The Covenant Of Timeless Mysteries

Chapter 27

Mars snickered as he made his way over, readjusting his long scarf that had slipped forward and carefully draped it back over his shoulder.

"You two are quite entertaining," he remarked with amusement, patting Hoku's shoulder.

Li ignored him, bending down to brush the dust from his pants.

Hoku noted his scuffed knees with a smirk.

He circled Mars and began to survey the area.

His eyes momentarily lingered in Juno's direction as they crossed paths.

They shortly shared eye contact before Juno nodded and continued past him without uttering a word.

Hoku cast a furtive glance over his shoulder.

His eyes widened when she stopped before Li and hesitated, glancing to her right. 

Then, the edge of her cloak shifted before she raised a closed fist toward him.

"You dropped this," she said, her voice feeble but steady.

Slowly, her fingers unfurled to reveal a small, worn object—from a far observation its surface appeared dampened from usage.

Hoku squinted, straining to discern what it was.

Deliberation flickered across his face as he attempted to turn his head slightly and narrow in on the object.

However, it quickly became a recognizable mistake.

Li's gaze turned in sync with his, locking eyes with him for just a moment. 

Hoku quickly turned away, his heart leaping into his throat as he pretended to examine their surroundings.

He raised a hand to his chin and hummed in pretended interest, darting his eyes across the space.

The air felt heavy, laden with the scent of ancient stone and dust motes that drifted lazily in the stagnant air. 

The floor beneath them was marked with chaotic patterns that seemed disordered, but a sweep of the eye revealed an underlying symmetry.

The space was eerily quiet, and the walls stretched high and narrow like the sides of a canyon. 

The Jagged rocks that rose around them cast long shadows that seemed to deepen the illusion of an endless expanse.

Behind Hoku, Li sighed, before accepting the worn object from Juno. 

The skin between her brows wrinkled slightly.

She watched as he tightly gripped it, before stepping around her.

Hoku kept his back turned, sneaking a glance from the corner of his eye as footsteps approached.

He stiffened and drew back as Li halted a mere inch from his boots.

For a while, he stayed silent, his posture stiff and his gaze unreadable.

'What does he want—' Hoku swallowed anxiously.

His breathing deepened after another juncture until finally he couldn't handle the discomfort any longer and spoke first.

"I wasn't trying to invade, I wanted to make sure Juno was okay."

"Mn, she is fine." 

Hoku cleared his throat, but before he could continue, Li's hand moved so swiftly that he didn't detect the motion until he felt it graze his cheek.

Hoku paused, staring at the ground.

"More importantly, how long did you intend to leave that poison on your face?

Hoku raised a hand to his cheek, "I beg your—poison??"

"You're lucky it wasn't life-threatening, but that species of polyphemus has urushiol in its blood so you might get a rash. I hope you won't spread it because it would ruin your face more."

'More?...'

He blinked and pulled his hand away from his face. "Alright, I won't."

Li mumbled something under his breath and turned away.

As he left, something brushed the back of Hoku's other hand before landing on his boot.

Hoku looked down and immediately recognized the cloth he'd been carrying.

For a moment, he stood still. Then, he crouched, picked it up, and turned it over in his hand. His gaze lingered on a dark stain that caught his eye.

Its tint was darker than the blood that had soaked into the cloth when Li cleaned his blade, which also caused it to look wrinkled and develop a sandpaper texture.

Hoku tightened his grip on the cloth, debating whether to leave it behind. It seemed insignificant, but after a moment, he placed the compass on it and folded the corners over.

"Hoku! Come look at this mural!" Abel's voice startled Hoku. He looked up to see the others gathered around something below.

Abel gestured for him to come over, and Hoku reluctantly walked toward him.

"Look at this!" Abel turned, pointing buoyantly at the ground."It's like a frame puzzle. I think you opened it with that watch mechanism."

Hoku glanced at Li, standing at a distance from the group.

He stared blankly past the others, overlooking the ground as if perhaps deliberately.

"What is it?" Hoku asked Abel, his voice lowering as he stepped closer. 

His eyes descended onto the stone beneath their feet.

The dim light from the sandy lamps barely touched the mural.

Abel crouched near an edge and hovered his fingers above one of the glowing lamps.

"Look," he said, pointing to the five glowing spots across the mural. "They're all lit—except this." He gestured to the center, where a star-shaped hollow sat, surrounded by delicate lines that stretched outward like rays of light.

Hoku knelt beside him, his attention swiftly drawn to the empty star.

His fingers tightened around the compass as memories of what had happened above resurfaced.

It felt like a long repressed impulse, that was rising at the sight of the symbol; the way the compass had melted, how its metal twisted as if to stop him from stepping into the frame.

He deliberated, then stooped lower to inspect the subtle details.

Within the outline of the star, he noticed an almost hidden circle etched into the rock.

It caved inward slightly and was scarred with tiny cracks around it. 

Hoku's heartbeat quickened again. He brushed his fingers against the compass through the cloth, feeling its familiar weight as his thoughts churned. 

