FOREVER IN ABYSS

CHAPTER 8 - HIKETSU (THE SECRET)

The darkness strained Yuri’s eyes as he entered a small somewhat cave-like extension located at the subterrains of Tokyo. It was pretty unusual to find that there were still unexplored areas under the main highways of Japan.

The light flickered as the group entered.

Ryosuke gasped beside Yuri and Yuri himself was unaware that his mouth hang open as he saw the interior of the so-called Azuma Ryoushi Seiden, translated as “East Hunter’s Main Temple”. It was has a huge corridor that leads to an archway. The crevices on the walls are crafted to hold miniature religious emblem sacred for Christianity.

Kei stepped in front of them. “I give you, Ryoushi Seiden,” he said proudly while his eyes were glittered side by side with the soft lights casted from several old-fashioned oil-supported candelabras casting eerie shadows on the walls.

From an archway, connecting to the dim-lighted corridor, they entered a huge room which ceiling arched in several small semi-circles. In its four corners sat a dozen or so candelabras of the same structure as what greeted them outside. Kei lighted one of the candelabras nearest to the entrance and the rest flickered on their own as if the light was passed to each other until it casted an earthly glow to the room. They could see that the corners of the room opened to what looks like more rooms though Yuri couldn’t be sure since there was no light coming from those openings in the wall.

Yuri, Ryosuke, Keito and Yuto who had never been there before stopped in awe at the artistic architecture of that place.

In front of them protruded from the ground a long rectangular box like marble encasement three feet in height and almost nine feet long. There were intricate patterns adorning the encasement.

Yuri couldn’t help himself and walked towards it. He touched the marble stone but gasped in shock and pulled his hand away. He looked at the others.

The group looked at him in confusion.

“Hot!” he exclaimed.

“Nani?” it was Kei who asked and went near him. He touched the marble stone and looked back at Yuri in confusion. “What do you mean hot? It is as cold as it always is.” He said.

Yuri stared at his friend. There was a confused look at Kei’s face. He looked again at his friends who were looking at him as if he was a freak. Nobody spoke and there was an awkward silence between them as they study Yuri. Yuri looked at Kota. His heart beat when he saw Kota’s face. There was no confusion in them and if he wasn’t wrong, there was FEAR in Kota’s eyes.

Yuri looked away unable to understand the fear in Kota’s eyes but he was sure, there was something behind those eyes. The fearless leader, Kota saw something that brought fear in his eyes. And Yuri was more than aware that it was what he said that brought fear to Kota.

Yuri studied the stone; he stared at what he touched. There, engraved in the marble, a symbol. He looked at it closely, he was sure he already saw it before but he couldn’t place where. It was a small cross, at the top right corner, in between the positive x and positive y axis sat a crescent moon. The figure itself was almost invisible since it was a bit faded. Yuri touched it again and his eyes broaden as he felt the hot surface, he tried to endure it not wanting the others to see and let his palms settle in the stone, his palm totally covering the small symbol.