A Chaotic but Perfect World: In the Epping Forest

Distractions

On the way back, her eyes were polishing every possible hiding place.
Her eyes filled with helium, and she noticed Jonathan climbing back down.
He jumped down and smiled when he realized she's waiting for him.
-The hideout is cleaned. But we must hurry, or the leader will escape.
She nodded.
-I've got a plan, don't worry.
Her walkie talkie got closer to her mouth.
-Everyone except Oliver and Marina return to Emily. And watch out for guards in the forest. Oliver and Marina, you two try to not let the leader guard escape. There are lasers on the hideout, so be extremely careful. Emily, you guard the forest and don't let the leader escape.
The members one by one obeyed.
Serly and Jonathan walk back to Emily.
She didn't cut the line between the screen and her eyes.
-How many guards have you destroyed so far?
She determinedly asked her.
-Three, if I'm not mistaken. Two men with swords and one trying to stop Boris.
The arrow shooters arrived.
-What now?
Boris asked for instructions.
-Camilla, you stay with Emily and the rest of us will go to the hideout. Come over when we finish our job.
Camilla nodded.
-Sam and Boris, you go from east and west, Jonathan and I will attack from the front.
They parted.
Not so late, the distance between them grew and the distance between the hideout shrunk.
If molecules could touch each other, their bodies would divide them from each other, just like a bowling ball separating the guardians of the bowling lane from their motionlessness.
Finally, they reached the gray stairs and the handrails, which looked like a boxing ring, because of the battles going on inside.
Oliver and Marina were trying to distract the guard from his desire to escape while Emily's drone was zapping every time the guard turned to leave.
Serly and Jonathan entered the battle and with just a single movement of the waist of the hand, they made the guard fall back and get caught by Oliver and Marina.
The leader had no choice but to stay.
From the east and west, Sam and Boris jumped over the handrails and joined the ring.
Four wands were facing the guard and one drone from behind.
A dagger appeared in Serly's hand.
She took steps forward and stopped in front of the guard, looking at him expressionlessly.
The guard smirked.
-You think I'm gonna fall for your petty threats? You can't kill me, it's against the law.
His accent was American and it would be a lie to say he looked unattractive.
Serly smirked.
-That's partly correct.
She put the dagger on his thigh, the pointy part standing on it, and raised her eyes up.
-Tell us whatever you know of Hemsworth's plan, or your thigh will become the headwaters of the new Victoria waterfall.
The guard chuckled slyly.
-Creative. But I won't tell you shit.
She didn't blink or show an expression.
-More gain for the country.
The tip of the dagger slowly went to bed.
The American's eyes bloomed way too fast. His voice, like an army of serrated knives unleashed to attack, pierced the air, conducting a symphony of suffering, that resonated like the anguished cries emanating from the darkest depths of the infernal realm.
-How about instead of bleeding in the air, you start telling us what we asked for.
Her words, which were delivered in a calm tone, rained like poison on the guard in agony.
The rest of the team looked at each other worriedly and fearfully.
Stammers began flying out of the leader's lips, after he stifled a gasp, and they sounded like melody to her ears.
-I-it's a trap... for y-y'all.
Serly sighed.
-Why? He could've not sent anyone to pretend being a witness. We're a distraction for him.
The guard chuckled tormentedly.
-The more witnesses...the more trapped hunters...and the less protectors for the...country. Y'all...not the first.
-And the kidnapped people are in the underground hideout?
Serly asked determinedly.
He slowly nodded.
Her hazel brown eyes travelled deep into his soul through the windows, searching whether he's lying or not.
She cut the contact and decided to believe him.
As the conqueror, a blade of sharpened fate, retreated with a tantalizing grace, its edge surrendered its piercing keenness, the orchestra of flames and blazes emerged, dancing upon the flesh with an infernal fervor.
-Call the evil-hunters' department. Let them deal with these guards. We'll go to the underground hideout.
She commanded.
Jonathan took out his walkie talkie and contacted with the evil-hunters' department, while everyone else followed Serly.
---
Selena, Tom, Theresa, Dan, Mary-Clara, Lisa, Eve and Nathalie walk through the forest, to reunite with the others.
-Tom, will you tell them to wait for us at the underground hideout?
Selena asked.
-Of course.
He pronounced.
-Hey everyone, it's Tom here. Selena asked me to inform you to kindly wait for us at the underground hideout. We'll be joining you in jolly good time.
-We'll be waiting.
Serly's cold, monotone voice answered.
As they make their way through the forest, their footsteps resonate like the beating of a thousand drums, each step bringing them closer to their comrades. The tension in the air electrifies their senses, urging them forward with a sense of purpose.
And finally, they reunite.
-Well done.
Selena proudly looks at everyone one by one.
-Now it's time to delve deep into the underground hideout.
And they set to action.
First, Emily, with a rope, approaches a steadfast tree that stands tall and proud. With the grace of a gossamer spider spinning its intricate web, Emily takes hold of the rope, fingers intertwining with the fibers like a lover's embrace. She, a conductor of this symphony, orchestrates an intricate knot that marries rope and tree in a harmonious union.
Then, each member climbs down the rope and jumps in the dark pit, full of entrances and different paths.
With their flashlights, they light up the darkness, which was echoing in the underground hideout, and with each step, light spreads like a wildfire, chasing away the gloom and revealing the secrets that had been cloaked in its icy embrace.
Emily climbs down last, as she was busy putting a location tracking device at the entrance, and jumps, landing in Dan's arms. She blushes and quickly escapes from his grip.
-Interesting...
Oliver researched the passageways.
-Which way is the right one?
Theresa asks worriedly.
Everyone turned to Marina.
-Which way did you go with the drone?
