Rain tapped lightly against the windows of the old shack as Nate leaned back in a cracked leather chair, the scent of salt and damp wood thick in the air. The group had returned from the island with nothing but more questions and a soaked map that now lay stretched across the table between them.
Ava hovered over it, squinting at the faded markings. "This symbol keeps showing up. I swear I've seen it in my dad's old journals."
Kaito was already flipping through one of the ancient tomes he kept in his backpack. "It's not just a symbol. It's a seal—one that marks the location of something hidden... and dangerous."
Sakura crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Or it's a tourist trap."
Ryuji, however, looked intrigued. "If the legends are true, that seal belonged to one of the original founders of the island. People say he buried something powerful—something that could rewrite everything we know about the gold... and the curse."
Nate scoffed. "You believe in curses now?"
"I believe in things people are too scared to understand," Ryuji replied, his gaze steady.
The room fell silent.
Ava broke the tension. "Well, whether it's a curse or just some creepy artifact, we're clearly not the only ones looking for it. You all saw that other boat trailing us last night."
Kaito nodded grimly. "Yeah. And they didn't look like treasure hunters."
Nate stood, stretching his arms as lightning flashed in the distance. "Then we better find it before they do."
Thunder cracked outside, louder now, closer. The storm was moving in fast.
"Let's move," he said, grabbing his jacket. "This place won't give up its secrets by sitting around."
As the group geared up to head out again, none of them noticed the shadowy figure watching from the edge of the woods—silent, still, and waiting.