Slowly, he unwrapped it, revealing the metallic surface. Even in the dim light, the compass seemed to gleam faintly, drawing the dull golden glow of the mural toward it.

'Perhaps this is where I am supposed to place the compass? I remember each light swarming in various rotations as if it were some sort of catalyst before being absorbed into the mural. Was that supposed to be a hint that the compass belonged in the center? Hoku frowned, puzzled. 

He realized then that there was no direct light to reflect, yet the compass also seemed to capture something from the mural itself, as though it were absorbing the light from nowhere.

He hesitated, then lowered it toward the hollow, jaw clenched as the compass slid into place—seamless.

He sat back slightly and waited patiently. However, to his disappointment nothing happened. 

The silence stretched long enough for doubt to creep in. 

Abel shifted behind him, his voice suddenly breaking the tension. "Well, that's not coming out easily. Does anyone have a needle or something thin? We could try to—"

A flicker of activity caught the corner of Abel's sight, quietly interrupting him.

Hoku scrunched his nose, tilting his head as his fingers suspended just above the compass.

Abel turned, half-laughing to cover his unease. "Is it supposed to do that?" 

The others said nothing, their shadows flickering faintly against the dimming rhombus-shaped lights.

Abel flinched when the final light winked out, surrounding them into darkness.

The atmosphere remained still until his voice echoed as he loudly groaned, "I hate this. Forget the needle, does anyone have a lighter or—" 

"Shut up, idiot!" Fleur yelled, her voice steady but brittle. "You're a grown man, so act like it."

Abel lowered his head, pursing his lips in a sulky gesture.

Hoku could barely hear what they were saying as his mind was immersed in the star.

He crouched lower, his hand brushing against the mural's surface. 

'Did I guess wrong?' He tightened his lip in uncertainty.

But then, the faintest trace of light was stirring beneath the star—a thread that moved almost like the ember of a dying fire refusing to go out. 

A sound arose, soft at first but growing as it sizzled continuously.

It was the same sound he'd heard before.

He lowered himself even closer, hoping his eyes weren't perceiving the change out of hopefulness. 

However, the motion was needless—his eyes narrowed as the compass seized a more prominent shift inside of the hold. 

Gradually, the compass became visible enough for the others around him to be able to see it as well. 

As the light grew—not bright, but rather more distinct, the smooth metal surface warped and softened, and its edges dissolved into molten gold. 

The liquid spread outward like quicksilver, filling the grooves of the mural.

Hoku stepped back, his breath catching in his throat as the mural gradually revealed itself. 

The shapes carved into the ground were brought to life—five smaller stars encircled the large central one, their lines etched with remarkable precision. 

From the heart of the mural, a massive tree emerged, its branches stretching wide and full, though some stood bare, stark against the brilliant design. 

Every leaf was rendered with exquisite detail, glowing veins running through them like tiny rivers of sunlight.

At the base of the tree, nestled among its roots, was a girl. 

She was drawn curled up, with middle-length wavy hair draped over her shoulders in soft cascades. 

A dress fell in delicate folds around her, and beside her lay a closed book. 

A thin chain hung around her neck, its center conspicuously empty, as if a pendent were missing.

Hoku couldn't tear his gaze away. His lungs burned, reminding him he'd forgotten to breathe.

Abel turned his head slightly and muttered, "What did you do?" Fleur stepped closer, repeating the question a moment later, her voice louder, but no more expectant of an answer.

Neither inquiry reached him. Words failed to form, and his mind churned uselessly against the inexplicable force that lingered in the air.

Unlike similar instances, however, he was capable of controling his movement. 

His fingers curved in a delicate motion as he reached them out toward the light, extending further toward to touch the highest point.

The moment his fingertips grazed against the tip of the star, a vibration of light lapped outward, muffling every sound beneath a low, steady rumble.

He stepped back, instinctively turning to the others, but before he could speak, the star's center began to shift.

The lines of light intensified, shining outward like the blast of a flare. 

Then, a streak of gold erupted from the star's center, carving a path upward. 

The ground trembled beneath him, the rhythm steadying before it abruptly buckled and caved inward.

Shouts came from behind him, urgent and disoriented.

The others shouted his name, but the collision of lifting rocks distanced their voices.

Hoku reached out instinctively, however, his hand was merely met with empty air.

A rapid wind surged, and Hoku staggerd forward. It tore at his clothes, tangled his hair, and ripped him from his footing.

He slid downward, the jagged surface scraping against his back.

The light followed, catching on to fragmented shapes embedded in the tunnel walls—like shards of something broken and unrecognizable.

The passage narrowed, twisting violently, leaving this world in a blur, as it collapsed into a chaos of motion.

'I-is this a rabbit hole?!'

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Your contract negotiations have been fulfilled!

System processing will be sent to the offeree. 

Response expectancy time:

9489548986945466001039504431 Timestream 'Days'. [Possibly Never]

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