Episode 3 : The Stone Puzzle

The path behind the river was denser than before. Trees stood taller, older, with roots like serpent tails and vines that hung like curtains. Tom moved carefully, his clothes still damp, but his spirit untouched. The jungle was testing him — but he wasn’t about to give up.

The map, though soggy, had revealed something new: a hidden cave behind a waterfall. That was his next destination. He walked for over an hour, guided by the sound of rushing water growing louder with each step.

Soon, he found himself at the edge of a steep slope. Below, mist rose like steam from a waterfall crashing into a wide pool. The water was crystal clear, glowing faintly in the sunlight. Rainbows danced in the spray.

> “This place doesn’t look real,” Tom whispered.

But he knew better. Beauty in the jungle often hid danger.

He followed a narrow trail along the cliff’s edge until he reached a stony outcrop just beside the waterfall. Carefully, he edged behind the curtain of water — and gasped.

There it was.

A dark opening carved into the rock, hidden completely from the outside world. Moss covered its entrance, and ancient symbols were etched into the stone around it — spirals, suns, arrows, and one large face of a jungle god with hollow eyes and an open mouth.

Tom took a deep breath and stepped inside.

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The air grew cold. The cave was silent except for the faint drip of water and the distant roar of the falls behind him. He turned on his flashlight and slowly advanced.

After twenty paces, he entered a circular chamber.

In the center was a large stone table, and above it, a beam of sunlight fell through a crack in the ceiling, illuminating the top. On the table were seven stone tiles, each carved with a different animal: a snake, a jaguar, a monkey, a turtle, a bird, a frog, and a bat.

On the far wall stood a heavy stone door, sealed shut. Above it, a sentence was carved in a language Tom didn’t understand — but below it was a drawing. Seven animals… lined up in a row.

A puzzle.

Tom stepped closer and noticed that the tiles could be moved. Each animal had a groove beneath it, like it could slide left or right.

He looked at the drawing again. Something clicked in his mind.

> “This isn’t random,” he said aloud. “This is a food chain.”

He rearranged the tiles, placing the animals from smallest to largest predator:

Frog → Turtle → Bird → Monkey → Snake → Bat → Jaguar

The cave was silent.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then — rumble…

The tiles lit up faintly with golden light, and the stone door groaned as it slowly opened.

Tom grinned. “Got it.”

He walked through the newly opened passage into a long corridor. Torches along the walls burst into flame one by one as he passed — as if welcoming him. At the end of the hallway, a second chamber waited.

Inside it lay something astonishing: a stone pedestal with an ancient compass, still glowing softly. Its needle spun wildly before pointing straight ahead — toward a deeper part of the jungle.

Tom picked it up, heart racing.

> “One step closer.”

He slid the compass into his pouch and turned toward the shadows beyond the chamber.

The next challenge was waiting.

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