The temple's jaguar head loomed over them, its stone jaws open in a silent roar. Blue fire flickered inside its carved eyes, casting long shadows across the bridge of glowing vines.
Lin stared up at it, shivering despite the humid air.
"Tell me this isn't going to eat us."
Crystal's voice purred. "Oh, it will. Just… not literally. Probably."
Nyra turned her emerald gaze on him. "If you hesitate, you die. If you rush, you die. Walk when I walk."
Elara muttered, "I already hate her."
"Join the club," Lin whispered back.
They stepped onto the bridge. It swayed beneath their weight, creaking like an old ship. Below, a chasm dropped into glowing mist.
Lin glanced down and instantly regretted it. "Oh great. Bottomless death pit. Classic."
Crystal: "At least it's pretty."
---
The Door of Beasts
At the temple entrance stood a colossal stone door carved with three animals: jaguar, eagle, serpent. In its center, a glowing sphere pulsed like a heartbeat.
Nyra approached, pressing her palm to the sphere. "First trial. The Mirror Maze. If you lose, you are consumed."
Lin frowned. "Consumed… like in a 'game over' way, or in a 'chewed up' way?"
She didn't answer. The sphere pulsed, and the door split open with a grinding sound, revealing a corridor lined with mirrors.
Crystal's voice: "Oh, I love this one."
---
The Mirror Maze
They stepped inside. The walls shimmered, reflecting endless versions of themselves. Lin caught glimpses of his own face dying in absurd ways—slipping on a banana peel, tripping into a pit, getting crushed by a coconut.
"Wait," Lin said, pointing. "That's… that's my first day here."
The reflections laughed in distorted voices.
Elara reached for her bow. "This place is wrong."
Nyra walked calmly. "The maze shows your failures. If you lose yourself in them, you never leave."
Lin swallowed. "Crystal, any tips?"
Crystal giggled. "Don't be you."
"Helpful," Lin muttered.
---
The First Trap
They turned a corner and the corridor split into three identical paths. The mirrors shifted, showing Lin dying three different ways on each path.
He shut his eyes. "Okay, okay. Think. This is a puzzle."
Nyra raised an eyebrow. "Do you know the answer?"
Lin smirked. "Maybe." He scanned the runes carved faintly on the floor—an eagle symbol. He remembered a scene from Indiana Jones.
"Left path. Always the left path in old temples."
Elara groaned. "If we die…"
They stepped onto the left path. The mirrors flickered—then went dark. The corridor straightened, glowing faintly.
Crystal whistled. "Well, look at you. One brain cell left and it's working overtime."
---
Cliffhanger
They emerged into a wide chamber filled with mirrors reaching from floor to ceiling. Shadows moved behind the glass, shapes with claws and teeth. The air grew cold.
Nyra's staff glowed faintly. "The maze is alive now. Stay close."
A distorted version of Lin stepped out of the nearest mirror—smirking, eyes glowing red, holding an identical club.
It spoke in his voice: "Finally. Someone worth killing."
Crystal whispered, delighted: "Oh, this is going to be fun."
To be continued…