The portal opens into a breathtaking realm of lush greenery, where the air feels crisp and invigorating. Neatly trimmed shortgrass stretches endlessly in every direction, its rich emerald hues shimmering under a soft, golden light. Towering ceiba trees rise sporadically, their expansive canopies casting dappled shadows while their trunks seem to radiate a faint, otherworldly energy. The horizon brims with dense clusters of tropical foliage – ferns, flowering vines, and vibrant plants adding splashes of color to the scenery.

  Streams of crystal-clear water meander gracefully through the landscape. In the distance, the silhouettes of pyramids rise majestically, their towering structures partially cloaked in creeping vines and moss. Two of these – Chichen Itza and Tikal – stand apart, their commanding presence anchoring the heart of this realm. Beyond them, four other pyramids are spread out along the horizon, strategically positioned like sentinels watching over this divine sanctuary.

  “Yay, more pyramids,” Wyn mutters, his voice dripping with sarcasm and unenthusiasm.

  “Fitting by name, let’s summon her!” David suggests with a grin.

  He opens a portal, and from it emerges a floating, large eyeball – Maya.

  “What can a single eyeball even do, really?” Yu asks skeptically, earning a sharp squint from Maya, whose “body” trembles with indignation at the remark.

  “Be a nightmare that once haunted my childhood! Maya, use attract, then use rollout!” Wyn commands dramatically.

  Though capable of rolling, she tilts slightly in confusion, not quite grasping Wyn’s plan. After a moment, she decides to stay in place, fixing Wyn with a distinctly unamused glare.

  “In all seriousness, I feel nervous. Even on the previous level. With just the five of us, it feels… exposed,” Wyn remarks uneasily.

  “We’ll crush them all, Oppa! Should we head to one of those pyramids? I see people,” Mira says, pointing at the closest structure from their location.

  Following Yu’s suggestion, the team climbs onto Maya, who happily obliges, carrying them as she hovers forward – though at an agonizingly slow pace.

  As they approach, the scene comes into focus: souls are gathering around the pyramid, herded by dogs and forced to kneel in prayer. The ritual appears nonviolent but eerily precise, taking place simultaneously at all four sides of the structure. Moments later, the topmost section of the pyramid begins to spin, sending a faint rumble through the ground.

  Smoke rises from each of the doors, swirling into the air in dense, ominous plumes. At the very peak of the pyramid, a god materializes, poised to deliver a speech to the assembled crowd.

  "Come to think of it, Heaven has a lot of ancient themes, huh? This is the only time when diversity actually makes sense in ancient times!" Wyn muses, amused with himself.

  However, the god’s address is abruptly cut short as his gaze locks onto the team of intruders. In an unexpected turn, the god raises an arm and points toward the central pyramids, as if directing them there.

  Without hesitation, David and Yu move to scatter the crowd and drive the dogs away, creating a clear line of sight. Maya hovers into position, her singular eye glowing ominously as it channels the team’s combined powers.

  With a flash of overwhelming energy, Maya releases a devastating beam aimed directly at the pyramid. The impact is instantaneous, obliterating both the structure and the god in one colossal, earth-shaking explosion.

  “We’re this strong now?” Lisa exclaims excitedly.

  “Guess we should go to those pyramids for the guardian…or guardians…Now, I’m really nervous,” Wyn says.

  As they make their way toward the middle pyramids, the team encounters several creatures, including some unique to this level, like the aluxo’ob – small elf-like beings – and the camazotz – monstrous bats. However, none prove a match for their strength, making the journey an easy one.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  At their arrival at one of the pyramids, the land stretching between it and the next is barren – completely empty, devoid of trees, creatures, or any sign of life. The air feels unnervingly still as the team takes aim at the pyramid, ready to destroy it and the god within.

  Suddenly, the massive door of the pyramid groans open. From the darkness within, a figure emerges, slowly revealed by the swirling winds that begin to stir around it.

  A cloak of mist unfurls, revealing the unmistakable form of Kukulkan – the feathered serpent god. His scales shimmer with vibrant green, glistening like the life force of nature itself. The tips of his feathers shine with hints of blue and silver, catching the light as he unfurls his massive wings. His eyes glow with an intense, piercing light, and the powerful gusts of wind whip around him as he stands tall, commanding the attention of the land.

