The Amazon jungle loomed ahead like an endless green wall, thick and impenetrable. Rain dripped from every leaf and branch, soaking the earth into a muddy swamp. Raj Darkthrone stood at the river's edge, staring into the dense foliage as if it held the answers to every question he'd ever asked. His fingers curled tightly around the map—his last hope in a world that had given him nothing but dead ends.

Behind him, the team busied themselves unloading equipment from the riverboat.

"Raj," called Eva, stepping up beside him. Her hazel eyes flicked toward the jungle. "Are you sure about this?"

Raj didn't answer right away. He had grown used to doubts—both his own and those of others. "There's no turning back now," he finally said, his voice low and steady. "The tomb is out there. I can feel it."

Eva nodded, though she didn't look convinced. "Just… don't let your instincts blind you. This place feels wrong."

"I know," Raj muttered. "That's why we're here."

Raj turned to face the rest of the group. Nine faces stared back at him, each reflecting a mix of curiosity, determination, and barely concealed fear.

"All right, listen up," Raj began, raising his voice above the constant hum of the jungle. "We're heading into uncharted territory. No maps, no backup, and no margin for error. If you've got second thoughts, now's the time to leave."

No one moved. Raj scanned their faces, noting the tension in their eyes.

"Good," he said. "Stick to the plan, follow my lead, and we'll make history."

Callum, the ex-military security specialist, crossed his arms. "And if we don't?"

"Then history will forget us," Raj replied with a thin smile. "Now, let's move."

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The group pushed forward, machetes slicing through the thick undergrowth. The jungle seemed to close in around them, swallowing the sunlight and leaving them in a world of green shadows and muffled sounds.

Noah, the team's navigator, walked beside Raj, checking his GPS device. "The signal's weak," he said, frowning. "We might lose it soon."

"We don't need it," Raj said, holding up the map. "This is more reliable than any modern tech."

"Old-school," Noah muttered. "I like it."

Further back, Callum kept a watchful eye on the perimeter, his rifle slung across his chest. He didn't trust the jungle—or the people in it.

"This place gives me the creeps," muttered Jenna, the group's biologist, as she ducked under a low-hanging branch. "Feels like we're being watched."

"You're just paranoid," said Victor, the engineer. "It's a jungle. Lots of eyes out here—birds, monkeys, bugs. Nothing to worry about."

"Still," Jenna said, glancing over her shoulder. "It doesn't feel right."

Hours passed, and the group pressed on in silence. The trail grew steeper, the ground littered with rocks and twisted roots. Then they found it—a stone pillar half-buried in the undergrowth, covered in ancient carvings.

Eva knelt beside it, brushing away moss and dirt. Her fingers traced the symbols with growing alarm.

"These markings… they're a warning," she said. "They're telling us to stay away."

Raj crouched next to her, studying the carvings. "Or they're telling us that we're on the right track."

"Raj, I'm serious," Eva insisted. "This isn't just a warning—it's a curse. These symbols are meant to ward off intruders. We should turn back."

Raj stood, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "No. We keep going."

The team exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing. They had followed Raj on too many expeditions to argue now.

As they pushed deeper into the jungle, the air grew colder. The sunlight faded, replaced by a strange, dim glow that seemed to come from nowhere. The sounds of the jungle—the calls of birds, the rustle of leaves—fell silent.

"We're close," Raj said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"How can you tell?" asked Callum.

"Because the jungle wants us to stop."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shifted. A soft rumble echoed through the trees, followed by a low, guttural growl.

"What was that?" Noah asked, gripping his GPS tighter.

Raj scanned the trees, his pulse quickening. "Something… old."

By the time they reached a small clearing, the sky had turned an angry shade of red. Raj called for a halt.

"We camp here," he said. "We'll reach the tomb by tomorrow."

The team set up their tents in silence. A fire crackled in the center of the camp, casting long shadows that danced across the trees.

Raj sat apart from the others, lost in thought. The tomb was so close, he could almost taste it. He traced the lines on the map with his finger, his mind racing.

"You're quiet," Eva said, sitting down beside him.

"Just thinking," Raj replied.

"About the tomb? Or about what's waiting for us inside?"

Raj met her gaze. "Both."

Eva nodded. "I hope whatever we find is worth it."

"It will be," Raj said. "It has to be."

Across the camp, Callum watched Raj with narrowed eyes. He leaned toward Victor and whispered something under his breath. Victor nodded, his expression unreadable.

Raj noticed but said nothing. He had expected this—whispers, conspiracies, quiet alliances. They didn't matter. Not yet.

He would deal with the traitor when the time came.

For now, all that mattered was the tomb.