Raised From The Wild-Chapter 316: In the Eye of The Storm : The Secret Lagoon

"Amaya!"

"Princess!"

Several people called Princess Amaya at the same time. The locals told them the plunge pool at the waterfall’s base was more than ten meters deep.

The crashing flow of the water cascading from such height eroded the rocks and soil below, resulting in a semicircle-shaped pool. At a certain point, it also created powerful whirlpools that could pull and drown even the strongest swimmer. Two of the villagers had died in the plunge pool.

After a short while, Princess Amaya emerged in the middle of the pool. She looked at the people standing on the smooth surface of a massive boulder at the side. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"The water is cool. Would you like to join me?" she smiled as she invited them.

Luciano did not wait for a second invitation. He was wearing a Dri-fit black shirt, cycling shorts, and aqua shoes, so all he needed to do was jump in.

Julienne and a few of the student volunteers who arrived earlier also joined in the fun. Stephane and the few remaining guards remained on the bank, watching the group enjoying the swim.

Princess Amaya gazed at the magnificent waterfall, feeling the refreshing sprays of water on her face.

"Luciano, Julienne, let’s go explore the hidden cave." Amaya was like a child who received her favorite toy.

Without waiting for a reply, she swam to the side of the plunge pool, where she saw a thick rope placed by villagers to facilitate access to the cave.

There was a narrow opening at the side of the cave where one could enter without being hit by the cascade. The sheer force of the waterfall could cause a person to lose consciousness.

The cave was not very spacious, but it was tall enough for Luciano to stand. Its depth exceeded three meters, and the rock’s surface was slippery.

The resulting erosion at the base of a waterfall could cause the waterfall to "recede." The area behind the waterfall is worn away, creating a hollow, cave-like structure called a "rock shelter." Amaya learned this from the internet when she researched the hidden cave’s origin.

After more than thirty minutes, the group left the waterfall and headed back to where there was a smaller fork. Travel was faster as they were going downstream. They turned left and followed the narrower river path.

After rowing for another thirty minutes, they reached a dead end. The river just disappeared.

"Ah, there is nothing in front but a huge boulder," Julienne exclaimed.

The boatman in Amaya’s group led them to one part of the boulder. The water was shallow and clear, the water bed visible, and gray and black schools of fish were swimming and disappearing in rock crevices.

"This is called the secret lagoon. There is an entrance behind this huge boulder that only one person can go through." The boatman pointed to a hole less than one meter in diameter. He crouched and easily slid into the hole, then crawled on all fours for a meter distance.

Luciano frowned. None of the guards had checked the area in advance, so he was contemplating whether it was safe for Princess Amaya to explore the secret lagoon. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about it. Some of the royal guards had looked around the area to ensure that there were no enemies lurking.

Princess Amaya’s interest, however, was piqued. She would like to go in and check it out. Luciano had no choice but to go first, followed by Julienne and then Princess Amaya. Vasquez and another guard were behind Princess Amaya to guard her rear.

The rest could come after the Princess has gotten back.

The moment Princess Amaya emerged from the hole, she gasped at what she saw. She understood why it was called a secret lagoon. The small body of water was enclosed by tall rock with visible patches of dark green moss. The water was very clear and calm and reached up to her chest.

"There is not much to see here, Princess. We should leave so others can see this."

Princess Amaya looked around and saw bubbles on the secret lagoon’s eastern part.

She swam toward it, and Luciano followed closely.

"Princess, the water seeped through a small crevice and trickled directly into the sea below." the boatman explained.

"Really? Is it like this for a long time?" Amaya asked eagerly, but then she was distracted by a monkey who suddenly appeared on top of the rock on the western part. The monkey’s big red eyes were trained on her, and it was mocking her. She frowned and glared at it. The monkey leaped and disappeared from view.

Luciano’s brows furrowed. If they bring more people in, wouldn’t it be a disaster if the rock gave in?

Just as he was about to remind Amaya to move away from the rock wall, he heard a loud rumbling sound, like a grenade exploding.

A huge hole appeared on the eastern part of the rock wall, and water started gushing out. Julienne and the boatmen screamed as they fought against the current that threatened to carry them down. Because Amaya was near the hole, she was carried when the water gushed out.

"Aya!" Luciano’s horrified shout filled the air. Without thinking, , he dived headfirst into the water and followed Amaya.

Vasques quickly threw a rope on top of the rock. Once secured, he grabbed the boatman and Julienne, and they secured their footing on an elevated rock. The water level from the lagoon had greatly diminished and was up to Julienne’s thigh.

"John, call for backup!" Vasquez shouted to the other guard. He took a drone from his backpack and released it.

Princess Amaya pressed a button on her watch in an attempt to break her fall. Initially, her descent slowed down a bit. However, her path was the same as the cascade, which reduced the effectiveness of the device in her watch that controlled the pressure of the surrounding air.

She was free-falling to her death. The ragged rocks and strong waves below beckoned to her as if they were stretching their arms wide to welcome her and swallow her.