Enchanting Grace

Chapter 8

After dinner, everyone turned in for the night, too tired to have any fun. The events that had transpired today were too much for everyone to continue to stay awake. One person from River was awake however, Izumi.

Dammit all, she thought how could I have been this weak. I didn't hold a candle to Mashimo, she out classed me.

"Hard to believe that I'm the captain of our team," she laughed "I guess I better turn in for the night, huh?"

Something in the distance glimmered in the light of the moon. She jumped down from the window she opened in the E.R., though she still was recovering, and ran to the object. When she reached it she picked it up. It was a shard of glass with blue, green, and red all over it. She looked farther ahead and saw a cave, and more shards of glass. She picked them up and headed back to her room.

The next day, Izumi had ordered her team to meet her in her room.

"What is this meeting about?" Toda asked a bit drowsy "Don't you know what time it is?"

"This is more important," Izumi answered "Last night I found some glass shards near a cave on the other side of the competition site. I put them together and it created a picture."

She pointed to a the assembled shards on a table next to her bed. They all walked over to the colorful display of glass. The pieces created a pictured that resembled ancient symbols.

"So what does it say?" Sakai asked.

"No idea, that's what I want to know."

"It reads: Light channels da-" the man behind them all read.

Everyone was startled by the sudden translation of the ancient text and the sudden appearance of Nakoa and Tsukiko.

"Wh-what are you two doing here?" Ayame asked.

"We were coming to find you guys so we could have some fun, but this seems more interesting." Tsukiko answered "Are you guys gonna go explore that cave?"

"Well, if it will give us answers to this then I'm for it." Toda said smiling. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"I would love to come, but in the condition I'm in I would just slow you guys down." Izumi sighed "Sorry, but I'm staying here."

"If that's your choice then we'll leave you be." Nakoa stated "Everyone else let's go."

They all left heading toward the cave, leaving Izumi alone. They trekked along the lush mountain side until they reached the entrance of the cave. There, they walked in flashlights in hand, slicing the darkness of the cave. They walked through the long tunnel going every which way.

"Um, this may seem like a dumb question but... Nakoa do you know where you're going?" Tsukiko asked unconfident in his teammate.

"Of course I don't." he replied.

"Huh?!" they all exclaimed dumbfounded.

"We're walking through an unexplored cave, why would I know where we're going?"

"You're really something else." Sakai sighed.

They kept walking, blindlessly walking deeper and deeper into the cave, until they came across a dead end.

"Now what?" Toda asked angry about all the time that was wasted.

"Shine your flashlight on the wall." Nakoa ordered.

Their lights lit up the wall and symbols just like the ones on the shards of glass were on it. Nakoa started murmuring to himself the inscription on the wall.

"Okay, it says that someone pure of heart has to open a door that will lead to what we seek."

Everyone turned and looked at Sakai.

"Wh-Why me?!" she said flustered and blushing.

"You are the purest one here." Ayame said pushing her forward.

"What do I do?"

"Put your hand on the circle in the middle." Nakoa explained.

Sakai placed her hand in the center of the circle. It started glowing. Everyone stepped back as the wall started moving, revealing a passage of stairs. They entered the passage and started down.

"How could you read those symbols earlier?" Ayame asked.

"I've studied ancient text for awhile and can read many lost scripts." Nakoa answered.

They all followed the passage all the way down until they reached the bottom. There on the floor were more glass shards. As they walked on, there were more shards. There was a light ahead and they exited the tunnel. Moss covered rocks lined a clear pool of water with lilies floating on top. A hole in the ceiling brought light in from the sun. The most stunning feature of the hidden room was the glass mural on the other side of the pool. It depicted a figure with wings hold a sword pointed toward the sky. Ancient text was written below it. Nakoa ran over and arranged the shards that he had with the ones on the mural.

"Balance is needed to keep peace. Light channels darkness, darkness channels light. Too much of one can lead to destruction. Both exist to keep the other in check, nothing can exist without both." Nakoa read "Anyone have a clue what that means?"

"Light channels darkness, darkness channels light." Sakai repeated "I know what this is from!"

"Well then tell us!" Toda pleaded a bit excited and nervous.

"It's from the tenth chapter of Enchanting Grace. An old monk says this to Swift after she completes this trial thing."

"Hold on, that can't be right. I mean it's just a book, It can't be real." Tsukiko said confused.

"This mural is proof enough. Swift was or is still real." Nakoa explained.

Everyone stood there, silently, trying to process what they just heard. Toda looked at the watch on his wrist "We better get back to the campus, it's almost time for dinner."

They all turned back to the entrance and left, absorbing all they could from the secret room. They made there way up the stairs and through the cave back to the surface.

While making their way back to the campus, Sakai whispered to Ayame, "So, couldn't Konishi Raira be Swift because what she wrote was true?"

"Well um...," Ayame started "I don't know this is all too confusing. Right now we need to focus on beating Mashimo."