Chapter 12 : Breaking the seal

Austin's POV

I tightened my grip on the Iron bars, shaking them hard, but they didn’t budge.

Vanessa ran her fingers along the rusted metal, her expression tense. “There’s a mechanism holding it in place.”

I exhaled sharply, my mind racing. Kyle’s footsteps were already fading into the depths of the cave.

I turned, scanning the symbols carved on the walls.

There have to be a way to disable this trap.

“There has to be a release,” I muttered. “Something that triggered when the gate dropped.”

“Let’s look around” Vanessa said. “Anything out of place, pressure plates, levers, anything.”

We spread out, moving carefully.

Then I saw it.

A few feet to the left of the gate, a carved symbol stood out. Unlike the others, it was slightly recessed into the stone almost like a button.

“Vanessa,” I called, pointing to it.

She hurried over, examining it closely. “Looks like a trigger. You think pressing it will lift the gate?”

“I hope so,” I said.