The gate closed behind them with a sound that was more felt than heard—a deep, final thoom that echoed down their bones.
Liam turned slowly. "Okay. Well. That's definitely not how gift shops work."
The room ahead curved like an enormous stone shell—oval in shape, dimly lit by narrow shafts of light from above. The ceiling rose high and round, and along the arched wall curled a massive dragon relief, carved into the stone. Its jaws were open wide, fangs sharp, and its eyes were hollow like tunnels into something ancient.
"Whoa…" Yui whispered. "That's… kind of beautiful."
"And kind of terrifying," Aiko added, already flipping through the book she carried.
One of the Guardians stepped forward, the same one who had spoken before. "This is your first trial," he said, voice low and calm. "Each challenge within this palace tests not just strength, but story, reason, and resolve. Complete the trial... and you may leave."
Ethan frowned. "Wait—you mean we only need to finish one puzzle to leave?"
"Today's," the Guardian replied. "Each day, one trial. Solve it, and you are free to return. Or… stay, and seek what lies deeper."
Liam leaned toward Ethan, stage-whispering, "See? We could've just stayed home, eaten ramen, toured Tokyo like normal people."
Everyone stared at him.
He threw his hands up. "I'm joking! Gosh. You guys are so serious in haunted architecture."
The Guardian continued unfazed. "Your first task lies within this room. Understand the message. Decode the story. Align the truth. Only then may the seal be broken."
He stepped back, the shadows swallowing him, and the stone gate sealed with a dull clunk.
"…We're trapped," Ethan muttered.
"No," Yui said with a smirk. "They're just too scared to come in. Because we're lions."
A beat of silence. Then the whole group cracked up.
Even Aiko chuckled, eyes still scanning the book. "Okay, lions. Let's focus. This dragon isn't just decoration."
As if summoned, the mouth of the dragon gurgled—then a thin stream of water began to pour steadily from its stone jaws.
Liam tilted his head. "Uh… is that normal? Are we in a cursed spa now?"
"No," Aiko said. "Look. The water's hitting the floor in a pattern. It's like… like it's trying to draw something."
Ethan and Yui dropped beside her, flipping through pages. Ethan traced the dragon symbol etched on the book's inner cover. "Wait… this matches. The same dragon. It's tied to a story."
"Which means," Aiko added, "we don't just solve the puzzle…"
"…we solve the story first," Yui finished. "Then the puzzle solves itself."
Liam stared at the slowly filling design on the floor. "A story puzzle? Seriously?"
"Yes," Aiko said. "And it's on the ceiling. See those rings? Like the gate? Same sigils, same rotation system."
Ethan groaned, squinting up. "I'm not that tall."
"Doesn't matter," Liam replied, hands in pockets. "Solve the story, not the ceiling. One death-defying myth at a time, right?"
Yui looked up at the spinning glyphs and then at Aiko. "Start reading."
"Fast," Ethan added. "Before that dragon spits a flood instead of a riddle."
Liam took a step back, raising his phone. "Say 'trial selfie!' Because if we die, I want at least one mysterious group photo on my cloud."
Everyone ignored him.
The water kept flowing. The light dimmed. The story waited.