Man On The Moon

Chapter 43: Ancient Grave

As they explore, Acheron stumbles upon an old inscription etched into one of the rocky walls.

Acheron: "Wait, look at this."

She moves closer, examining the inscription closely. The others gather around, also curious about the writing. Acheron's eyes widen as she reads the inscription closely.

Acheron: "It's a grave... ancient script. It reads: 'Beyond this point, only the worthy shall tread'. It seems this part of the cave was once a sacred burial ground."

Xueyi, her analytical mind ticking, points out a detail.

Xueyi: "The inscription isn't just a warning. It's a puzzle. 'Only the worthy shall tread' could be a password or a trigger for a mechanism."

Huohuo looks concerned, gripping her staff tighter.

Huohuo: "What could 'worthy' mean in this context? Is it about physical strength, maybe, or purity of heart?"

Vettel, his usual bravado reappearing, cracks his knuckles.

Vettel: "I think it's pretty clear what 'worthy' means. It means someone capable and strong enough to venture further. Someone like... me."

Acheron shoots Vettel a glare.

Acheron: "Be serious, Vettel. This isn't the time for your ego."

Vettel grins, not backing down.

Vettel: "I am serious, sister. Who else here is as strong and capable as I am?"

Acheron rolls her eyes, her patience wearing thin.

Acheron: "You're not the only one with abilities, Vettel. And strength isn't the only thing that counts. We need to think this through carefully."

Vettel, leaning in with a smirk, playfully kisses Acheron's cheek.

Vettel: "Relax, sister. I'm just messing with you. You know you're the brains around here."

Acheron huffs, a mix of irritation and affection on her face. She swats at him lightly.

Acheron: "You're insufferable sometimes, you know that?"

Huohuo and Xueyi chuckle at Acheron and Vettel's exchange.

Huohuo: "You two do bicker like siblings sometimes."

Xueyi adds, a hint of amused mockery.

Xueyi: "Sibling love at its finest."

Acheron rolls her eyes again, though a hint of smirk tugs at the corners of her lips.

Acheron: "Oh, please. Shut up. Let's focus on the task at hand, shall we?"

Huohuo grins, unable to resist teasing further.

Huohuo: "But it's such a cute sight, seeing you two argue."

Vettel smirks, clearly enjoying getting on Acheron's nerves. Acheron lets out an exasperated sigh.

Acheron: "You are all insufferable. Now let's get back to figuring this inscription out before I get mad."

She crosses her arms, doing her best to look stern, though her irritation is more feigned than real. Vettel chuckles, clearly enjoying the effect he has on Acheron.

Vettel: "Oh, come on, 'sis. Can't handle a little brotherly teasing?"

Acheron scowls, but there's a touch of humour in her eyes.

Acheron: "More like annoying brotherly teasing. Now be useful and examine that inscription closer."

Without longer, She pokes her little brother's cheeks, and Vettel lets out a dramatic "ow", feigning injury from Acheron's poke.

Vettel: "Hey! Watch it, 'sis. You could have poked my eyes out with those sharp fingers of yours."

Acheron smirks, enjoying getting payback.

Acheron: "Next time I'll aim for your mouth to shut you up."

Huohuo and Xueyi exchange amused glances, enjoying the siblings' banter.

Vettel grins, not backing down from the sibling banter.

Vettel: "Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you? Me being quiet. But then who would be left to annoy you, huh?"

Acheron rolls her eyes but can't hide a slight smile. The banter between Acheron and Vettel is cut short by the sudden movement of the nearby grave wall. A low rumble and grinding of stone fill the air as the wall slides back, revealing a hidden passage. Xueyi's eyes light up with curiosity.

Xueyi: "It seems you two were too busy bantering to notice the stone wall moving. You triggered the mechanism with your 'sibling bonding'."

Huohuo giggles at the comment. Vettel grins, clearly amused.

Vettel: "See, sister? Our bickering is useful after all."

Acheron huffs, but there's a touch of amusement in her voice.

Acheron: "Unbelievable. My little brother truly finds a way to be obnoxious in any situation."

The group ventures into the newly revealed passage, their curiosity piqued. As they traverse through the dimly lit tunnel, Vettel walks alongside his sister.

Vettel: "You have to admit, 'sis, we make a pretty good team, even when we're bickering."

Acheron can't deny it, despite herself.

Acheron: "I suppose we complement each other. You're the brawn, and I'm the brains, after all."

