Chapter 61: Treasure Hunting On Ivory Island

"You really got banned from the Treasure Hunt?"

Wren blinked, looking down at the plush cream carpet of his room.

A few hours had passed since the massage in the Ivory Suite, and he was now relaxing in his private room located within the massive Luxury Villa that the Celestine had generously provided to the VIPs of the trip.

The air conditioning hummed quietly in the background, offering a perfect contrast to the tropical heat outside the floor-to-ceiling windows but his peace was currently being disrupted by Toby and Zach kneeling directly in front of him.

Toby clenched his fists against his thighs as his face twisted into a dramatic mask of pure frustration.

"This game is completely rigged in the favor of the strong!" Toby complained.

Zach’s left eye twitched with intense irritation. He reached out, tightly grabbing Toby’s ear and twisting it just enough to make the other boy wince.

"The only reason we got banned was because you rushed another guy like a feral animal," Zach corrected him with a tired sigh.

"But you saw it..." Toby argued, trying to pull his ear away from Zach’s grip. "He got that letter for the next clue."

"Letter?" Wren asked, raising an eyebrow as he leaned forward on the expensive leather sofa.

"You need to gather specific letters with golden seals that are hidden around the whole island," Toby explained, rubbing his sore ear. "You receive initial clues in the beginning telling you where to find them. We were heading for that specific letter at the jungle clearing, but someone had got there before us and taken the clue."

"So in essence, you want me to go look for treasure without any hints or whatever?" Wren asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, no, I’m not that dumb. Hehe~" Toby said with a sly mischievous grin spreading across his face.

He reached deep into the pocket of his dirt-stained cargo shorts and brought out a pristine white envelope stamped with a bright golden seal.

"Of course I managed to take the real letter and swap it with a fake one," Toby announced proudly, holding the envelope up to the light.

Both Wren and Zach looked at him with wide disbelieving eyes.

"When the fuck did you even manag—" Zach started to ask, completely bewildered by the revelation.

"Of course I snagged it right when he punched me in the face," Toby interrupted, pointing a finger to his bruised cheek. "All that pain was worth it to secure the bag."

Zach shook his head slowly, dragging a hand down his face.

"You’re a total masochist, man." Zach muttered.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting money," Toby replied defensively, pushing his sliding glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"I don’t think we should really—" Wren started to reject the offer, not wanting to spend his relaxing afternoon trudging through the mud.

However, Toby’s eyes glinted with desperate determination. He leaned forward, practically kowtowing on the carpet as he pressed his forehead near Wren’s feet.

"Wrennnn," Toby whined loudly. "That three million credits could go a really long way if you won it. You know, we will even let you have your own cut of the prize money~ Like one million."

"One million credits is a lot of money..." Zach added, nodding his head in agreement.

"We don’t have many choices left, and we need to motivate him to help out." Toby snapped back at Zach in a harsh whisper.

"One million, huh?" Wren said, rubbing his chin as he looked at the golden envelope.

He was feeling quite motivated by that specific number.

Immediately, a translucent blue screen flared to life in his peripheral vision hovering in the empty air.

[Hehe~ Host, why don’t you invite Isabella too? Who knows, you could fuck in the woods?]

’I honestly think that is not a bad idea,’ Wren thought with a slow nod.

He was quite used to Nyx’s perverted, unfiltered comments by now, but honestly, if they did end up alone in the isolated jungle... he would definitely take the opportunity.

The tension in the hot tub earlier had been palpable and getting her away from the other girls was the perfect strategic move.

He dismissed the glowing screen, turned his attention back to the two young men kneeling on his floor, and let out a long sigh.

"Sure," Wren said, extending his hand. "Just give me the letter and I’ll take a look at it."

Toby immediately handed the letter over with a massive grin. Wren took it, flipping the pristine paper over in his hands and examining the intricate wax seal holding the flap closed.

"This looks pretty legit," Wren noted. "How the hell did you trick that guy? And where did you direct him to?"

Toby rubbed the back of his head, looking away with a guilty chuckle.

"Hehehe~ That is a whole thing," Toby said evasively. "Don’t worry about him."

...

Meanwhile, on the jagged, rocky cliffs overlooking the eastern shore of the island, the burly man who had punched Toby across his face stood reading the small poem written on the piece of paper he pulled from his envelope.

He narrowed his eyes, squinting at the terrible handwriting.

"To find the gold you seek so well, you must brave the ocean’s swell," the burly man read aloud, tracing the words with his thick finger. "Do not hesitate, do not think, just jump right off the island’s brink."

He looked down at the churning blue water hundreds of feet below the cliffside.

"I better get the treasure," the man grumbled to himself.

And so that was exactly what he did. He grabbed the hem of his uniform, threw his shirt to the side, and sprinted toward the edge. He jumped right off the side of the island with his massive body plummeting rapidly toward the ocean below.

