Treasure Hunt; The Lost City

Chapter 1: ​Chapter 1: The Call from the Depths of the Rainforest



​Leah Castro carefully placed the Mayan star chart her father had left her into a waterproof bag before tucking it into the innermost pocket of her backpack. The ancient chart, made of bark paper, had yellowed at the edges, but the constellations drawn in mineral pigments remained vivid. It was the last thing her father had sent before his disappearance, accompanied by a single cryptic note: "The Guardians awaken. The door cannot be opened."

"Miss, are you sure you want to enter the rainforest now? The rainy season has only just ended," the innkeeper asked in a thick accent, eyeing the muddy roads outside with concern.

Leah fastened the last buckle of her backpack and looked up with a determined smile. "It's the perfect time. The receding water levels will make it easier to find submerged ruins."

After settling her bill, she stepped out of the small inn on the edge of the Amazon. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and vegetation. Leah took a deep breath, absorbing the raw vitality of the ancient forest. Ten years ago, her father had set out from this very place in search of the legendary Golden City—and never returned.

"Dr. Castro?" A low, feminine voice called from behind.

Leah turned to see a sturdy Indigenous woman standing there. Dressed in practical expedition gear, her bronze skin bore a few prominent scars, and her jet-black hair was tied back in a simple braid. But it was her amber eyes—sharp as a hawk's—that commanded attention.

"Renée Monteiro?" Leah extended her hand. "Thank you for agreeing to guide me."

Renée's grip was firm and dry. "Your father was a good man. Finding out what happened to him is an honor." Her tone left no room for doubt. "But we must move quickly. The rains may have stopped, but the rivers are still treacherous."

They swiftly checked their gear: compass, water purification tablets, first-aid kit, insect repellent, ropes, and machetes. Renée also carried a hunting knife and a compound bow.

"You know how to use that?" Leah asked, eyeing the finely crafted bow.

Renée smirked. "Quieter than a gun, and never runs out of ammo." She patted her quiver. "Enough to handle any trouble the rainforest throws at us."

They boarded a local canoe and traveled along the main river for two hours before veering into a tributary. The water grew shallower, the vegetation denser, until the canopy nearly blotted out the sky.

"From here, we go on foot," Renée said, signaling the boatman to pull ashore. "No boat can go further."

Stepping onto the soft riverbank, Leah immediately felt the rainforest's oppressive weight. The air hummed with life—birdsong, insect drones, distant monkey shrieks, and the rustling of some large creature moving through the undergrowth. The humidity clung to her skin, soaking her shirt within minutes.

Renée led the way, hacking a narrow path through the foliage with practiced ease, as if she and the rainforest were one.

"You're a lot like your father," Renée remarked as they trekked. "Stubborn. Never gives up."

Leah carefully stepped over a snake coiled on a fallen log. "You went into the rainforest with him?"

"Three times." Renée's voice darkened. "The last time, he said he'd found a solid lead and insisted on going alone. I should've gone with him."

Leah's chest tightened. "Did he mention any specific discoveries?"

Renée stopped and turned to face her. "He said it wasn't the Golden City—at least, not as we understand it. He said... there was something there that didn't belong to this world."

A chill ran down Leah's spine. That aligned with her father's note about "Guardians" and a "door." She pulled out the star chart. "Did he say anything about this?"

Renée's eyes widened at the sight of the chart. "That's what he was looking for!" She gingerly touched its edge. "He called it a key—something that could open a door to... somewhere."

"Somewhere like what?"

Renée shook her head. "He wouldn't say. But that night, I'd never seen him so exhilarated and terrified." She resumed walking. "We should hurry. We need to reach the first campsite before dark."

As they ventured deeper, the terrain grew steeper. They clambered over slick rocks and gnarled roots. Leah's legs ached, but she pushed through. Her father had walked this same path. She wouldn't falter.

By dusk, they reached a relatively dry plateau. Renée cleared a space and lit a smoky fire to ward off insects.

"Eat," she said, handing Leah a pack of rations and a bottle of purified water. "Tomorrow will be harder."

Night fell, and the rainforest's chorus swelled. Leah lay in her hammock, watching starlight peek through the leaves. She pulled out her father's pocket watch—a family heirloom he'd always carried, its back engraved with their crest. The watch sat motionless in her palm, its hands frozen at the exact time he'd vanished.

"Did my father ever mention the Guardians?" Leah asked softly.

Renée, inspecting her bow, paused. "Only once. He said they were the Golden City's protectors—but not human, nor any known animal." She glanced into the dark jungle. "He said they'd slept for millennia, but once awakened..."

"What happens then?"

"He never finished." Renée's voice dropped to a whisper. "But the look on his face... I'll never forget it."

Leah clenched the watch, unease coiling in her gut. She recalled the theories about the Golden City—some said it was an Incan refuge, others believed it held Aztec treasures, and wilder claims suggested it was an alien outpost. Her father, ever the rigorous archaeologist, had dismissed such tales. Yet now, it seemed he'd uncovered something beyond comprehension.

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