Scene 1 – The Lock-In
After the initial awe wore off, the group took seats along the smooth stone ridges by the lake. They lit a few floating lanterns and passed around dried fruits and tea. Laughter echoed off the crystalline walls as they began to relax in the magical stillness of the cavern.
But that peace was short-lived.
Suddenly, a loud clunk reverberated from the passage behind them. The golden runes on the wall flickered and extinguished. A gust of wind rushed through as the entrance behind the waterfall sealed shut with a grinding rumble.
"What the—?!" Vihaan jumped to his feet.
Xie Lian turned sharply toward the entrance. "That wasn't me."
Tianlan and Devran were already rushing back toward the passage. Devran pressed his hands against the now-solid stone. "It's sealed."
Wei Zhan's voice cracked a little. "Wait… are you saying the only way out is now closed?"
Everyone rushed to inspect it. Devran tried to summon the sword's glow again, and Tianlan held up the bangle, but nothing happened.
"Maybe it's temporary?" Xie Lian offered with a sheepish smile.
Vihaan scowled. "Or maybe we triggered a trap."
Wei Zhan groaned dramatically and dropped onto a rock. "We're locked in. Forever. Great. I'm still young. I haven't even had my first official wedding! Or my last meal! Or my—"
"Stop being so dramatic," Devran snapped. "We need to think, not panic."
"But I don't want to die in a cave!" Wei Zhan wailed.
Xie Lian leaned toward him and poked his side. "He's right. Also, didn't you say just yesterday you'd rather live in seclusion with peace and tea?"
"Not like this!" Wei Zhan gestured wildly around. "This is more like solitary confinement with mystical dampness!"
Devran's patience snapped. "Can't you both be serious even for a second? This is life or death!"
They froze.
Wei Zhan pointed to Xie Lian. "He started it."
Xie Lian pointed right back. "He overreacted first."
"Both of you, enough," Tianlan said firmly. "Bickering won't help us get out of here."
Everyone fell into a tense silence.
For several minutes, they stood around the sealed entrance, minds racing.
Vihaan began tracing the runes with his fingertips. "Maybe it's a timed lock. Or perhaps a riddle. Some ancient structures open only when—"
"—we do something specific," Riku interrupted, stepping forward. "Guys… have we considered that this cave reacted to the bangle and sword? What if it needs them again?"
Everyone turned to him.
Devran blinked. "You think the sword and bangle can open the way?"
"Or open something," Riku replied, shrugging. "We won't know until you try."
Tianlan and Devran exchanged a look, then stepped side by side. Devran drew his sword; Tianlan held up the jade bangle. The two artifacts pulsed with light once again, just as they had before the cave opened.
This time, they slowly brought the glowing sword tip to touch the bangle.
The moment they connected—
A blast of energy surged outward. The cave trembled, and the air vibrated with celestial energy. The sealed stone cracked open—not into the previous entrance, but into an entirely different path.
The waterfall itself parted again, but in a new direction, this time unveiling a blue door embedded within the rock wall of the cavern, pulsing faintly with ancient energy.
The symbol of a phoenix blazed on the door.
Everyone stared.
"What… is that?" Vihaan whispered.
"A second cave?" Tianlan murmured.
"Why would a door appear behind a sealed waterfall?" Devran asked, frowning. "This doesn't make any sense. And that symbol—it's not just decoration. It's ancient. Royal. Maybe divine."
Slowly, all eyes turned to Riku.
He raised both hands before anyone could speak. "Don't look at me like that. Don't ask me about it. Even I don't know why there's another cave or that phoenix door."
Xie Lian squinted at him. "Are you sure? You're the weird one with all the forgotten memories."
"I swear," Riku said, backing up, "I've never seen that symbol before in my life."
"Then why is it glowing like it knows you?" Wei Zhan asked suspiciously.
Riku hesitated.
The phoenix symbol on the door shimmered, pulsing once—like a heartbeat.
The cave grew unnaturally still.
Something waited beyond that door.
Something ancient.
Something alive.
---
Scene 2: The Phoenix Door
The soft echo of water trickling from the cave walls filled the space as everyone stood before the newly revealed blue door. Its surface shimmered with a faint light, like moonlight dancing on a calm lake. The carved phoenix symbol glowed subtly, a radiant shade of silver-blue that contrasted beautifully against the darker stone of the cave.
Devran took a cautious step forward, his brows furrowed. "This door… it wasn't here before, right?"
Tianlan moved beside him, his eyes narrowing. "It's… divine. Look at that carving. It feels ancient. Sacred."
Riku and Vihaan stepped closer, their expressions changing subtly. They exchanged a long glance—one filled with recognition and nostalgia. Then, as if prompted by some inside joke, they both smiled. Not the amused kind of smile, but something deeper, almost reverent.
Tianlan noticed immediately. "Why are you both smiling like that? What's going on?"
Wei Zhan chimed in, looking between the two of them. "Yeah. That looked suspicious. Don't tell me you two know what this door is."
Riku and Vihaan exchanged another look and then, in perfect sync, said, "Nothing."
Everyone stared blankly.