Boris asked her.
She worriedly chuckled.
-Which way? Umm...I-I think...it was...I think...
The intense glares of the group got her overwhelmed.
-I don't know. I don't remember. I'm sorry for not being good at anything. I'm just a burden. I can't get anything done...
Serly's face consorted into an expression of anger.
-Is that self doubt?
She asked with an icy edge of anger.
Her Ice-tinged question stole everyone's attentions.
-There will be no self doubtful or insecure individual in this group. So get yourself together. You have no good reason to doubt yourself. You are a valuable member of this team and you have important skills we need.
She huffed.
-The reason no one remembers the correct passageway is because Hemsworth added new ones at the time we were attacking on the last hideout. And if he's leading us to a trap, like that guard said, and yet he's trying to distract us and save time, then he wants to trap us on a certain time, which isn't now. So we have to remember whether the drone turned to a different path or went straight forward. Unfortunately, the recordings are not with us anymore as we have upgraded the drones.
Selena smiled at her, radiating proud admiration.
Tom squinted.
-I don't remember such things as the drone turning around, what about you, Boris?
He shook his head.
-If my memory is not mistaken, the dug tunnel went straight, but high and low. If so, then the correct passageway is that one.
He pointed at the waviest passageway.
-Then let's continue our mission through that path.
With the fire of determination burning in her eyes, Selena uttered her words tenaciously. The strength of her resolve echoed through the air, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation. Her voice, steady and unyielding, carried the weight of her unwavering determination, piercing through any obstacles that stood in her path.
The team followed Selena to the potentially correct passageway.
Boris watched around.
-This is definitely the right passageway. It's heavily flawed, unlike the other perfectly round passageways. I bet he did them with some kind of tunnel boring machine.
Serly nodded.
-A waste of his precious time.
As they kept moving forward, the destination they were looking for so long finally arrived.
The surrounding was just rock. There was nothing else. No hideouts, no columns, no anything.
A rock labyrinth. Walls were put up everywhere, from ground to ceiling.
-This is... suspicious. There is supposed to be a hideout here.
Tom reminded, his voice filled with unexpectedness.
He turned around to face the team.
-Is it possible we entered the wrong passageway?
Selena squinted from doubt then quickly regained her confidence.
-No. This another one of his games. Check behind the walls.
Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
-Check behind the walls? But how?
Dan smirked.
-Listen, mate, we've programmed these buggers to be able to deal with any material, including rock. So we've got that covered.
Selena smiled sarcastically.
-True. And I've programmed you buggers to start to work NOW!
Dan glanced at Emily, still wearing his smirk, and returned his face to the group.
-Well then, stay very away from the walls, it's going to rain rock.
The team walked further from the walls.
Emily and Dan took the controllers and went away from the walls.
The drones flew to the walls.
With a red laser, they drew a perfect semicircle on the wall.
A pink light with the same shape as the one on the wall, colored the semicircle of the wall and, just with a tap on the controller, the semicircle exploded, resulting a rock blizzard.
Everyone quickly ran further as the rocks flew after them from behind.
The blizzard ended.
Each person stopped, caught their breaths and laughed it off.
-That was it!
Dan shouted from afar.
The evil-hunters walked towards the piece of art.
-Why won't you look at that...
Theresa panted and examined the interior.
Again, the surroundings were just rock walls, but also, in the middle, a long marble stand and a white statue of a man's head.
Nathalie walked closer to the sculpture and began investigating it.
-His face looks like Hemsworth's...but the nose...is a tiny bit...bigger. And there's something written on the stand, come and take a look...
Oliver and Jonathan went to the statue.
-"Golden rays from aurora's dance,
A juncture grand, where chances prance."
Selena furrowed her eyebrows.
-That's it?
Jonathan nodded.
-How about we break it down. Golden rays from aurora's dance, this line refers to the vivid and radiant rays of light that come from the aurora, or the colors we see during sunrise. A juncture grand, where chances prance. Here, "juncture grand" hints at an important or significant point, and "where chances prance" suggests the idea of opportunity or possibility intensifying at this location. Combining these two lines, the riddle is inviting us to uncover a specific place...where the sunrise's golden rays converge at a notable or significant point...Within this location, an element of chance or opportunity might also be present...
Oliver thought.
Serly squinted.
-Well, sunrise is on the east. And maybe the opportunities are...symbolic and have a... deeper meaning.
Mary nodded.
-Yes. You're right. "Chances prance", which means there are opportunities, but you have the ability to not take them. If we look at the bigger picture, sunrise...and opportunities we can not take...
Emily chimed in.
-Sunrise means day, and day means plenty of time to do things, which aligns with "opportunities we can not take". So the answer of this riddle, is sunrise, which is on the east, as I said earlier.
-What about "junction grand "?
Theresa reminded.
-I believe"junction grand " is about the sun rising to a point where opportunities can be born. Which means the sky. The junction grand is the crossing point of the sun and the sky. It's actually a pretty scientifically inaccurate riddle, because the sun doesn't move, the earth does, but anyways, the answer is the direction of the sunrise, which is on the east.
Emily answered.
-And what about the east? What does the riddle's answer mean?
Lisa questioned.
Sam scrunched his nose.
-Maybe we have to turn the statue's nose to the east.
Camilla widened her eyes.
-So this is what will lead us to a trap?
Oliver shook his head.
-The trap will probably work after we solve the riddles of whatever is behind the rest of the walls.
Selena huffed.
-Well let's turn this statue to the east then.
Nathalie turned the statue's face east.
Nothing happened.
Oliver chuckled.
-See? And now we have to open that wall.
The group groaned and ran very far away from the wall, preparing themselves for another explosion, both physically, and mentally.