Tessa groaned, kicking at a patch of dirt. "At this point, most of the real treasures must've been taken. We'll probably end up finding decoys."
President Grace's team had taunted us, her team had more then 5 treasures.
She paused, then grinned mischievously. "How about … we steal one from someone. The reward's extra credit and an exclusive meal with the academic board. I'm not walking away from that."
Rhea laughed, half-serious. "You mean… steal from other teams?"
"Why not?" Tessa shrugged. "They didn't say we can't."
Liam appeared from behind a nearby tree, his calm voice cutting through their chatter. "She's right. The rules only said to collect treasures. No one mentioned we couldn't take them from others."
Flora frowned, hesitant at first. But when she saw how deflated her teammates looked, she sighed softly. "Fine. We'll just borrow one or two. For the sake of teamwork."
"Borrow, she says," Rhea muttered with a grin. "Got it." Flora's faced turned red
Their first target was an unknown group resting near a clearing, their treasures stacked neatly beside a tree. Rhea whispered, "This will be easy."
Liam distracted the group by pointing out a false trail on their map while Tessa and Rhea sneaked closer. They swapped one of the boxes with an empty one they'd found earlier and began to walk away casually.
"Hey! Our treasure's gone!" one of the boys shouted.
The team froze. A nearby teacher turned toward the commotion as the group complained breathlessly about theft.
The teacher's expression remained neutral. "Did we ever say you couldn't steal from others?" he asked simply.
The group fell silent, stunned.
"So… it's allowed?" one girl asked.
He smiled faintly. "If you lose it, it only means you weren't careful enough."
The announcement spread through the forest like wildfire. Within minutes, the calm hunt became a frenzy. Students were shouting, chasing, guarding their loot like soldiers defending a fortress.
"Great," Rhea said, half-laughing. "Now we've started a war."
Flora shook her head, unable to hide a smile. "Then we'd better stay ahead and bag a victory home."
Their next stop was Kevin's team.
They found him standing proudly near a bush, waving a stick like a sword. "Ladies and gentlemen, behold! I have discovered the legendary treasure of Sector Three!"
Tessa peered over his shoulder. "That's… a shoebox."
"It's camouflaged!" Kevin said, crouching to open it. Inside was nothing but a rock and a note that read Better luck next time.
Rhea burst out laughing. "Oh no, the legendary treasure strikes again!"
Kevin stared blankly at the note, then at them. "You're just jealous."
While he pouted dramatically, Tessa and Rhea exchanged a quick glance and quietly lifted one of his real treasure boxes lying a few feet away. By the time Kevin looked up, they were already walking off.
"Wait, hey! You can't__"
"We can!" Tessa called back, laughing as they ran through the trees.
"Chaos," Rhea gasped, barely catching her breath. "Pure chaos."
Their laughter faded when they reached the next slope. Ahead stood Grace's group, arranging their boxes carefully in the sunlight.
Flora hesitated. "Let's skip them. We've already taken enough."
But Rhea pointed out, "We're behind by two. Just one more, then we're done."
Liam stepped forward, scanning the clearing. "I'll handle this."
He slipped quietly behind a tree while Grace turned to instruct her teammates.
She glanced at Liam and teased, "Look, a lost puppy."
Liam, his voice as calm as ever, or perhaps a hound waiting for its prey.
A few moments later, Tessa managed to grab one box and signaled the others to move.
They were almost out when Grace stumbled on a loose patch of soil and fell with a sharp cry.
"Ah! My ankle!" she screamed, clutching her leg.
Students nearby rushed over, their voices rising. Grace looked up, teary-eyed, pointing directly at Flora. "She pushed me!"
Flora froze. "What?"
Suzain who has been treated like an air by her group was instantly at Grace's, glaring. "I saw it! Flora was right behind her!"
"That's a lie," Rhea shot back. "She wasn't even close!"
But Grace's trembling voice and tearful expression drew the crowd's sympathy. Most students had gathered in one place now, half because of the chaos of the game and half for the drama unfolding.
Flora stood speechless under their stares. Liam stepped between her and Grace, his calm tone slicing through the noise. "Before accusing someone, make sure you saw what you think you saw," he said evenly. "Words spread fast and they don't always come back the same."
Grace's lips parted, but she stayed quiet, her hand still gripping Suzain's sleeve.
The air turned heavy as murmurs rippled through the crowd. Grace sat on the ground, holding her ankle, tears glinting under the fading light. Students began whispering—some concerned, others eager for drama.
"What happened?"
"They say Flora pushed her."
"Seriously? I didn't expect that from her."
"Guess she's finally showing her true colors."