  Without a word, the god extends his wings further, gathering the winds around him. A cyclone rapidly forms around the team. The intent is clear – to halt their advance, not destroy them.

  David counters with thunder strikes. The bolts strike Kukulkan’s long, serpentine body, forcing the struck parts to dip downward, leaving behind seared burns where the lightning touches. Despite the damage, the god remains unyielding, launching himself toward the other central pyramid, his movement propelled by the strength of the cyclone.

  Wanting to catch up to the god, Wyn quickly calls for everyone to hold on tightly to either him or Maya. With everyone ready, he launches the team, including Maya, into a powerful cyclone. The winds whip around them as they race toward the next pyramid. As they near it, Yu summons walls of streams ahead, using them to slow down the force of the cyclone, allowing the team to come to a smooth stop.

  Before them, Kukulkan is swirling around the pyramid, his form dancing in the winds. But what catches their attention even more is the figure perched atop the pyramid – Itzamná, the god of wisdom, knowledge, and creation. His form is majestic, draped in flowing robes of deep green and brown. His skin, dark as polished obsidian, gleams with a subtle radiance. His eyes, a serene shade of amber, survey the scene with an air of quiet authority. A staff, entwined with vines and topped with a glowing gem, is firmly gripped in his hand.

  “So, we have a flying noodle and a, I don’t know, a monkey?” Yu says.

  Kukulkan continues to swirl his long, serpentine body upward, and with a wide open mouth, small snakes take shape, twisting into a cyclone that hurtles toward the team. Wyn and Mira quickly retaliate, conjuring a fiery cyclone of their own. The blaze halts the enemy’s attack, incinerating the snakes. The serpent god dives low, crashing into Maya and sending her spiraling. David and Lisa, who had been standing behind her, are dragged along in the wake of the impact. Wyn, determined not to fall behind, launches himself forward, carrying Yu and Mira within another cyclone as they follow the chaos.

  As the battle rages on, Itzamná calmly stomps his staff against the pyramid’s top. The staff unwinds, releasing vines that snake into the pyramid's massive doors. The pyramid’s ledges begin to spin, each level shifting into place, only to return to its original form. Immediately, large, thick vines burst from the doors, slithering down the pyramid and spreading across the ground. They extend outward, traveling to the other pyramids, where they climb their stone facades and crawl through the doors. As the green vines pour from each entrance, they rapidly grow longer, creeping into nearby villages and cities, transforming the ground beneath them into a thick, tangled web of nature’s grasp.

  Meanwhile, Maya and Kukulkan come to a stop near a pyramid, which is also adjacent to a small village. As the group stabilizes, the serpent god suddenly takes off, seemingly heading back toward Itzamná before Wyn can arrive. Soon, the vines erupt from the pyramid doors, spreading rapidly. Promptly, Wyn creates mini cyclones to lift his team above the quickly encroaching vines covering the ground.

  “Are those holes?” Wyn asks, noticing large circular patches along the vines, bordered by a darker green hue.

  The team watches in awe as the vines continue to spread, swiftly covering the ground and reaching the village. While some souls are caught beneath the vines, most have taken refuge on the shelter roofs. But just as the souls think they’ve avoided danger, the vine-filled patches inside the circles begin to sink deep into the vines themselves. From within the circles, comb-shaped formations start to emerge. The front parts of these green combs are lined with numerous slim tendrils, writhing and reaching out. Attached by vines, these combs extend toward the souls perched on the roofs, their tendrils stretching ever closer.

  Wyn raises his team above the reach of the combs, only to witness the horror unfolding below. The tendrils of the combs latch onto the souls on the roofs, draining them to the point that they’re reduced to nothing but skin before pulling them inside the circles. From the top of the pyramid, the combs find a new target, and one of them snatches a god. In the same grim fashion, the god is drained dry and pulled inside the circles.

  “What in the world are we watching?” Mira asks, her voice tinged with disbelief.

  “Maya, let’s burn these vines,” David says, offering no answer to Mira’s question.

  Just as Maya begins charging up a powerful laser beam, a figure rapidly approaches from the sky. Maya redirects her aim and fires at the figure, but it swiftly evades her shot. As the figure closes in on the team, the air thickens with tension. It becomes clear that the chaos is far from over. Itzamná has merged with Kukulkan.