After months of grueling travel, we finally stumbled upon a small town that wasn't on any map. We were lucky to find it; a sandstorm had ravaged our camp, destroying most of our equipment and killing three members of our crew.
The village leader, an old man with a gray beard, dark skin, and long black hair, greeted us. His eyes held a depth that matched his years. He explained that they had isolated themselves from the world to protect a great treasure. My heart quickened. Where there's treasure, there's gold, and gold means fortune. Perhaps, I thought, I could claim it after finding the Great Tree. The town was called Dofida, or دوفيدا in Arabic. I was taken aback by how fluently they spoke English. For a society cut off from the modern world, they seemed surprisingly advanced.
One of our crew members cracked a joke in Spanish. To our surprise, the village leader responded in perfect Spanish, his pronunciation so flawless it was as if it were his native tongue. He paused, then offered a warm smile, as if remembering his manners. "Forgive me, friends," he said with a Buddha-like calm. "I am Adriel. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Adriel led us to an ancient temple at the center of the village. He explained that it had been built during the time of the ancient gods to safeguard a treasure of immeasurable value, a treasure that no one had yet discovered.
As we approached the temple, I could almost feel the weight of gold coins in my hands, hear them clinking in the air. The other crew members' eyes gleamed with the same greedy anticipation. But then, something strange happened. A chill ran down my spine, like a drop of cold water trickling down my back. I pulled out the golden-silver compass Mr. Nobody had given me. It was pointing directly at Adriel. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Are you part of the Order of the Shining Stars?"
Adriel stopped dead in his tracks. His face twisted into a mask of rage, his eyes burning with a sudden, violent intensity. "Do not dare to say that name again!" he roared.
In an instant, the peaceful village transformed. The villagers stood, knives in hand, their eyes wild with fury, like animals ready to pounce. The air crackled with murderous intent, thick enough to choke on.
We had brought guns, a precaution I hadn't imagined we'd need against children. But as one of them lunged at me, I fired. The child crumpled to the ground, only to rise again, laughing maniacally. My blood ran cold. Behind me, I heard a scream—one of the crew members fell, his throat slit, dead within seconds.
Adriel's voice cut through the chaos, cold and merciless. "You have brought the wrath of our ancient god upon you. The timing is perfect. We've grown bored; it's been too long since we made sacrifices to our god. Here's the deal: if you can reach the temple before we slaughter each one of you, we'll let you take the treasure and leave unharmed. Make it interesting."
At that moment, there was only one choice: survive...
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