"Gerards awaaaaay!" he yelled as he fell.

Soon, he entered the water with a massive, deafening splash.

...

Back at the Luxury Villa, Wren stood in front of his full-length mirror, adjusting some clothes fit for exploring the dense forest.

He had swapped his comfortable spa attire for a pair of durable, olive-green cargo pants and a tight, moisture-wicking black t-shirt that gripped his chest and shoulders nicely.

He picked up the golden envelope from the dresser, looking at it one last time before a sharp knock echoed from the door.

"Coming," Wren called out.

He stood up straight, stuffing the envelope into his deep side pocket as he walked across the room. He reached the door, turning the brass handle and pulling it open, revealing Isabella standing in the hallway.

She stepped back slightly, offering him a bright smile as she showed off the clothes she was wearing. Isabella looked incredible.

She wore a pair of high-waisted, form-fitting black athletic leggings that hugged her toned thighs and curves perfectly.

On top, she wore a cropped, breathable white tank top that left her smooth, flat stomach exposed to the air.

The colorful straps of a bikini top were visible underneath the white fabric, and she finished the look with a pair of sturdy hiking boots and her signature baseball cap pulled low over her crimson eyes.

"How do I look?" Isabella asked, doing a small, playful spin in the hallway.

"You look pretty beautiful," Wren answered honestly with his eyes tracking the movement of her hips. "Though is this really fit for treasure hunting?"

"It is," Isabella replied confidently, bringing her hands to rest on her waist.

She smiled in a faint pink flush dusting her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"I’m glad that you invited me over to do treasure hunting with you," she added softly.

"Don’t flatter yourself," Wren teased with a smirk. "I’m sure that you are a natural at treasure hunting, so I just needed the muscle."

Isabella blushed a deeper shade of red, looking down at her boots.

"Th-this will actually be my first time," Isa admitted with a shy stutter.

She quickly shook her head, recovering her usual bold energy, and reached forward to grab his wrist.

"Let’s go already," Isabella urged, pulling on Wren’s hand.

"H-hold on, let me lock my room," Wren laughed, resisting her pull for a second.

He reached into his pocket, retrieved his keycard, and tapped it against the digital scanner on the door until the lock clicked green.

With the room secured, they moved down the wide carpeted hallway together with their shoulders brushing lightly with every step.

They soon reached the outside of the expensive Villa, the bright tropical sun hitting their faces as the humid island air wrapped around them.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Isabella asked, looking around the manicured lawns.

Wren reached into his cargo pocket, pulled out the golden envelope, and broke the wax seal.

He opened it, revealing a folded piece of thick, textured paper on the inside. Isabella stepped closer, her arm pressing against his side as she took the paper with one hand and opened it fully for both of them to read.

Written in elegant calligraphy was a short confusing poem.

"Where the green canopy breaks and the stones weep cold tears,

The veiled maw hides the path to the serpent’s hoard.

Do not fear the roaring, cascading tide,

For the golden path awaits you deep inside."

Wren blinked, reading the cryptic words twice.

"What does a veiled maw even mean?" Wren asked.

However, Isabella’s eyes lit up with immediate recognition.

"The poem is saying that it is hidden behind a waterfall," Isabella explained, pointing her finger at the third line. "Weeping stones, roaring cascading tide... It’s water."

"Oh?" Wren said, genuinely impressed by her quick deduction.

"Dummy," Isabella teased playfully, bumping her hip against his. "You didn’t even realize it."

She grabbed his hand again.

"Alright, let’s go to the waterfall," Isabella declared, leading the way toward the dense tree line bordering the resort.

They left the manicured paths behind and plunged directly into the dense jungle interior and the environment shifted rapidly.

The clean air was replaced by the thick earthy scent of damp soil and blooming tropical flowers.

Wren took the lead as the trail grew rugged, pushing massive waxy green fern leaves out of their path as the canopy overhead filtered the harsh sunlight into a dappled golden glow.

Isabella stayed close right behind him, stepping carefully over thick, exposed tree roots. Whenever the incline grew steep, Wren reached back, offering his hand to pull her up the muddy slopes.

They ducked under a low-hanging vine, and the distant sound of rushing water began to echo through the trees.

"I think we’re getting close..." Wren said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. They pushed through a final thicket of broad leaves and immediately arrived at the base of the waterfall.

The sight was breathtaking. A massive wall of dark, wet stone rose fifty feet into the air, with thousands of gallons of crystal-clear water rushing beautifully over the edge, crashing into a deep, turquoise pool at the bottom.

The mist rising from the impact cooled the humid jungle air instantly, casting tiny rainbows in the scattered light.

"Wow," Isabella breathed out, her eyes wide with awe.

"This... is incredible," Wren agreed, stepping closer to the edge of the rocky pool.

Without missing a beat, Isabella took hold of the hem of her white tank top, pulling it smoothly over her head.

