make it." Sarah replied.

"There are always a clue in every puzzle, let's look around and finding a torch." Hakim said.

Then, everyone started to look around for a torch. Hakim checked the right side of the cave wall, Sarah and Rizman searched the floor, and Ezat examined the left side and the back wall.

Using their flashlights, they searched their assigned areas. After a while, Hakim found two torches inside the cave, just before a narrow path. "I found them, guys," Hakim called out to his teammates.

"Nicely done, Hakim," Rizman said.

Now, the four of them stood in front of the entrance to the second clue. Hakim said. "Guys, before we enter, I want to ask you to listen to my instructions. After entering this narrow path, we might encounter traps. So, if any of you don't want to follow, you can wait outside the cave. But if you do want to follow, please be careful."

The group exchanged glances, a mix of determination and apprehension on their faces. Hakim's warning hung in the air, adding a layer of seriousness to their exploration. 

"I'm with you," Sarah said firmly. "We've come this far; we need to see this through."

Rizman nodded in agreement. "I'm not backing out now. Let's do this."

Ezat hesitated for a moment but then squared his shoulders. "I'm in. We're a team, and we'll get through this together."

"Alright, let's go," Hakim said, igniting one of the torches and handing the other to Rizman. The flickering flames cast eerie shadows on the cave walls as they made their way down the narrow path.

The passage was cramped, forcing them to walk single file. Hakim, the one that lead, followed by Sarah, Ezat and Rizman. The air grew colder and damper as they went deeper, and the sound of dripping water echoed around them. They moved cautiously, aware that a single misstep could trigger a trap.

Suddenly, Hakim stopped and held up his hand. "Wait," he whispered. "I see something up ahead."

The others peered over his shoulder and saw a series of pressure plates on the ground. "Looks like a trap," Rizman murmured.

Hakim studied the layout, then turned to his teammates. "We need to figure out the safe path. Look for any clues on the walls or ceiling."

"What happens if we walk through this way?" Ezat asked curiously.

Without delay, Hakim picked up a stone and tossed it onto one of the pressure plates. Instantly, metal spikes shot down from the ceiling, striking the pressure plate with a loud clang. The team watched in shock as the spikes retracted back into the ceiling.

"That's what happens," Hakim said grimly. "We need to be very careful. Let's find those clues and figure out the safe path."

Sarah noticed faint markings on the wall beside her. "These might be the directions to move through this trap," she said, tracing the symbols with her finger.

Hakim nodded. "Good eye, Sarah. Let's follow the pattern." He studied the markings carefully. "There's a 6x6 grid of plates in front of us. The markings start with L1 and are followed by numbers: 2, then 3, 2, 1, and 1."

He turned to the team. "Alright, it looks like the numbers might indicate the number of steps we need to take in each direction. 'L1' probably means one step to the left plate."

"Got it," Rizman said, eyeing the grid warily.

Hakim stepped cautiously onto the first plate to the left. Nothing happened. "Okay, one step left. Now, step on second plate at the right." he said.

They followed the sequence, each team member stepping exactly where Hakim instructed. "Step on the second plate?" Rizman asked, taking a deep breath and followed Hakim instructed.

Hakim motioned for the others to follow. "Now, the third plate."

They proceeded with the sequence: step on the second plate, back to the first plate, and finally, another single step on the first plate. Each time, they held their breath, waiting for any sign of a trap. But, saved from any of the trap.

Finally, they reached the end of the grid. "We made it," Hakim said, exhaling in relief. "Let's keep moving, but stay alert. There might be more traps ahead."

As they managed to clear the pressure plate trap, they ventured deeper into the cave, moving towards the next clue or trial. Emerging into a large chamber, their torches illuminated intricate carvings of animals on the walls, each one depicted in remarkable detail.

In front of them stood four pedestals, each holding a small stone statue of an animal. The first was an eagle, followed by a bear, a fish, and a lion. "Nice one, the next puzzle," Hakim said, hyped up. "Now, to avoid triggering any traps, we need to find the clue relating to these statues."

"Look at these carvings," Sarah said, her voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber. "They seem important."

Hakim approached the nearest carving, running his fingers over the engraved drawing of a lion with intricate lines. "It seems like this engraving is showing us a clue."

"Okay," Ezat said. As soon as he moved, he triggered his bad luck by activating a trap in the chamber.

Suddenly, the room started to close in, the walls moving inward slowly but steadily, threatening to crush them. They had less than ten minutes to complete the puzzle before they were flattened.

"Damn, Ezat! Talk about bad luck. Your unluckiness is no joke," Rizman said with a shocked expression.

"Forget about that! We need to solve this now!" Hakim shouted, focusing on the carvings. "We need to match these symbols to the animals and input the correct sequence."

Sarah, trying to stay calm, quickly scanned the walls. "The lion is on the right wall, followed by the bear, then the eagle, and the last is a fish."

"It seems like a food chain, but I can't understand the lion. Do lions eat fish, eagles, or bears?" Hakim thought for a moment. "Hmm... What should I do?" Suddenly, Hakim remembered something his master had told him.

"Sometimes you need to rely on others' opinions too," his master's voice echoed in his head.

"Need some help?" Sarah asked.

"Just a personal opinion, what do you think about this puzzle?" Hakim asked.

Sarah stepped closer to the carvings, studying them intently. "Well, if we're looking at a food chain, it might not be literal. It could represent a hierarchy or order of power."

Hakim nodded, considering her perspective. "So, if we think of it as a hierarchy, the lion would be at the top. Maybe the sequence is based on the power or dominance of these animals."

