Chapter 5 East of Known

The compass spun all night.

Even when we laid it flat, shielded from wind or magnetics, the needle ticked and twitched-like something was pulling it beyond physical laws. Then, just before dawn, it stopped. Not north. Not even true east.

It pointed deeper into the valley.

"Maybe it's busted," Will offered, half-hoping.

"No," I said. "It's ready."

We broke camp early. The trees east of the lake grew taller, older. Their trunks were wide enough to hollow into rooms. The bark had a faint sheen to it, and strange markings twisted through the grain-similar to those etched in the stones.

Derek took point again, scanning the trail for anything unnatural. Will brought up the rear with his camera slung but unused. Even he didn't want to break the stillness anymore.

Samir, eyes always searching, whispered, "Look at this..."

He pointed to a set of stones forming a broken path, half-buried in earth. From above, they formed a pattern-a spiral leading to a circle, then branching lines. Like a map burned into the forest floor.

"It's a guide," he said. "Or a warning."

We followed it anyway.

Hours passed. Time grew soft here-no birds, no insects, no clouds drifting overhead. Just that pressing quiet.

Then we saw it: a wall of stone hidden beneath vines, rising over thirty feet high, wide as a cathedral. At its center, a door-round, smooth, made of a darker stone that shimmered faintly in the light.

No handle. No hinges. Just a hollow at the center, perfectly compass-shaped.

My heartbeat quickened. I reached into my pack and pulled out the compass.

"It can't be that simple," Derek said.

But I stepped forward, breath caught in my chest, and pressed the compass into the hollow.

It clicked.

The stone pulsed beneath my hand. Then silence returned.

For a moment, nothing.

Then the door sank inward with a slow rumble, releasing a gust of air that smelled of stone, dust, and something... electric.

Darkness waited beyond.

Will raised his flashlight. "We're really doing this?"

"We've come this far," I said.

Derek drew a knife. Samir checked his samples. And together, we stepped into the forgotten dark.

Inside, the air was warmer than expected. The corridor sloped downward, the walls lined with carvings-figures with elongated limbs, eyes like crescents, hands reaching toward stars. Ancient. Otherworldly.

We followed the slope until we reached a chamber, circular and immense, with a ceiling that arched like a dome. In its center was a platform surrounded by carved pillars. On each, a story-drawings of men arriving, offerings being made... and warnings ignored.

Samir's voice cracked. "This is a record. A timeline."

Of what, we didn't yet know.

At the far end of the chamber, another compass symbol was etched into the floor-this one surrounded by runes glowing faintly blue.

Suddenly, the compass in my pocket began to spin again.

Faster.

Harder.

And then it shattered.

The glass exploded in my hand. I fell backward, stunned, as the ground beneath the symbol began to tremble.

"Time to go!" Derek shouted.

But it was too late.

The runes lit up-blinding blue-and the floor opened.

And we fell.