As the group walks deeper into the tunnel, suddenly a glowing little pixie appears out of nowhere, hovering in the air before them. The pixie, a tiny being with wings and a delicate face, speaks with a soft, musical voice.

Pixie: "Hello, adventurers. You seem lost. Can I help you?"

Vettel, not one to miss an opportunity to ask questions, directs his query towards the pixie.

Vettel: "Excuse me, little pixie. Could we know your name?"

The pixie seems amused by Vettel's forwardness and answers in her soft, musical voice.

Pixie: "Of course, adventurer. I am known as Lylia. I am a guardian of this cave."

Xueyi, ever curious, chimes in.

Xueyi: "A guardian of the cave? Does that mean you know a way out?"

Lylia nods her tiny head.

Lylia: "Indeed, I do. However, I cannot simply show you the way. You need to prove yourselves worthy first."

Huohuo, curious but cautious, speaks up.

Huohuo: "Prove our worth? How do we do that?"

Lylia smiles mischievously.

Lylia: "You must solve a riddle I shall present to you. If you answer correctly, the way out shall reveal itself. But be warned, the riddle is not easy."

Acheron, confident in her intellect, nods determinedly.

Acheron: "Very well. We accept your challenge. Present the riddle, Lylia. We will do our best to solve it."

Lylia claps her tiny hands together.

Lylia: "Very well then. Here is the riddle: What's light as a feather, yet even the strongest cannot hold it for long?"

The group exchanged glances, thinking over the riddle carefully.

Xueyi muses aloud.

Xueyi: "Light as a feather... yet cannot be held for long. Something intangible, perhaps? Like... air?"

Huohuo considers this but shakes her head.

Huohuo: "But even the strongest can hold their breath for some time. There must be more to the riddle."

Acheron nods, deep in thought.

Acheron: "Perhaps physical strength is not the measure the riddle refers to. Maybe it's about something ephemeral, like time or memories."

Vettel, impatient as always, chimes in.

Vettel: "Enough thinking. It's a riddle, not a philosophy lesson. Let's just guess something, already."

Acheron shoots Vettel a glare.

Acheron: "Impatience won't solve the riddle, Vettel. We need to be careful. A wrong guess may cost us the chance to find our way out."

The group glances at each other in surprise. And then, out of nowhere, Yume appears, giggling to herself with an eerie smile on her face. Acheron, stunned, steps forward.

Acheron: "Yume? What are you doing?"

Yume continues to giggle, her expression almost sinister as she looks around at the group.

Yume: "You all fell right into my trap! I led you here on purpose. I knew you'd get stuck!"

Vettel's anger flares, his voice rising.

Vettel: "So it was all a game for you?! You almost got us stuck in here, and for what? To laugh?"

Yume continues to smile mischievously, clearly enjoying the chaos she caused.

Yume: "You're so gullible. It was so easy to trap you. You thought you could trust a child like me?"

Acheron steps forward, her voice is stern.

Acheron: "Yume, this is not a joking matter. You could have gotten us lost or worse. Please, tell us why you have done this."

Yume rolls her eyes, maintaining her playful demeanour.

Yume: "You're so serious, Acheron. Can't you just appreciate a good prank? It was hilarious, seeing you all try so hard to escape. You were like rats in a maze."

As Lylia, the pixie, witnesses Yume's antics, she suddenly uses a spell to reveal Yume's true form. A sudden burst of magic fills the tunnel, and Yume's appearance transforms. Yume's cute and innocent exterior morphs into something dark and menacing. Her once-playful demeanour now exudes an aura of malevolence. The group stares in shock and confusion, still processing the transformation. Huohuo, trying to remain calm, speaks up first.

Huohuo: "W-what... what's happening to Yume?"

Lylia, the pixie, steps forth and explains the situation to the group.

Lylia: "It seems we've been deceived. This child, Yume, is not as innocent as she appears. She's a monster in disguise. I've cast a spell to reveal her true form."

The group's shock turns to a mix of anger and confusion. Acheron's expression hardens.

Acheron: "So all along, it was a ruse? Yume led us here just to trap us?"

Lylia nods, her face serious.

Lylia: "Yes, it seems so. She manipulated you into thinking she needed your help, all the while leading you into this trap. She's not to be trusted."

Vettel's eyes flash with anger, his fists clenching.

Vettel: "I should have known. I should have seen through her act. How could we have been so blind?"

Xueyi, ever analytical, chimes in.

Xueyi: "We were misled by her innocence. We thought we were rescuing a helpless child, but she was anything but... What do we do now?"