"That makes sense," Rizman added. "If we go by that logic, the lion would be first, then the bear, the eagle, and finally the fish."

Ezat, listening carefully, nodded in agreement. "It sounds logical. Let's give it a try. We don't have much time."

All of them moved to the panel, ready to place the statues in sequence. Hakim lifted the lion statue, Rizman picked up the bear statue, Sarah took the eagle statue, and Ezat grabbed the fish statue. "Okay, here goes. Lion first, then bear, eagle, and fish," Hakim instructed.

They carefully placed the statues on their respective pedestals, following the order they had determined. As they pressed the button on the panel in front of each statue simultaneously, they held their breath, hoping they had solved the puzzle correctly.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the chamber rumbled and the walls, which had been inching closer, abruptly stopped moving. A low grinding noise filled the air as a hidden door slowly creaked open, revealing a dark passage leading further into the cave.

Hakim exhaled in relief. "We did it. Let's keep moving and stay alert. There might be more challenges ahead."

The team gathered their supplies and cautiously stepped through the newly opened passage. The dim light of their torches flickered against the rough walls, casting eerie shadows. As they moved deeper into the cave, the air grew colder and more damp, the silence broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing through the tunnels.

Sarah, keeping an eye on the walls for more clues, spoke up. "We need to be careful. There could be more traps or puzzles. Let's not let our guard down."

Rizman nodded, his grip tightening on his torch. "Agreed. We need to stay focused and work together. We can't afford any mistakes."

Ezat, still shaken by his earlier blunder, kept close to the group. "I'll do my best to avoid triggering any more traps. Sorry about earlier, everyone."

"It's okay, Ezat," Hakim reassured him. "We're a team, and we'll get through this together. Let's just keep moving and stay vigilant."

They arrived at the final clue: a chest with carvings matching those from the first clue. "That's the last thing—the chest. Do you think we'll get our treasure by clearing this mission?" Ezat asked, his voice tinged with hope and frustration.

"I can't confirm that," Hakim replied, examining the intricate designs. "Sometimes solving a puzzle doesn't give you a reward or anything tangible."

"Then why are you so into this puzzle?" Ezat continued, his tone growing more agitated.

"I find that solving puzzles is quite an interesting challenge, that's all," Hakim said calmly.

"So, we're about to sacrifice our lives just for your self-satisfaction?" Ezat snapped, anger evident in his voice.

Hakim sighed, meeting Ezat's gaze. "I understand you're frustrated, but I did say earlier that if anyone didn't want to follow, they could wait outside. Didn't I?"

Ezat's face twisted with emotion. "I thought you were different, Hakim. But you're just like everyone else—selfish to the core."

Rizman stepped in, trying to diffuse the tension. "How about we check the chest? There might be tools or something that can help us survive this trial. We need to stay focused."

Hakim nodded, appreciating Rizman's intervention. "Let's see what's inside."

They gathered around the chest, their torches illuminating the intricate carvings. Hakim carefully examined the lock, noting that it was similar to the previous puzzles they had encountered. "Looks like we need to solve one more riddle to open this," he said.

Sarah stepped closer, her eyes scanning the chest. "There might be a clue hidden in the carvings. Let's see if we can figure it out."

"The chest is locked with a combination of three numbers. We need to collect the numbers," Hakim observed, scrutinizing the lock mechanism.

"Let's see. Can you give me that torch?" Sarah asked Ezat, who was holding the torch. She searched the whole area for the clue, examining every inch of the surrounding walls and floor.

"Did you find anything, Sarah?" Hakim asked after a while, his patience waning.

Sarah sighed in frustration. "I didn't find anything. There is no clue here."

Hakim pondered for a moment, his mind racing. "Then, if there is no clue here, maybe the answer is something we've already encountered." He thought back to the previous puzzles and their solutions, replaying the sequence in his mind. "I think I have an idea."

He carefully inserted the combination: two, six, and four. As he turned the lock, the chest clicked open, revealing its contents. 

Inside, they found a collection of survival tools: a map, a compass, some medical supplies, and a small stash of food. Hakim exhaled in relief. "These will definitely help us."

Ezat's anger softened as he looked at the items. "Maybe you're not so selfish after all, Hakim."

Hakim smiled faintly. "We're all in this together. Let's use what we've found and make it through this trial."

As they examined the contents of the chest, Hakim noticed something peculiar—a folded piece of paper tucked beneath the medical supplies. Curiosity piqued, he unfolded it to reveal a handwritten note. The note read:

"To the one who solves this puzzle,

Congratulations on reaching this point. Your teamwork and determination have brought you this far. But remember, the true test lies ahead. This trial was not just about survival; it was about trust and betrayal. Look among you, for not all allies are as they seem. The key to success lies in deciphering friend from foe. Trust wisely, for your choices will determine your fate.

- The Architect"

"Hey, Hakim," she pressed, her voice low but insistent. "What are you reading? Why the secrecy?"

Hakim shifted uncomfortably, the folded note still burning a hole in his pocket. "I apologize, but it's better if you don't read this. I don't want any controversy to erupt again."

Ezat leaned forward, his expression darkening. "What does it mean, then? Is the letter implying that one of us is a traitor?"

Hakim hesitated, torn between loyalty and caution. "I can't say anything related to this letter right now. But trust me, we can't afford to let paranoia divide us. We need to stay united and figure out who, if anyone, is working against us."

Sarah's gaze shifted from Hakim to the others. The room remained tense, each member of the group eyeing the others with suspicion. The cryptic letter held secrets that threatened to tear them apart. Who was the traitor? And what perilous path lay ahead? The answers remained elusive, lost in the shadows of uncertainty.