Enigma II : Magic Card

/22.2/ A Fit of Doubts

"It's a metal-encased wall like every other one here."

"Knock on it."

I did so. An air of sound piped in a high pitch, breaking into a rhythm of tones. "There's something behind this," I said, scrutinizing above and around to find any protruding shape of apparent hinges to indicate the humongous rectangle before was mobile by human effort.

"It can be automatic," Neo said, "If this is an alternative route for escape, an automatic door is more economical. At least, considering the hefty size of this door, that is, would have taken lesser time."

"Or if there are seven burly men in your group, you don't need one." I chewed onto my lip aversing at the manual effort, but when it moved by an inch, even the slightest, I looked back at Neo with the delight of achievement. He returned a flicker of an eyebrow in the expression of "yeah, yeah, got it", coming forward to give me a hand.

"You know physics, pushing is better than pulling. I push from this side, and you pull from there. Ready? On the count of three-"

>>>

For the next nine minutes, it was a taxing trudge through a shallow trench pathway. It led us southward, taking no turns and roundabouts in the midway so we were aware of where we might be heading. The humid ambiance innard asphyxiated my lungs. I trailed behind Neo with a slower pace while maintaining to keep up, rummaging through the pieces of documents we jumbled into our collection. The scrambled piece of paper inked with the name of that specific school still clouded my head.

Of all the relations I knew existed of BTS, my background or any element from my past could not have been anywhere close to their reach. The moment I stepped foot in this new land of my future livelihood, I ensured that the slight crumbles of my past self would go unknown. My department knew - parts of me, the parts I let the livings know. The name of that specific high school of scarring events was not listed in any of my official whereabouts for I had shifted afterward to a new school and completed my graduation there. BTS could know my real occupation, they could know that I was from this place and this school. But anything that was not documented? No. They weren't that influential to reach another state (or so I assumed) and collect information that would be none of their concern. Or was it their concern? What could be any other purpose for them to hold a promotional concert in my country? I never got to know when all the planning for the sudden change of venues took place. Other than the company, was there any other subtle influence behind this?

My comprehension could nowhere reach a foregone conclusion. Neo wasn't the one I could share this with. The slow wreck in my train of thoughts was rising up and up, but there was no immediate source of light.

>>>

A rush of blinding light coruscated the soddening air of the hole-cage at the opening of the door above. The long silence of ringing sound was turmoiled with chippers of birds from above. I pushed myself upward heavily, landing on the soft soil of sticky mud. I took my time to interpret the location. Around, tall haggard trees bunched closer in a maze, prop roots condensing to create a thick layer of soily green. A copse of underbrush concealed the door to the underground canal so well as if nature advocated for this route of escape. There was no sign of human civilization existing within the resolving limit of the eye. I settled dubious for a moment upon receiving the unexpected outcome of revelation.

"Wow. Where are we?"

"We walked for about fifteen minutes, so we shouldn't be that far from the dorm."