#Chapter 14: The Trickster’s Gambit

Mira crouched behind one of the towering marble columns of Artemis' temple, her heart racing. The temple was quiet—eerily so. It felt like even the air was holding its breath, waiting for her next move.

"Alright, phase one," she whispered to herself, adjusting the **Helmet of Invisibility** on her head.

She peeked out cautiously. The main chamber was still empty, just as she had planned. Artemis had left with her hunting party hours ago, and Hermes' distraction was working like a charm. The god of trickery had offered to lead some of Artemis' wolves on a wild goose chase, leaving her with an open path to the bow.

It was almost too easy.

The **Bow of Artemis** rested on a pedestal in the center of the room, bathed in silvery moonlight. The intricate carvings on its surface shimmered faintly, and Mira couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

She stepped forward, invisible and silent, her bare feet making no sound against the polished marble floor.

*"Alright, just grab it and go,"* she thought, trying to ignore the nervous fluttering in her stomach.

With a deep breath, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around the bow. It was cool to the touch, almost unnaturally so, and for a moment, she froze, waiting for something to happen.

But nothing did.

The pedestal didn't sink. No alarms blared. The statues didn't come to life.

*"Huh. That was… easy."*

Mira allowed herself a small smile as she lifted the bow from its stand. For a fleeting moment, she thought she had pulled it off.

And then the trap sprung.

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### **Phase Two: When Luck Runs Out**

The moment the bow left its pedestal, the entire temple seemed to shift.

A loud **click** echoed through the chamber, followed by the grinding of stone. Glowing blue runes lit up along the walls, their intricate patterns weaving across the room like a spider's web.

The doors slammed shut behind her with a deafening **boom**, and Mira whirled around just in time to see the **statues begin to move.**

The marble huntresses, once silent and still, turned their heads toward her, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. Slowly, they stepped down from their pedestals, their movements jerky and unnatural, but deliberate.

Mira's heart plummeted.

*"Of course,"* she muttered, clutching the bow tightly. *"Too easy. Way too easy."*

She took a step back, but before she could move any further, a **golden chain** shot out from the ceiling, narrowly missing her arm.

Panic surged through her as she dodged to the side, her mind racing.

*"Think, Mira, think! There's gotta be a way out!"*

But as she turned toward the exit, she saw it—

The floor had split open, revealing a **gaping chasm** where the doorway once stood.

Behind her, the statues were closing in, their faces expressionless but somehow filled with malice.

Mira's breath came in shallow gasps as she stood there, frozen. For a moment, the panic overtook her, and memories she had buried deep began to surface.

The sound of screeching tires.

The crunch of metal.

The feeling of being trapped, powerless, as everything fell apart around her.

Her hands trembled as she clutched the bow to her chest.

*"Why did I think this would work?"* she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the approaching statues. *"Why did I trust something as flimsy as luck?"*

The word felt bitter on her tongue. Luck. The same force that had abandoned her time and time again. The one thing she had learned not to rely on.

Her legs felt like lead, her mind blank as the statues drew closer.

*"This is it,"* she thought. *"I'm going to fail. Again."*

And then, quietly, almost without realizing it, she began to hum.

*"Luck be a lady tonight…"*

The tune was shaky at first, barely more than a whisper. But as she hummed, her mind began to clear. The song was silly, something she had picked up from an old movie years ago, but it grounded her.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

*"Luck be a lady tonight… don't let me fail this fight…"*

The statues were just feet away now, their marble weapons glinting in the dim light.

*"Okay, okay,"* she muttered under her breath. *"If I'm going down, I'm going down swinging."*

But just as she braced herself for the inevitable, something unexpected happened.

The **runic symbols on the walls flickered**, their glow dimming for a split second before surging back to life. The statues halted mid-step, their movements suddenly jerky and uncoordinated.

Mira blinked in confusion.

*"What the…?"*

The air around her seemed to shift, and a faint, golden light began to emanate from her chest.

She looked down, her eyes widening as she saw the source of the glow—a **small icon** hovering in her peripheral vision.

**[Newbie Bonus Activated: Beginner's Luck.]**

*"You've got to be kidding me,"* she muttered, but she wasn't about to question it.

The glow spread outward, enveloping the entire room. The statues froze in place, their weapons dropping to the ground with a clatter. The golden chains retreated back into the ceiling, and the runes on the walls dimmed until they disappeared entirely.

For a moment, there was silence.

Mira stood there, clutching the bow, her heart pounding in her chest.

*"Did that… just happen?"* she whispered, her voice trembling.

The golden light faded, and the temple returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

Mira let out a shaky laugh, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

*"Beginner's luck,"* she said, shaking her head. *"Guess I'll take it."*

With one last glance at the now-quiet temple, she adjusted the Helmet of Invisibility and made her way toward the exit.

This time, she didn't look back.

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