"What... The hell are you doing?" Wren asked, his eyes widening as she tossed the shirt onto a dry rock.

"We are going under the waterfall, right?" Isabella replied casually, reaching down to unlace her boots. "So we need to take off our clothes."

She quickly peeled off her black athletic leggings, kicking them aside. She stood before him wearing only a sleek, black athletic bikini top and matching bikini bottoms that clung perfectly to her toned athletic figure.

The sight of her pale skin and sculpted curves framed by the lush jungle background was stunning.

Wren opened his mouth to reply, but as he looked past her at the rushing, turbulent water crashing into the pool as his mind betrayed him.

The roaring sound of the waterfall suddenly mutated in his ears, deepening into the terrifying, deafening crash of the dark ocean waves.

The bright turquoise pool shifted in his mind’s eye, becoming the pitch-black, freezing abyss of the sea. He vividly envisioned the horrifying moment when he got pushed off the cruise ship days ago, plunging into the suffocating endless dark water.

His breath hitched violently in his throat and his chest tightened, a cold sweat broke out across his skin as his heart hammered against his ribs.

"Why don’t you go herself?" Wren whispered as he took a rigid step backward.

Isabella stopped stretching, her eyes snapping to his pale face and she saw the panic gripping his features as well as the way his hands shook at his sides.

"Fuck... I’m so stupid," Isabella cursed herself.

She abandoned the water entirely, walking closer to him with rapid, concerned steps. She didn’t hesitate for a single second.

Isabella closed the distance and wrapped her arms tightly around his rigid torso, giving him a warm hug.

"I’m sorry for making you stress yourself," Isabella murmured, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I completely for—"

"It’s okay," Wren interrupted, his voice hoarse as he slowly brought his arms up to return the embrace.

She was standing pressed flush against him in nothing but her bikini top and panties.

The warmth of her bare skin, the soft pressure of her breasts yielding against his chest, and the sweet scent of her perfume completely grounded him. The terrifying hallucination of the dark ocean shattered, pulling his mind back to the bright, beautiful jungle reality.

He held her for a long moment, focusing entirely on the beating of her heart against his own until his breathing finally steadied.

Isabella slowly pulled back, looking up into his eyes with deep concern.

"I can go look for the clue alone..." Isabella offered softly, her hands resting gently on his chest.

She turned, walking toward the edge of the rocky pool, fully ready to take a dive into the crashing water by herself to spare him the trauma.

Wren watched her walk away, the image of her braving the unknown alone striking a nerve deep within him.

"Hold on," Wren called out.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool mist, and reached for the hem of his black t-shirt. He pulled it over his head, tossing it onto the rocks next to her clothes.

He quickly undid his belt, stepping out of his cargo pants until he was standing in nothing but his dark, fitted boxers.

The cool air hit his bare skin, causing goosebumps to rise along his arms.

"It wouldn’t be manly to leave you going to somewhere unknown by yourself," Wren stated, walking up to stand right beside her at the water’s edge.

Isabella looked at his defined chest and the determined look in his eyes. Her worried expression melted away, replaced by a radiant, genuine smile.

"Thank you," Isabella said softly.

She reached out her hand, intertwining her slender fingers tightly with his as the physical connection anchored him completely, banishing the last lingering shadows of his fear.

"On three?" Wren asked, squeezing her hand.

"One. Two. Three!" Isabella counted down.

Immediately, they both stepped off the rocky ledge, plunging into the deep pool. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The cool water filled around them instantly, shocking their systems, but it wasn’t anything like the terrifying freezing ocean water from his nightmares.

The pool was much calmer beneath the surface. It looked bright blue and completely clear all around them, the sunlight penetrating deep into the water and illuminating the smooth stones at the bottom.

Wren opened his eyes, feeling the gentle current against his skin. He couldn’t swim well but that was exactly why Isabella was there.

She moved with the grace of a dolphin, her powerful legs kicking smoothly as she guided him forward.

Through the clear water, they saw a dark jagged opening in the rock wall, located directly at the other side of the crashing waterfall curtain.

Isabella pulled his hand, leading him through the underwater tunnel. They swam directly beneath the roaring cascade with the intense pressure of the falling water vibrating through the pool around them.

Wren kicked his legs, trusting her entirely as they passed through the liquid barrier. They pushed through the final stretch of water before breaking the surface to the other side.

They emerged inside a stunning, hidden grotto. The walls of the cave were lined with glowing, bioluminescent moss that cast a soft ethereal blue light over the enclosed space as the roar of the waterfall was muffled here, echoing gently off the damp stone ceiling.

Wren gasped for air wiping the water from his eyes as he treaded water beside her.

"Haah... Haah... That was—" Wren panted.

"Fucking amazing," Isa finished, tossing her wet blond hair back as she grinned brightly at him.