Time: 5:45 PM

The atmosphere in the room had grown heavy as the group gathered once more around the scattered pages of the ancient book and the map. The translation they had uncovered earlier hinted at a ritual and a hidden beach, but there were more pages left to decipher. Ava's heart pounded as she leaned over Dionna's shoulder, her eyes fixed on the old parchment that had captivated them all.

Dionna's fingers traced the faded ink, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of the words. She felt a sense of urgency pressing down on her, and the unease in the room was palpable. Everyone knew that whatever secrets the book held could be the key to finding Samera and perhaps even saving her.

"Look at this," Dionna said, her voice breaking the silence. She pointed to a particular section of the page, and everyone leaned closer, their faces illuminated by the fading sunlight coming through the window. "It talks about the full moon... something about the 'gatekeeper' becoming weak on that day."

Ava frowned, her eyes scanning the cryptic words. "The gatekeeper?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion. "What does that mean?"

Dionna took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the text. "I think... it’s some kind of guardian. It says that on the full moon, the gatekeeper becomes weak, and there is a chance to enter the sea but only those who are chosen can enter. And if you do... you'll encounter unknown things."

Her voice trailed off as she read the next part, her eyes widening. "There’s a riddle here,” she said, and began to read aloud:

"On the night when the moon is bright,
The gatekeeper’s power takes its flight.
Unknown wonders lie beyond the tide,
Only the chosen may dare to stride.

Two paths shall lead to a fate unknown,
One through the waves, one through the grove.
Only the chosen, by fate's design,
Shall see the true sea and claim what's mine.

A wish will bind, a choice must be,
To end the curse or set it free.
The chosen's heart will bear the cost—
Savior or sacrifice, none shall be lost."

Silence settled over the group as Dionna finished reading, the meaning of the riddle sinking in. Ava’s chest tightened, a feeling of dread mixed with determination washing over her.

Rai broke the silence, his voice hushed. “It’s a choice. Only the chosen one can complete the journey, but...” He hesitated, his eyes meeting Dionna's. “It says that person could either end it all or start something new. Savior or sacrifice.”

Ignatius frowned, his arms crossed as he looked at the map spread out on the table. “So, what are these two paths?” he asked, his tone tinged with impatience. “One is the sea... which Samera took. But the other?”

Dionna shifted her gaze to the map, her eyes tracing the paths that had been drawn in red ink. “Here,” she said, pointing at the faint lines. “One path leads to the sea—that's where Samera went. But there's another route. It goes through the forest... a different way to reach the hidden beach.”

Ava’s eyes followed the line of the forest path, her stomach churning. “But it says the path changes,” she said, her voice unsteady. “I saw something earlier when I was exploring. I think I experienced that—something that wasn’t quite right.”

Zaire, who had been silently watching from the corner of the room, spoke up, his voice low. “So we have two options: follow the sea path, which Samera took, or take the forest path. But if the path changes... it could be dangerous. We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

Ava swallowed hard, her gaze shifting between the pages and the map. Her head was spinning, the fear and uncertainty gnawing at her. “But it says only the chosen one can gain power and find the true sea,” she said softly. “And there’s a cost—a wish, a sacrifice. I don’t understand what it means.”

Rai placed a comforting hand on Ava’s shoulder, his expression serious. “We need to decide,” he said. “If today’s a full moon, this might be our only chance to save Samera. We have to choose which path we take—and who will go.”

The group exchanged glances, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on each of them. Ava could feel her heart pounding in her chest, fear mixing with a sense of urgency. She thought of Samera—her best friend, lost somewhere out there, possibly in danger. Ava knew she had to make a decision, and it had to be the right one.

“I’ll go,” Ava said, her voice trembling but resolute. “I have to do this. If there’s a chance to save Samera, I’ll take it.”

Dionna looked at her, concern written across her face. “Are you sure?” she asked. “It’s dangerous. We don’t know what’s out there.”

Ava nodded determination in her eyes. “I’m sure. Samera wouldn’t give up on me, and I can’t give up on her.”

Rai took a deep breath, his gaze shifting between the others. “Then we’ll take the forest path,” he said. “If it changes, it might be a safer route than the sea. We don’t know what happened to Samera, and it might give us another chance to reach her.”

Ignatius sighed, his expression tense. “We’ll all go together,” he said. “No one goes alone. We’ll face whatever comes, as a group.”

Zaire nodded in agreement, his voice steady. “We’re in this together. We’ll take the forest path and find the hidden beach. We won’t leave anyone behind.”

Dionna gave a small, nervous smile, her heart heavy but filled with hope. “Then it’s decided,” she said. “We follow the forest path, and we find Samera. No matter what it takes.”

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the old house, the group prepared themselves for the journey ahead. They knew the dangers, the risks but they also knew they couldn’t give up. Together, they would face whatever lay on the forest path, guided by the cryptic words of the book and the hope of finding their lost friend. As the full moon began to rise in the darkening sky, they took their first steps toward the unknown, ready to confront the secrets of Zyla Beach and the true sea that awaited them.