Story 100: The Serpent's Lair

In the heart of a forsaken jungle, where the canopy was so thick that sunlight rarely kissed the forest floor, lay an ancient temple lost to time. Overgrown with creeping vines and shrouded in perpetual mist, the temple was the stuff of legends—whispered among tribesmen and adventurers alike. They spoke of riches beyond imagination and a curse that befell any who dared enter.

Tonight, under the dim light of a waning crescent moon, four treasure hunters stood at the temple's entrance. Their leader, a grizzled veteran named Marcus, raised his torch, illuminating the carvings of serpents that twisted and coiled along the walls.

“This is it,” Marcus said, his voice tinged with excitement and fear. “The Temple of the Eternal Serpent.”