"Nothing? That's your answer?" Xie Lian folded his arms, clearly unconvinced.
Vihaan chuckled, a soft, melodic sound. "Let's just say... it looks like someone is about to receive a rather special gift."
Riku added with a smirk, "Someone got lucky, it seems."
Everyone looked at each other, baffled.
Devran squinted at the door. "Wait, what do you mean by 'gift'? And why are you being so mysterious about it?"
Tianlan nodded. "You know something. Spit it out."
Riku tilted his head. "Do you all see the phoenix symbol there?"
Everyone nodded, staring at the glowing carving.
Vihaan stepped forward, his voice taking on a calm, almost teacher-like tone. "That's not just any phoenix. This symbol represents the Phoenix King—one of the most powerful divine beasts of the ancient realms. A creature said to embody eternal fire, rebirth, and supreme sovereignty over all winged creatures."
A hush fell over the group.
Devran was the first to break it. "You mean… the same Phoenix King who ruled the skies during the era of the Celestial Reign?"
Vihaan nodded solemnly. "The very same."
Tianlan's eyes flickered with a mix of awe and worry. "Then… what lies behind this door?"
Riku shrugged, though his eyes lingered on the symbol with familiarity. "Even we don't know. This… is unexpected."
They all approached, standing before the glowing door like pilgrims before a shrine. One by one, they reached out, placing their hands upon the door, hoping it would respond.
Nothing.
Devran tried. Tianlan. Even Riku and Vihaan attempted, but the door remained unmoved.
Then, Xie Lian stepped forward almost nonchalantly. "Maybe it's waiting for the most handsome one here."
He placed his palm against the door, and instantly, a pulse of red light surged outward from the phoenix symbol. The door creaked and slowly began to part, bathing the cave in warm, crimson glow.
Everyone stepped back, stunned.
Wei Zhan's jaw dropped. "Okay, now that was cool. Why does everything open when you touch it?"
He stepped closer, teasing. "Maybe the cave's in love with you."
Xie Lian glanced sideways, his face deadpan. Then he leaned slightly closer and whispered, "What to do? There's someone here who won't open his heart to me, but at least this ancient door understands my sincerity."
Wei Zhan blinked in confusion. "Wait, who's the idiot not opening his heart?"
Xie Lian looked to the heavens as if praying for deliverance. "Gods, bury me in this cave right now."
The group burst out laughing. Devran shook his head, chuckling. Even Tianlan cracked a smile.
Wei Zhan, still puzzled, turned to Devran. "Did I… did I do something wrong?"
Vihaan walked over, placing a comforting hand around Wei Zhan's arm, smiling sweetly. "No, darling. You didn't do anything wrong. You just… forgot to use your brain."
Everyone laughed again.
Xie Lian smirked. "Welcome to the club."
Wei Zhan sighed. "I swear, one day I'll understand what you're all talking about."
Riku moved closer to the now-open door. The red light spilling out from within flickered like firelight, casting long shadows on the stone floor.
"Whatever is behind this door," he murmured, "isn't just power. It's a trial. A gift, yes, but one that comes with consequences."
Devran stepped beside him. "Then we face it together."
Tianlan nodded. "Together."
One by one, they stepped into the light, the cave swallowing them in a red glow. The entrance sealed behind them, leaving the cave silent once again
....
After everyone laughs at Wei Zhan being adorably confused, the mood starts to settle. Saanvi, who had remained silently observing, finally steps forward from the shadows of the cave wall. Her voice, soft but firm, echoes gently through the cavern.
Saanvi (smiling faintly):
"Sometimes… the doors of the heart and fate both open for those who least expect it… and who least know why."
Everyone turns to her in surprise. Her calm presence always has an effect, like a quiet wind stirring still waters.
Tianlan (curious):
"Saanvi… do you know something about this place?"
Saanvi (tilting her head, mysterious):
"I know only what the stars have whispered and what the waters allow me to see. This door… it does not open with force. It opens with truth. Sincerity… just as Xie Lian offered, without even knowing it."
Wei Zhan (pouting slightly):
"So you're saying the cave likes Xie Lian better than me?"
Saanvi (soft laugh):
"Maybe the cave recognizes sincerity without flair. Or maybe it simply opened… because it was time."
Riku (eyebrow raised):
"But whose time is it?"
Saanvi (gazing at the Phoenix symbol):
"The Phoenix King… does not appear for nothing. If this symbol has awakened, then someone here has reached the moment fate has waited for."
Devran (serious tone):
"Saanvi. You always say such things. Do you truly know what's behind this door?"
Saanvi (gently):
"Even if I do… would it change the journey? Every step forward must be taken with your own heart. Not borrowed answers."
Her voice lingers in the air. For a moment, everyone is silent—touched by her words but still filled with questions. Saanvi walks slowly toward the door, her fingertips brushing the air near it without touching.
Saanvi (softly):
"Let the door reveal what is meant to be seen. But be warned… not every gift is free. And not every answer comes without a cost."
Xie Lian (quietly):
"Why do your words always sound like poetry and warning both?"
Saanvi (smiling enigmatically):
"Because sometimes… they are."
....