Everyone sat around the room, the book wide open in front of them. Eyes glued to the page, they read the lines carefully. There it was—a map, drawn in faded ink, leading to an old abandoned palace. No curse. No dark warning. Just a line that read:
"Only those worthy shall find the gold beneath the forgotten crown."
"Wait… so there's treasure in that palace?" Yui said, almost falling off her seat.
"No curse? No ghosts? Just gold?" Liam raised his eyebrows. "That's a first."
"Maybe the ghost took a holiday," Ethan joked.
Everyone laughed.
The book mentioned a group—an ancient team that once protected the palace. "They were called the Celestian Guard," Aiko read aloud, "and they hid the treasure away from greedy hands."
"So… basically, now it's waiting for our greedy hands," Yui said with a grin.
"Greedy but deserving," Liam corrected.
Then Yuvi raised a finger dramatically. "What if… we go find it?"
"Tomorrow?" Ethan leaned forward.
"6 AM," Aiko said. "Sharp."
"Can we get breakfast first?" Liam asked. "Adventure's great, but I'm not fighting ancient doors on an empty stomach."
Everyone burst into laughter again.
"Fine," Yui nodded. pack snacks, and then head to the palace."
A quiet moment passed as they all stared at the map again. The lines looked simple—but they knew tomorrow would be anything but.
"Let's just hope the palace has Wi-Fi," Ethan mumbled.
More laughs.
The plan was set. The treasure waited. And so did a whole new chapter in their adventure.