All along the edge, the students stood frozen in place, their earlier momentum dying as they stared downward. What spread beneath them was not a simple drop but a wide mud-flat broken by darker patches—subtle depressions that looked innocent enough from above yet carried the unmistakable promise of hidden sink-pockets.
The surface glistened faintly with moisture, uneven and treacherous, as if the ravine itself had been designed to punish haste and reward only those who could read the land properly. A few students swallowed hard, others leaned forward cautiously, trying to judge depth and firmness, their thoughts clearly turning inward as uncertainty began to creep in.
Questions circulated silently among them. Could they cross without getting trapped? Was it better to slide down slowly or leap outright? Each second spent standing there felt heavy, the tension stretching as no one wanted to be the next example sprawled in the mud below.
