chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Rising Island (Part 3)

The temple loomed ahead, its dark, oppressive silence an ominous contrast to the earlier cacophony of the jungle. Jack, Elena, Orion, and the Marines entered through the gaping doorway, the atmosphere thick with unease. Ancient carvings lined the stone walls, and the faint glow from the torches they carried illuminated eerie statues of forgotten gods.

Jack strode ahead, his typical bravado masking the tension in the air. "Well, now, this is more like it. Dark, creepy, and full of traps—just my kind of place." His grin widened, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Elena, however, remained focused. "This temple... it's far older than anything we've seen before. We have to be careful."

Orion's face was expressionless, but his eyes flicked from wall to wall as if absorbing every detail. "Keep moving. There's no time to waste."

They ventured deeper, the temperature dropping with each step. The first trap was sudden and ruthless. Without warning, poisoned arrows shot from the walls, streaking through the air. Five Marines screamed as the arrows struck, their bodies collapsing to the floor, convulsing in their final moments. Blood soaked the stone beneath them.

"Stay back!" Elena shouted, her voice sharp with panic.

Jack, already a step ahead, had sensed the danger with his Observation Haki. With incredible speed, he danced through the volley of arrows, twisting and dodging with ease. His movements were fluid, instinctual, as if he could see the arrows before they were fired. With a quick swipe of his sword, he severed a hidden mechanism in the wall, silencing the trap.

The remaining soldiers stood in awe, their faces pale. Jack turned to them, sheathing his cutlass. "Well, that was fun. Anyone else wanna lead the way?"

Elena exhaled slowly. "We need to be more cautious. This place is a death trap."

Orion's expression hardened as he watched the dead Marines. "Move on. We can't afford to stop for the fallen."

Elena frowned but said nothing. Jack rolled his eyes, muttering, "This guy's got the compassion of a brick."

They pressed forward into the next chamber, where the floor looked suspiciously solid, too solid. Jack halted, his Observation Haki tingling again. "Hold on..." But before he could finish, the ground beneath their feet cracked and collapsed. The floor shattered like glass, revealing deep, gaping holes beneath them—death pits with no end in sight.

Several Marines screamed as they plummeted into the darkness below, their voices echoing before being abruptly cut off. Elena clung to the ledge, her knuckles white with fear. Jack managed to leap to safety, grabbing her arm and pulling her up.

"Careful, love," Jack quipped, though his expression was more serious than usual. "Wouldn't want to lose you down there."

Elena nodded, breathing heavily. "This place is a nightmare."

Orion, standing on the last bit of solid ground, didn't even glance back at the fallen soldiers. His eyes were cold. "We keep going."

Some Marines, their courage shattered, turned and bolted for the exit. "We're getting out of here!" one of them yelled. But just as they neared the temple doors, the sound of growling filled the air. Massive wild beasts—tigers with red eyes and black fur—leapt from the shadows and tore into the fleeing soldiers. Their screams echoed back into the temple, making the remaining men freeze in terror.

"Looks like goin' outside isn't much of an option," Jack said dryly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Stay close. It's safer inside—relatively."

The surviving Marines huddled together, their morale all but broken. Jack, Elena, and Orion, however, pressed on, entering a vast chamber lit only by the faint, flickering glow of torches along the walls.

At the center of the room stood three massive golden statues, each holding a giant axe. Around the room were several pillars, each adorned with strange buttons and glyphs.

Jack's eyes gleamed as he took in the sight. "Now, that is what I call treasure." He stepped forward, his hand outstretched toward the nearest statue.

"Wait!" Elena cried, rushing over to a nearby wall covered in ancient text. "There's something written here. It's a warning. We need to find the correct button to deactivate the traps. Press the wrong one, and… death will be our prize."

Jack snorted. "That's reassuring." He scanned the room with a casual air, clearly more interested in the gold than the danger.

A Marine soldier, too eager to prove himself, found a button beside one of the pillars and pressed it before Elena could stop him. The moment his finger touched the stone, the ground trembled. The three golden statues, once lifeless, shuddered and began to move. Their eyes glowed red, and they hefted their giant axes into the air.

"Nice going," Jack muttered, his hand going to his sword.

The statues swung their massive weapons, cleaving through the stone floor with terrifying force. The first swing caught several Marines, their bodies crushed beneath the sheer weight of the golden weapons. The survivors screamed in panic as they scattered.

Jack's expression turned dark. "I didn't want to damage the gold," he said, drawing his sword and infusing it with Armament Haki, the blade gleaming with a black aura, "but this leaves me no choice."

Elena, still staring in shock at the towering statues, whispered, "We have to stop them, Jack. Or we'll be next."

Jack smirked, his sword raised. "Don't worry, love. I've got this."

With a swift motion, he dashed forward, his sword slashing through the air toward the first statue. The clash of metal echoed through the chamber as Jack's Haki-infused blade met the statue's golden axe, sparks flying from the impact.

"I'll deal with these oversized ornaments," Jack growled, his eyes sharp with determination. "You figure out the puzzle."

Elena nodded, already scanning the room for clues. Behind her, Orion watched with an unsettling calm, his fingers brushing the hilt of his own weapon.

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To be continued...