We finally reached the place described in the first clue — the old fountain at the forest's edge. The carved stone faces stared down at us, silent and cold. The air was still, almost unnaturally quiet, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
As we approached, our hearts sank. Three people were lying on the ground, wounded and bleeding, while another figure lay motionless, already dead.
"Oh no…" Chakshu whispered, his face pale.
I rushed forward with Palash and Arjun. "We have to help them!"
We quickly checked the injured. Their breathing was shallow, and some groaned softly from pain. Arjun handed us bandages he carried in his bag, and we did our best to stop the bleeding. I could feel the forest pressing in around us, the shadows stretching like hands reaching for something unseen.
"Listen," I said to the survivors, my voice firm. "You need to leave now. Go back to safety. Don't stay here — it's too dangerous."
They nodded weakly, trembling. "Th-thank you," one of them whispered before slowly staggering toward the path out of the forest.
We watched them go, a heavy silence settling over the fountain. Palash looked down at the dead man and shook his head. "He didn't say much… barely anything before it happened."
Arjun bent over the fountain, his hand hovering over the carved stone faces. The key-shaped pin on his chest glimmered faintly, as if reacting to something invisible. "The first clue… it's useless now," he murmured. "The key we were searching for is gone. Someone else has it."
I felt my stomach twist. "You mean… the second key is already in someone else's hands?"
Arjun's eyes narrowed. "Yes. And whoever holds it knows how to use it. That makes them dangerous — more dangerous than anyone we've seen so far."
Chakshu clenched his fists. "So we're racing against them now. Not just for the treasure… but to stop them from collecting the keys."
Palash nodded slowly, his face serious. "We need to rethink our plan. The forest… this event… it's not safe for anyone who's unprepared."
I looked at Arjun, the key pin glowing faintly against his chest. "Then we need your help more than ever. Can it sense where the second key might be?"
Arjun shook his head slowly. "Not yet. But it can warn us if danger approaches. We have to move carefully, gather information, and follow every hint. Time is running out."
The forest felt heavier now, the sunlight dimmer through the trees. Somewhere, a faint rustling echoed, but we didn't see anything. The second key was already out there, and the real hunt had begun.
I gripped my bag tightly. "Then we move. Together. We can't let them get the next key."
The wind whispered through the leaves, carrying an unspoken warning: the game was no longer a game.
We followed the faint trail left behind, moving quietly through the forest. The sunlight barely touched the ground, filtering through thick branches. Every step we took, the leaves crunched under our feet, making me flinch.
Chakshu whispered, "Do you think we'll catch them?"
I shook my head slowly. "We have to. The second key is already in their hands. Whoever took it is the one who hurt those people."
Arjun's key pin glimmered faintly, almost like a heartbeat, as if sensing the energy of the man holding the key. "Stay alert," he said quietly. "The pin can feel it — he's not far."
We moved carefully, following broken branches, scuffed leaves, and faint footprints. The forest grew darker, denser, and the air heavier with each step.
Finally, we reached a small clearing. There, we saw him.
A man in a dark jacket, standing alone. His face was hidden under a hood. In his hand was a small glowing object — unmistakably the second key. Around him, the three injured people we had helped earlier were huddled, trembling, clearly terrified.
Chakshu whispered, "That's him… the one who made them suffer."
I felt anger rise in my chest. "We can't let him escape."
Arjun's eyes narrowed. "We need a plan. If we rush in, he might harm the others or vanish into the forest with the key."
Palash stepped forward, holding a sturdy branch. "Then we surround him. Cut off all escape paths."
I nodded, scanning the area. "We can use the trees and the slope around the clearing to block him. Arjun, can your pin help us?"
He held it tightly against his chest. "It will react to his energy. I can sense his presence stronger than before — he's aware, but he's also reckless. One wrong move from him… and he could attack anyone."
We crept closer, trying to stay hidden. The man holding the key swung it slightly, the faint glow casting eerie shadows on his hooded face. He didn't notice us yet.
I whispered, "We need to get that key before he does more harm. Chakshu, Palash, stay ready. Arjun, guide us."
The forest seemed to hold its breath. The energy from the key pin and the second key made the air almost electric. I felt a chill, but also determination.
This was it. The hunt was no longer about winning a treasure. It was about stopping someone dangerous from getting more power.
And deep down, I knew… once we take this key, the real challenge would begin.
Chakshu couldn't wait. Without thinking, he rushed at the man holding the second key.
But the man was ready. He turned just in time, slamming Chakshu hard onto the ground. The impact made him gasp in pain, and before we could react, the man stabbed Chakshu in the stomach.
