The Forgotten Temple

The jungle was alive with sound—the distant cries of howler monkeys, the rustling of unseen creatures in the undergrowth. Ethan Walker wiped sweat from his brow as he studied the ancient stone archway ahead. Vines wrapped around its crumbling surface, hiding carvings worn by time.

“This is it,” he murmured. “The entrance to the lost Temple of Axul.”

Behind him, Maya Rivera adjusted her backpack. “Let’s just grab the artifact and get out before something tries to kill us.”

Ethan chuckled. “You act like every expedition ends in disaster.”

She shot him a look. “Because they do.”

Ignoring her, Ethan stepped inside. The temperature dropped instantly. Dust swirled as they moved, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. Murals lined the walls, depicting warriors kneeling before a golden idol.

Maya examined the carvings. “The Idol of Axul… said to grant immortality.”

Ethan smirked. “Or curse those who take it. Depends on which legend you believe.”

They pushed deeper, reaching a massive chamber. In the center, atop a stone pedestal, sat the idol—small, but brilliant. Its golden surface shimmered, embedded with emerald eyes.

Ethan stepped forward. “No traps. That’s a first.”

Maya groaned. “Don’t jinx it.”

He reached for the idol. The moment his fingers touched it, the ground rumbled.

Maya swore. “You HAD to touch it.”

The walls trembled. A deep, grinding noise filled the air as a stone door slammed shut behind them.

Ethan clutched the idol. “Okay, maybe I should’ve been more careful.”

Maya scanned the room. “We need to move. Now.”

The murals on the walls shifted. What had once been painted figures now moved—phantoms emerging from stone.

The warriors.

Their hollow eyes glowed as they raised spectral weapons.

Maya grabbed Ethan’s arm. “RUN.”

They sprinted as the ghostly warriors closed in. Ethan dodged a spear that passed straight through a pillar, leaving a deep crack. Maya leapt over a widening fissure in the floor.

“There!” Ethan pointed to a second doorway, half-blocked by rubble.

Maya didn’t hesitate. They ducked through just as a warrior’s blade slashed where they had stood. The chamber trembled violently.

Ethan glanced at the idol in his hand. “Maybe I should—”

Maya grabbed it and shoved it back onto the pedestal.

The warriors froze. The rumbling stopped.

For a long moment, silence.

Then, the stone door creaked open, revealing the jungle beyond.

Panting, Ethan looked at Maya. “So… no immortality?”

She glared. “I’d rather be alive.”

They stepped outside as the temple sealed itself shut, as if the jungle had swallowed it whole.

Ethan sighed. “Next time, let’s go after something that isn’t cursed.”

Maya smirked. “No such thing.”

And as they walked away, deep within the temple, the idol’s emerald eyes gleamed—watching.