As Maya and Helix walked along the pools, Maya couldn’t shake off the feeling that...

Something was off. “Well,” Helix said, “Do you think you will be able to find them?, I mean,
Tamarind is a huge island, you are just wasting time. I think it’d be best if you were to forget
about your parents and go back”.” What are you talking about?” Maya exclaimed, “You don’t
know if we could find them or not.. Unless you know something.” Maya knew Helix was
hiding something from her at this point, it all was so suspicious, she was curious and felt the
need to find out what Helix was hiding from her. “Whatever, let's go back.”

She slept and woke up early the next day. She found Helix talking to some of the locals early
in the morning. They were certainly a queer sight, dressed in strange animal skin with wild
hair, and the men having long, thick beards with a look of distaste. They spoke little to Helix,
gave him some money and left.

Helix returned to their tent and buried the money under his sleeping mat, as Maya pretended
to sleep. Once he left, Maya took the money buried under his mat and went to confront him.
“Why did you get this money and who gave it to you!” she exclaimed. Helix looked at her in
shock, “Wait, I-I can explain.! Maya continued shouting at Helix in tears “What is this FOR
Helix!!”

Helix replied sadly “The locals gave it to me to stall you, Penny and Simon.” Maya replied in
shock “Why are you stalling us!”.

Helix screamed out in frustration before he knew what he was saying, “TO KEEP YOU
AWAY FROM YOUR PARENTS MAYA! THEY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE RED
CORAL PROJECT! ”

Maya was confused and angry "What?!", she ran into the forest, she didn’t know where she
was going but all she wanted was to be away from Helix! How could he? Where were her
parents? She had so many questions about Helix. But none of it mattered, she wished only
to be as far away from him and broke into a wail as she ran.

Maya stopped running. Crying wouldn't solve anything. She calmed herself down and
searched for her brother and sister. As She was wandering around the forest, trying to get to
the beach, she decided she would tell Simon, she felt like she could only trust her siblings
and herself.

She went back to the camp and woke Simon and Penny. “We have to leave.”, she said.
“What about Helix?”Simon asked. “Helix is a traitor. We have to stay as far away from him as
we can.”, Maya replied. Simon was curious but he knew this wasn’t the time to ask
questions. They gathered up all their belongings and got ready to leave, only to find Helix.

“ I know you, Maya. You’re going to go after your parents. But these people are dangerous.
You don’t what you’re getting into.”, he warned them.

“We don’t need your "great" advice.”, she said. “Then let me help.”, he pleaded.
“We don't want your help, are you getting more money from stalling us again?”, she
questioned. "I'm not. I'm just trying to-", "Well save it. You've done enough for us"
The siblings left, and as they went further and further away from camp, aimlessly, Simon
asked his sister an important question, “Where are we going?”
“To find our parents.”, she replied.
“And where are they exactly?”, Simon questioned.
“I…don’t know.”, she replied, and sat down on the beach, exhausted.

“You know, we could ask around to see where the locals live.”, Simon suggested.
“Who do we ask?”, questioned Maya, exasperated. “There's no one.”
“We could ask Helix.”
“He’s long gone, Simon. And what makes you think he’d want to help us?!”, Maya exclaimed.

“Well”, Simon said, as he walked over to some nearby bushes. “He has been following us for
a while.”, he said and pulled back the bushes revealing Helix.
“How long have you known?”, Helix asked.
“Long enough.”
“I can’t believe it!” exclaimed Maya, “You’re still trying to keep us from finding our parents!”

“No!”, Helix said. “I’ve only followed you to make sure you were safe. I want to help”
“No!”
“Please, Maya, I made a mistake and I’m sorry!”
“Forget my sister,” said Simon. “I need your help to find our parents.”
Maya turned away as Helix told Simon where their parents were being kept.

“The locals have them hidden in a cave not too far from here. There are only 3 guards, I can
help you get past them.”, revealed Helix.
“We’re only four children.”, said Simon
“We can’t beat them with brute force, stealth is our only option.”, said Maya.
“We’ll need a distraction.”, said Helix.

“You’ve got me.”, said Simon.

The siblings and Helix made their way through a quick but dangerous route through the
forest.
“Stop!”, Helix cried. “This is far enough. You can see the cave from here.”

Simon studied the men, they were all huge, standing at nearly 7 feet, and were well-built,
each of them holding a spear nearly as long as them. Maya was right, they were no match
for them physically. The cave entrance was huge, with a guard on each side and one in the
middle. Hopefully, their distraction would be enough.
Simon walked up to the guards, he seemed merely an ant in their presence.
“Hey you!”
The guards looked up. “Yeah, you.” Simon continued. “ I hear you “

The guards were keeping their watch on Simon, while Maya and Helix slowly crept up
behind them and entered the cave. The cave was massive on the inside, there were crystals
on the roof of the cave and the walls, the clinking sound of the crystals mesmerised Maya
and Helix. But they told themselves to focus on the mission. They went deep into the caves
and Maya heard the voice of her mother “Please, don’t do this to him”. A deep voice replied,
“Tell us about the red coral project and we will let him go”. Soon after the deep voice had
said that, Maya heard the voice of her father screaming “.I don't know anything about it!”
Maya peeked and saw her father being tied up with guards holding him hostage, their
piercing sadistic laughs echoed throughout the cave. Her mother was being held by 2
guards, who eventually set Maya’s mother free, watching the horror as her husband is
getting tortured.

Maya was confused about what to do, but then, she saw a giant spear on the ground.
Despite the spear’s appearance and height, it was quite light to hold. Helix snatched the
spear from Maya and entered the hall. Helix used the spear like a professional and killed the
2 guards.

The deep voice that Maya heard was the king of the island’s people, his name was “Walter
Fijiko” is also known as “The devil in disguise”. He took his spear and challenged Helix, but
Helix had different plans in mind. He cut the rope which was holding Maya’s father, and they
both ran.

Helix ran for his life while dropping the spear. They all ran out of the cave and went to hide in
the forest.