"No!" I shouted, my heart pounding as I ran toward him. Palash grabbed a branch, and Arjun moved faster than I had ever seen, but it was too late. The man had already turned and vanished into the forest, the faint glow of the second key disappearing with him.
Chakshu lay on the ground, clutching his stomach, his face pale and sweaty. Blood was slowly spreading across his shirt.
Arjun's eyes widened in panic. "This… this shouldn't happen!" he murmured. The key pin on his chest suddenly glowed brighter than ever, pulsing like it had a life of its own.
The glow grew stronger, filling the clearing with a strange warmth. Arjun held the pin tightly, unsure what was happening. Then, almost as if drawn by its own will, the pin lifted from his hand and flew across the clearing, landing directly on Chakshu's wound.
We all froze. A faint hum filled the air. The bleeding stopped immediately. Chakshu gasped and blinked, looking down at his stomach in disbelief.
"Wh… what just happened?" he whispered, trembling.
Arjun looked as confused as the rest of us. "I… I don't know. The pin… it healed him? Partially, at least. The wound is closed, and the bleeding stopped, but he's still in pain."
I helped Chakshu sit up slowly. "It's okay, buddy. You'll be fine… eventually. The bleeding's gone."
Palash shook his head, staring at the glowing pin. "I've never seen anything like this… it's like it has a mind of its own."
Arjun knelt beside Chakshu, examining him carefully. "It's reacting to danger… and to life. That's why it healed him. But it can't fully repair severe injuries. Chakshu will be in pain for a while, and we need to keep him safe."
Chakshu groaned softly, pressing a hand against his stomach. "I… I shouldn't have rushed… I'm sorry."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. We'll deal with this together. But one thing's clear — whoever took that key… they're dangerous. And now they know we're after them."
The forest around us felt heavier, darker. The second key was gone, the attacker still out there, and the glowing pin had just shown us its true power.
We had survived… barely. But I knew, deep down, the real dangers were only beginning.
We didn't even get a minute to catch our breath.
Suddenly, the clearing was filled with voices and footsteps. Shadows moved from every direction, and before we could react, a group of twelve people appeared, surrounding us.
Our hearts sank.
"Looks like… we're dead," Palash muttered under his breath, his hands trembling.
Chakshu, still clutching his stomach, whispered, "Twelve… they all came at once?"
I looked around frantically. The trees around us blocked any chance of escape. Every face in the circle was hidden under a hood, just like the man with the second key. Some carried knives, others had clubs and sticks. The air felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if the forest itself was pressing down on us.
Arjun stepped forward, his key-shaped pin glowing faintly again. He held it tightly, his calm expression hardening. "Stay close. Don't make any sudden moves."
I swallowed hard. "But… twelve of them. They're too many. What can we do?"
Arjun's eyes scanned the group carefully. "We don't fight them all at once. We wait for a moment, then we react smartly. One mistake… and we'll regret it."
Chakshu gritted his teeth. "Smartly? I just got stabbed! I don't know if I can—"
"Chakshu!" I cut him off, holding his shoulder. "We stick together. We survive first, then think about the key."
Palash took a deep breath. "We can't outrun them. We can't fight them head-on. But maybe… we can use the forest. Trees, shadows… whatever we can use to split them up."
The twelve attackers moved closer, their steps deliberate, like predators closing in. The second key's faint glow seemed to pulse from somewhere in their midst — I could almost feel its energy in the air, dangerous and powerful.
Arjun glanced at his pin. "The moment they try to reach the key, it will react. But it won't fight for us this time. It only warns and protects — we have to do the rest."
I looked at our small group — three of us, one still injured, against twelve attackers. My chest tightened, fear and adrenaline mixing into one heavy knot.
Palash whispered, "We guessed right… this isn't just a treasure hunt. This is a trap. They planned this."
The forest seemed darker now, the wind colder. The twelve figures closed in, silent except for the sound of their boots on leaves.
I clenched my fists. "We're not dead yet. But if we don't act… we will be."
The first move had to be ours.
They had us completely surrounded. Twelve dark figures, silent and waiting, closing in like predators.
I felt my chest tighten. My hands shook… but then something snapped inside me.
"I've had enough of this crap!" I shouted, pulling my sword from my bag. The metal gleamed faintly in the dim forest light. I got into a stance, my legs firm, eyes locked on the nearest attacker.
"Chakshu! Palash! Arjun! Run!" I yelled. "I'll hold them off — just get to safety!"
Chakshu hesitated, his hand still clutching his stomach. "Magic… are you sure?"
"Yes! Go! Don't argue!" I shouted, swinging the sword in a defensive arc as the first attacker lunged at me.
Palash grabbed Chakshu, supporting him as they started running toward the denser trees. Arjun followed, the key pin glowing faintly, sensing the danger around them.
