Zackory - a fateful touch (Vol. 2) ✅

Chapter 33

Gold and red, side by side. Flying high, towards eternity. Never together and yet one. Present and future united. Open your eyes and you will see.

The paper lay in the middle of the table. Aleks sat in Belial's arms, Zack next to Lucan, even if he didn't touch him.

Astaroth picked up a stack of papers and laid them out on the table. "After seeing Zack's notes, we are coming to the same conclusion. The last element is air and it will most likely play a crucial role here. High up, towards eternity could describe a place at great heights from which one comes to eternity, which could stand for heaven. We can interpret gold and red in two ways – the sunrise, which bathes the place in the colors gold and red. On the other hand, these could also refer to the name of a place.
We are currently looking for places that contain these colors. We are still unsure about the third and fourth parts. A place that unites present and future could be a place that has existed for a long time or maintains an ancient tradition or way of life. This is often the case in religious places – perhaps a church or a temple."

The others nodded. Zack looked at the images of temples and churches in high places. But something completely different haunted his head. It was a simple thought – where have I heard that before? Present and future united. Never together and yet one.

Zack have you ever heard of ----? It is said to be the place of enlightenment. I've seen pictures. ----- high up.

Zack grabbed his forehead and rubbed it. Lucan looked at his mate. Something kept him busy. He didn't want to disturb him.

"Never together and yet one could also be about two buildings that actually belong together, but aren't," Astaroth continued.

------ only connected by a simple bridge. It looks like a ----- in heaven. It is said that this is where the present and the future meet. A truly magical place. That's where I really want to go. Are you coming with me?

What was it? What was Rika talking about? Future and present. High up. Zack looked up. "Astaroth, could you give me an overview of the temples?"

Astaroth gave him the stack. Zack got up and walked away from the table. With one swing, he threw the stack of papers into the air.

"What are you doing?" Aleks asked in amazement.

The papers sailed downwards. Hundreds of pictures. Zack stared forward. Never separated and yet together. Gold and red, side by side. Then he saw it. He jumped forward and caught the paper. The others stared at them in confusion. "That's it!" he shouted. Suddenly, the memory returned. Rika had told him about it years ago.

Have you ever heard of the twin temples of Fanjingshan? It is said to be the place of enlightenment. I've seen pictures. These are two Buddhist temples high up. The two are connected above the fissure - the "Gold Sword Gorge" only by a simple bridge. It looks like a mountain in the sky. It is said that the present and the future meet there. A truly magical place. That's where I really want to go. Are you coming with me?

Zack took the crumpled picture and slammed it on the table. "It is the Fanjinshan in Guizhou Province in China. Fanjinshan means 'Golden Peak of the Red Cloud'. It is a place that is considered a sacred mountain among Buddhists – it is considered a place of enlightenment. On the top of the mountain are two temples, separated by a deep gorge and yet somehow belonging together. One of the two temples is the Buddha Temple, dedicated to Shakyamuni – the present Buddha – which represents the present. The other is the Maitreya Temple, dedicated to Maitreya – the future Buddha, Shakyamuni's successor – who represents the future. Both temples are connected by a simple bridge that crosses the deep gorge."

Zack took a deep breath. Eight pairs of eyes were pointed at him and listening.

"Awesome," came from Aleks' mouth.

Astaroth began to smile. "Well done, masters of treasures and puzzles."

Adrenaline shot through Zack's body. His hunting instinct was awakened. Every time he solved a riddle, this exhilaration flowed through him.

"Then we will send our people there, but before that we still have to gather all sorts of information about this place so that they can solve the puzzles and trials that lie ahead of them," Astaroth said, standing up. "Zackory, I ask you to take this into your own hands. Give them a briefing as soon as they arrive. Tell them what you have experienced so far so that they are prepared," he asked him.

Zack's joy had evaporated the moment Astaroth had begun to speak. He had solved the mystery but wouldn't go on a search. Frustration and anger spread in him. He nodded silently.

Lucan felt the disappointment that gripped his beloved. As soon as he had managed to decipher the clue, he had already lost it again. Zack turned around wordlessly and walked to the door. Lucan followed him. "Zack. Nyiam," he said, but he didn't stop. His heart had clenched his fists and just kept running.

"I know you want to leave. But it's too dangerous," Lucan told his mate, who had no intention of stopping. "Please, you have to understand-"

"I got it," Zack said angrily, stopping in his tracks. "Ok, I know. I know I'm too broken to leave. But that doesn't make it any easier if you just take away what I love. What is the meaning of my life if I can no longer do the only thing I am meant for?" he replied with anger and sadness in his voice.

For Lucan, these words felt like shards of glass piercing into his heart. He could only protect his beloved one by taking away the hunt and thus hurting him. All because I couldn't protect you.

Zack saw Lucan's injured look and regretted his words at that moment. All he had achieved with it was to hurt his heart. His demon already blamed himself enough and now Zack had unnecessarily sprinkled salt into this wound. I want to touch him, comfort him, tell him that everything will be fine. But his shitty body refused. Silently, he turned around and moved on. Lucan followed him. He opened his mouth.

"Don't dare to apologize," Zack said. He didn't want that. It wasn't his fault. Zack had simply walked away headless when Lucan had slept, even though they knew they were being pursued. He wasn't to blame.

When they arrived at their room, they noticed that the bed linen and mirror had already been replaced. Zack went to the mirror and put a hand on it. Who am I? At the moment he had no answer.

Astaroth, Belial and Aleks looked after them.

"It's not right," Aleks said. "It's his search, his hunt. He's made it this far, sacrificed so much, and now they're taking that away from him." He bit his lip.

His demon stroked his shoulder. "We know that, Tsuka, but it's too dangerous. We can't risk something happening to Zack, because then we'll lose not only him, but Lucan as well." And they couldn't afford that in this war. Even if it hurt his angel, a sad brother was better than a dead brother.

"I am aware of the precarious situation, but we mustn't be guided by feelings here. We must remain objective. One wrong step, one wrong decision could mean the death of many. I am responsible for thousands of demons," Astaroth said. "Of course, there is no one better than your brother, but he is – and we cannot gloss over this – not in the constitution to go hunting at the moment. There is too much at stake."

Aleks nodded. He knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Who will continue the search in their place?" Belial asked.

"I have some candidates to choose from. We should discuss together who is best suited." So they went through all the options together and, after a long discussion, finally made a decision.

_________________________

The final goal has been set. It's a beautiful, spectacular place. But Zack won't be able to visit it.

Who could replaca him and continue searching for the key?

How will Zack be able to recover?

Your Mouse Goddess