Then they reached the point where the rugged trail narrowed into a jagged corridor of stone and roots, forcing the vehicle to a halt. Beyond it, the mountain wilderness stretched untouched—too steep and unforgiving for wheels to conquer.

The engine died with a low rumble.

For a moment, only the cold mountain wind remained, whispering through the trees.

Logan climbed out first and spread the brittle map across a protruding slab of stone. The parchment crackled beneath his fingers, its edges frayed and stained with age as though it had survived centuries of wandering hands.

"Sis," he asked, squinting at the faded markings, "where did you even get this map? It looks ancient."

"Grandpa Persius gave it to me," Lara replied while tightening the straps of her pack. "He said it was too extraordinary to keep hidden away, so he handed it to me as a meeting gift."

Liam stepped closer, studying the map beside Logan. His brows furrowed with skepticism.

"So even the great historian himself believed it was nothing more than a myth..." He let out a short laugh. "And yet you’re convinced it’s real?"

Lara remained silent.

Because the treasure was real.

Not a legend. Not a forgotten tale exaggerated by greedy adventurers.

She knew because she had buried it there herself.

Together with Alaric.

Deep within the hidden lands of Ourea, beneath stone and secrecy, they had concealed enough wealth to rival kingdoms. Gold, relics, ancient weapons, imperial records—treasures amassed during the height of Azuverda’s reign.

The map in her hands was merely a decoy.

She had no idea where the original had disappeared after all these years, but it no longer mattered. Every path, every landmark, every hidden entrance had been carved into her memory long ago.

Alaric had always believed in preparing for the worst.

Even during the empire’s golden age—when Azuverda stood unconquered and prosperous beyond imagination—he insisted on creating contingencies should disaster ever befall the throne.

But fate had spared them then.

During their lifetime, the empire flourished so greatly that the hidden treasury was never once touched.

Until now.

...

Lara navigated using the position of the sun as her guide.

Time had transformed Ourea to something she could barely recognize. The once dense forest had thinned, ancient trees replaced by younger growth. The terrain itself had shifted with the passing centuries, and even the river no longer followed the path she remembered. What used to be familiar now felt like the fading remnants of a dream.

Mount Ourea, located at the southern tip of the Alta-Sierra, loomed as the most perilous and enigmatic of all the Alta-Sierra’s majestic peaks. Its jagged silhouette cut sharply against the skyline. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

In Lara’s past life, once a year, during the month of August, it’s peak was shrouded in swirling mists that whispered secrets of ancient legends. The thunderous storms would raged at its summit, the very air crackled with a tension at it announced the presence of its master.

Now, only the mountain peak remained unchanged—standing tall against the horizon like a silent witness to the ages.

With the sun above as the primary reference point, Lara pressed onward, relying on memories far older than the map in her hands.

"Sis, if we follow the map, we should be passing through here." Logan tapped a spot on the worn parchment, his brows knitting together. "We’re off course by at least a kilometer."

"Don’t worry, bro," Lara replied without slowing her pace. "We’re exactly where we need to be."

Ahead of them loomed the border between Mount Ourea and Mount Roca.

Once, Mount Roca had stood as a magnificent twin to the mighty Ourea—a towering massif famed throughout the empire for its vast deposits of gleaming marble and precious gemstones. For centuries, miners, merchants, and fortune seekers had flocked to its slopes, drawn by the promise of unimaginable wealth buried beneath its stone.

Its cliffs had once been fierce and beautiful, carved from dark jagged rock that rose proudly against the heavens like the spine of a sleeping giant.

Now, it was little more than a scar upon the land.

The eastern face of the mountain had been hollowed out and mutilated by relentless centuries of mining. Entire sections of the once majestic peak had collapsed into enormous terraced wounds of exposed stone and rubble. Dust drifted through the air where forests had once thrived, and the mountain that had once inspired awe now radiated only exhaustion and ruin.

Back then, Alaric had wanted to hide the imperial treasure within Mount Roca’s vast underground caverns.

But Lara had refused.

Too many people coveted that mountain. Too many eyes watched it, too many hands clawed endlessly at its depths. A treasure hidden there would eventually be found.

So she led him elsewhere—to a place the world would never think to search.

Lara lead everyone to the place that according to legend was Galeya’s bathing pool. A secluded place at the deepest part of the forest.

It was a pool completely enclosed by jagged rocks. Though a few upper section were eroded by time after hundreds of years, most part were still intact.

...

"There’s a place this beautiful hidden out here?" Logan asked in disbelief.

Before them lay a secluded basin surrounded by towering rock walls and thick jungle vines. Sunlight poured through the canopy above, illuminating a pristine pool nestled at the heart of the rocky enclosure. The water was so impossibly clear that the pale stones beneath shimmered like glass.

"Yes," Lara answered softly.

Even Liam looked stunned.

He quickly deployed his drone, sending it soaring above the cliffs. The live feed revealed the hidden oasis from above—a secret paradise buried deep within the wilderness. Water trickled from narrow rock crevices into the pool below, while dense emerald foliage wrapped around the area like nature itself was guarding the place.

"This is unbelievable," Logan muttered as he snapped photo after photo with his camera. "How have I never seen this online before?"

"There are pictures," Lara replied. "But not many people come this far. Despite its beauty, this is still untamed jungle. Wild animals roam freely here, and most travelers avoid the area."

While the two admired the scenery, Lara’s attention wandered elsewhere.

Her eyes scanned the cliffs.

The rocks.

The edges of the water.

A faint crease formed between her brows.

Something was wrong.

She stepped closer to the stone wall near the far side of the pool, searching carefully for the familiar markings she remembered.

But they were nowhere to be found.

The entrance...

It was gone.