I faced the twelve attackers alone. My heart pounded, but I focused on the flow of the fight. Every step, every swing, every block mattered. One mistake, one slip… and it could be the end.
The attackers advanced cautiously, clearly surprised by my sudden courage. I dodged a knife swing, parried another, and struck back, forcing the closest one to stumble backward.
The forest seemed alive around me — branches brushing against my arms, leaves flying with every movement. My sword felt heavier than usual, but somehow steady in my hands, almost like it knew its purpose.
Arjun's voice called from a distance: "Magic! Keep moving! Don't let them corner you!"
I swung again, striking another attacker's weapon aside. The others hesitated for a moment, their confidence faltering. I realized they weren't expecting me to fight back this fiercely.
Still, I knew I couldn't hold them off forever. My arms burned, sweat stung my eyes, and the forest seemed to press closer. But every second I lasted gave my friends a chance to escape.
Behind me, I could hear Chakshu and Palash's footsteps fading, the sound of Arjun's pin humming softly as it pulsed with energy, guiding them through the shadows.
I gritted my teeth. "I can do this… just a little longer…"
The attackers lunged again, and I met them head-on, my sword clashing with their weapons in a shower of sparks and sound that echoed through the silent forest.
The fight had lasted longer than I could remember. My arms burned, my legs ached, and every breath felt like fire in my chest.
I had been stabbed multiple times, punched repeatedly, and struck by the attackers' weapons. Blood dripped from almost every part of my body, soaking my shirt, staining the forest floor. My vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt around me.
Finally, I fell to the ground, the cold earth pressing against my face. Pain radiated from everywhere — my chest, my stomach, my side — and I felt the bitter taste of blood in my mouth.
Arjun stopped in his tracks, eyes wide with shock. He ran toward me, the faint glow of his key-shaped pin reflecting off his worried face.
"Magic! Hold on! Don't—" he shouted, but he froze, his voice catching in his throat.
Suddenly… my chest started glowing.
At first, it was faint, a soft golden light barely visible through the blood covering me. Then it grew brighter, spreading outwards like the sun breaking through clouds. The pain didn't vanish, but it felt… different. Less sharp, somehow controlled by the energy that now pulsed from within me.
Arjun stepped closer, his mouth slightly open. "What… what is happening?" he whispered.
I tried to speak, but my lips trembled. Instead, the glow intensified, flowing from my chest to my limbs. The attackers froze, stepping back instinctively, shielding their eyes from the bright light. The forest around us seemed to react — leaves trembled, the shadows flickered, and the air felt charged, almost alive.
The attackers hissed and shouted, backing away. Whatever energy had emerged from me pushed them, forced them to retreat, even without me moving. The glowing didn't hurt me; instead, it filled me with a strange strength, like my body was being repaired slowly, tiny threads of energy knitting together my wounds.
Arjun knelt beside me, placing his hand near the glow. "This… this is incredible. The pin… it must have triggered something. But it's not the pin — it's you. Something in you…"
I tried to lift my hand, my voice hoarse but determined. "Go… now. Take the key… protect it. I'll handle… this."
Chakshu and Palash hesitated, but Arjun nodded and grabbed the second key. "We'll come back for you! Hold on!"
As they disappeared into the shadows, I felt the glow inside me spreading, stronger and brighter than anything I had ever felt. The attackers tried to advance, but they faltered, as if an invisible wall had formed around me.
I didn't know what was happening, but one thing was clear — whatever energy had awakened in me, it was powerful, ancient, and unstoppable....
Suddenly...
A laugh left my throat like something else pushed it out. It sounded wrong to my ears — low, cold, full of a happiness that was not mine. The attackers looked at me for a beat, then they started to run. I didn't give them the chance.
My sword moved like it had a will of its own. I struck fast. I cut them down one by one. Their shouts turned to choking sounds and then silence. I did not feel sick. I did not feel sorry. I felt only a steady, hot calm inside, as if every strike was right and needed.
When the last one fell, the forest went utterly quiet. The air felt colder. Branches hung motionless. I stood in the middle of the clearing, chest heaving, blood on my hands and sword. I should have felt horror. Instead I heard the same strange laugh again, soft now, almost pleased.
Then the memory hit — sudden and bright. The mask.
My grandfather had kept it wrapped in cloth, deep in an old wooden chest. He told me stories about it as a child. He said the mask chose the one it trusted. It was said to protect the family and to fight its enemies. But it came with rules that no one spoke aloud. The mask had been sealed away when things grew dangerous. Nobody wore it anymore. Until now.
I could see the shape of it in my mind: carved, old, with lines like a map. When I was very small, the frame of it had seemed to glow when I laughed. I had always thought it was a tale. Now the memory slid into my bones. The mask had accepted me. That acceptance felt like a door opening inside me.
