Shadow of Dawn

Chapter Three: The First Puzzle

After discovering the lost garden, Emily and Sarah were overjoyed. But what they didn’t know was that the garden held more than just beautiful flowers and trees; it contained ancient puzzles waiting for someone to solve.

As they wandered around the garden, Emily noticed something strange on one of the stone walls. There were old carvings etched delicately into the stones, resembling a map or a clue to something else.

"Look at this, Sarah!" Emily pointed to the carvings. "Do you think this could be a clue?"

Sarah came closer to examine the carvings. "Maybe... but it seems a bit complicated."

As they studied the carvings, they noticed some symbols unlike anything they’d seen before. There was a symbol of a large tree, a strange animal that looked like a fox, and a sun rising over the top of a mountain. Between these symbols, a diagonal line extended from the tree to the mountain.

"What do these symbols mean?" Emily wondered aloud, touching one of the stones.

Suddenly, when she touched the stone, they both heard a faint buzzing sound. They looked around in alarm and noticed that the ground began to tremble slightly. Then, very slowly, a small door opened in the ground nearby, revealing a stone staircase leading downward.

"Wow! This... this is unexpected!" Sarah exclaimed in amazement. "Should we go down?"

Emily hesitated for a moment, but her sense of adventure overpowered her hesitation. "Yes, let’s find out what’s down there."

The two girls cautiously descended the stone steps, and with each step, the darkness around them grew. After a few minutes, they reached a small room at the bottom. It was naturally lit, even though there were no windows. In the center of the room stood an old, dusty chest.

"It looks like this is where the real adventure begins!" Sarah said excitedly as she approached the chest.

Emily looked at Sarah and said, "There must be a puzzle to solve here. These symbols... this chest... everything seems like part of a challenge."

As they approached the chest, they noticed ancient writing engraved on its lid. The writing said: "To those who dare to discover, the path to the treasure will be revealed."

They exchanged looks, feeling that the lost garden was much more than just a place of beauty. They had discovered the beginning of a grand puzzle, with much more to explore.

"I think this is our first puzzle, Emily!" Sarah said, her face reflecting her excitement.

Emily realized that this adventure wouldn’t be easy, but she was ready to face all the challenges that lay ahead in this mysterious place. The girls were now on the verge of starting a journey filled with surprises, where each puzzle would lead them to the next, in an adventure larger than they had ever imagined.