Arc Du Destin

5

I ran. The few surprised monks I almost drove into quickly scattered to prevent getting knocked down. In the few seconds it took to gain back my balance, the others had caught up with me. Yang Guo grabbed me by my arm and turned me towards him.

"Calm down." He said, his voice, for once, sounding dead serious.

"Yang Guo... I-"

"You've just realized something."

I nodded, still trembling but trying to keep the maniac look off my face. I could see my wide eyed reflection in his eyes though.

"Hey- what happened?" Chen Shing panted, skidding to a stop beside us with Le ge following. I glanced at them, then looked back at Yang Guo. Not knowing how to begin. We both stared at each other.

"Is anyone going to explain what the matter is?" Li ge asked curiously.

"The chamber...." I whispered.

Yang Guo gazed at me for a span of time, then  blinked. "Come." He said, taking me by arm and guiding me towards the building holding the scrolls. I was thankful. I needed time to process what flashed through my brain while he led the way, bowing to the monks that stood guard and escorting me through the door, past the outer chambers to the one where the scrolls still lay neatly on their respective shelves.

"Can you ask them to shut the door?" I spoke quietly. Li ge nodded and doubled back.

The windowless chamber looked just as we left it. Scrolls arranged neatly on the shelves from which most of the dust had been carefully removed by us. White light from a single portable electric lamp illuminated everything except the shadows it created.

"Um... we should count them again. Just to be sure." Chen Shing muttered.

But this time, I wasn't paying attention to the scrolls. I could feel Yang Guo's steady eyes on me. It was, in a way, comforting. His presence calmed me down. And so, I stood there, slowly sweeping my eyes over the place with a new awareness.

"He drugged us, but stole nothing." I began, then paused. They didn't interrupt, sensing the seriousness. "He came and went." I continued, starting to step slowly, along the nearest shelf, letting my hand glide over the wood and the bamboo. "But couldn't find what he was looking for." My fingers stroked the rocks in the wall.  "He had enough time to make sure that what he was after was not here. But he still comes back." I turned to look at Yang Guo. His keen face looked back. "He comes back again and again." I said, my voice low in an attempt to calm myself. "He's pretty sure that what he wants is right here. So why doesn't he take it?"

I saw comprehension dawn on his face, parting his lips, making his eyes widen slightly.

"Alexandra- do you mean..." Li ge said slowly.

I nodded at him. "What if... it's right here, but hidden from our eyes?" I half whispered.

I hoped that I was not about to lose my head. If there was a secret inside this secret chamber, I had no way of knowing where. Till now, we had traversed around the room at least a hundred times. The walls were smooth, without any chink. Nor were there any markings. Not even on the wall behind the statue of Buddha.

Li ge sighed. "Well, let's begin."

°°°

The first one to give up was Chen Shing. He flopped down on the floor with a groan. "Three hours and nothing."

I looked around, disappointment starting to cloud my mind. Was my hunch wrong? I rubbed my tired neck.

"Why don't you take a break Alexandra?" Yang Guo said. "You've been going nonstop."