I dropped to my knees and pressed my fingers to my chest, feeling the last of the glow subside. Fatigue crashed down like a wave. The laugh faded. For a moment I was only a boy again, shaking with cold and confusion, remembering hands that held mine while the elders spoke in low voices.
Footsteps came from the trees. Arjun, Palash, and Chakshu burst back into the clearing, breathless. Arjun's face went pale when he saw me — when he saw what I had done, and the way I stood there without shame.
"Magic!" Palash called, rushing forward. Chakshu limped close, still weak. "We thought you—" His sentence stopped as he took in the scene.
Arjun dropped to his knees before me, the pin on his coat dim now. He looked terrified and very tired. "What happened?" he asked. His voice was soft, but urgent. "You were glowing. The pin—"
I put a hand up. "I don't know," I said hoarsely. "Last thing i remember is the mask. It… accepted me. I remember the chest. I remember my grandfather's voice... him saying about the mask... and then…I fought. I killed them.... but... i didn't wanted to.... i just... i.... i don't know...."
Chakshu stared at the fallen attackers, then at me. "Calm down! Relax, Magic!"
"I... I will try..." My hands trembled. Blood clung to my fingers. I wiped them on the grass, but it would not leave the smell.
Arjun looked at the pin in my pack, then at my face. "The keys, the pin, the mask — they're all connected," he said slowly. "Something older than all of us wakes when they come together. The mask might have answered because the pin called it. Or because you were ready."
Palash sank down beside me. "We have to clean up, bury them, The town will come looking. This can't stay like this and Magic, you need proper rest after this all thing... alright?"
I wanted to stand and argue. I wanted to promise I was fine. Instead I closed my eyes and listened to the quiet. The part of me that had laughed was still there, hiding. The other part — the one that remembered the stories and my grandfather's tired face — felt like it would never go away.
Arjun's hand found my shoulder and squeezed. "Whatever this is," he said, "we'll figure it out. But we must be careful. The mask gives power, yes. But power takes. It always takes."
I opened my eyes and nodded once. The forest watched us, and somewhere far off a bell began to toll. The hunt was no longer about winning anything. It was about control — and about the cost of what we would do to keep that control.
I blinked slowly, my head pounding and vision blurry. The world seemed soft and distant, like I was underwater. For a moment, I didn't know where I was.
Then I realized — I was back in my house. The familiar wooden walls and the faint smell of old books and ink made me feel slightly safer, though my body still ached from the fight.
Chakshu, Palash, and Arjun were sitting around the table, their faces serious and tense. Papers, maps, and the remaining clues were scattered across it.
"Magic! You're awake," Chakshu said quickly, relief flooding his voice. He leaned forward. "We were so worried. You passed out for a while."
I tried to sit up, but Palash gently pushed me back onto the chair. "Take it easy," he said firmly. "You've been through a lot. We need you strong for what's next."
Arjun's eyes, sharp as ever, met mine. "The mask, the pin, the keys — all of it has changed things," he said slowly. "We need a plan before the others realize what happened at the forest clearing. Whoever holds the second key now is dangerous, and they know we're coming for them."
Chakshu ran a hand through his hair. "We should track them down immediately. Find the second key, recover it, and make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else."
I shook my head weakly. "No. Not yet. I… I can't move fast, not like this. And we can't rush into them blindly. We need strategy. We need to know what we're up against."
Palash nodded. "He's right. If we just chase, we might fall into a trap. We need to think carefully — the first key's power, your glow… it's all new. We don't know its limits."
Arjun leaned back in his chair, pin in hand, glowing faintly. "We need to gather information, track the movements of the people holding the second key, and prepare. Magic, your mask awakened something inside you. That's a power we must understand before we use it in the open. Otherwise… it could take control again."
I swallowed hard, the taste of blood still faint on my lips. "So… first we recover. Then we plan. Then… we strike. Carefully."
Chakshu sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I hate sitting around doing nothing, but… he's right. We have to be smart. One wrong move, and we all pay for it."
I looked around the table at my friends, our bond stronger than ever after what had happened. Pain, fear, and adrenaline had brought us closer. We all knew the stakes now: the second key was out there, danger was everywhere, and the mask in me was something we didn't fully understand yet.
Arjun finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we start tracking. And Magic… we keep the mask's power under control. Together, we survive, and we get the keys before anyone else does."
I nodded, letting my head fall back against the chair. My eyes closed, but my mind was racing. The forest, the attackers, the keys… everything was still alive in my thoughts.
And somewhere deep inside, I could feel the mask's presence, calm and patient, like it was waiting for the right moment to guide me again.
The hunt was far from over.