When Past and Present Collide

Chapter 7: Unearthing Clues

Grian snapped back from his thoughts. If he remembered the Watchers like he thought he did, there were more layers to this puzzle than they first thought.

"Xisuma?"

"Yes?"

"Stand back."

Grian pulled out a block of TNT and set it down. He grabbed his flint and steel, lit the short fuse, and scrambled backwards, relieved when he saw Xisuma outside of the blast radius.

"Grian, what on earth -?"

X was cut off by an explosion that rocked the small chamber. Both Hermits stumbled, but managed to stay on their feet, Grian resting a hand on the wall to stabilize himself.

"Grian," X coughed as the two regained their bearings. "Is there a reason that you...you..." He trailed off when the smoke cleared enough to see light seeping through, and, when the dust finally settled, he found himself in front of an opening to a torch-lit room.

"I thought so," Grian noted. His memory hadn't failed him after all.

"Where do you think it leads?"

"To some answers, I hope."

The two made their way through the fresh opening, blinking in the comparatively bright light. Once their eyes adjusted to the warm glow of the torches that lined the room, the pair let out a gasp.

There. in the center of the opposite wall, stood a structure made of -

"Bedrock?" X gasped.

"The Evo sign!" Grian breathed.

"The - the what?" X sputtered. "What's an 'Evo'?"

"That's a symbol from an old -" Grian clamped his mouth shut. The words had tumbled from his lips before he could stop them.

"- an old...?" X prompted.

"Er - that's an old symbol from the story. The book had a picture in it. It was made of bedrock, and looked something like that, except -" He pointed to a couple gaps in the symbol. "- there should only be four gaps. It looks like three pieces are missing." A thought crossed Grian's mind and he groaned in annoyance. "Oh, no, are we gonna have to -?"

X was rather puzzled. "Grian? What are you going on about?"

Instead of answering, Grian grabbed his wrist and dragged him farther into the room. When Grian finally let go of his wrist, X glanced up to find another inscription in the wall and started reading.

"I see you found our hiding place

Good thing we left without a trace

Should you wish to find our true abode

Find three pieces of unbreakable code -"

"So, yeah," Grian affirmed. "Three bits of bedrock are missing."

"Yep," X agreed before continuing.

"Look across the room and you will see

Instructions that have been writ for thee

Read carefully and you will know

The directions that you have to go"

Grian groaned again, his suspicions confirmed.

"So, we have to find three pieces of bedrock to complete the shape?" X asked.

Grian nodded and turned to approach the opposite side of the room. "Yep. And they left clues for us," he added, opening a chest against the wall. "Probably in here. Yep, here we go." He pulled a book from the chest. It was marked with Xisuma's name. "It looks like there's a book for each of us."

"All twenty-four?!" X gasped incredulously. He opened the chest and was met with the sight of several other books. "Tinfoilchef..." he mumbled. "...BdoubleO100...iskall85...I - I think you're right. I think there's one for everyone, except -" X paused and rifled through the chest. "Grian? Did you already grab yours?"

"No? Is it not in there?" He glanced back into the chest over X's shoulder as he went through the books again.

"I don't see it."

Grian felt his stomach turn to ice.

"Let me have another look." Grian's voice cracked slightly, revealing the underlying urgency.

Xisuma respectfully stepped aside, allowing Grian access to the chest.

Grian took a step closer to the chest and started going through the contents again, this time far more nervously. He checked the name on each book, but not one was his.

"It's not here," he breathed, the ice in his stomach growing colder.

They each counted the books, but both times they came up with twenty-three. They both read through the names multiple times, wondering if they'd missed Grian's. Finally, the pair laid out all of the books in front of them in a neat six-by-four array.

But one was still missing.

Grian, by this point, felt that sinking feeling that he had only just escaped begin to creep back up on him. His heart sped up and his throat tightened, but he pushed the anxiety back down. He'd already said too much in his last breakdown. He wasn't sure he could afford another.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Grian pulled out a shulker box. "We should -" His voice cracked again and he cleared his throat. "- we should take these back to the others."

"Yeah, I suppose," X agreed.

"C'mon," Grian muttered when the shulker box was packed away. "We need to get these home as soon as possible."

X nodded, but didn't miss the faraway look in Grian's eye. He was hiding something. Xisuma wouldn't mention it now, but he'd certainly keep it in mind and ask him about it later.

X turned to leave, but Grian took one last look at the Evo sign, making a silent promise that he'd make this right.

For his friends.

For all his friends.

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A/N: Alright! What's up, guys! Lix here! Hope you guys are having an awesome day, and I hope you enjoyed the latest installment.

Hmm...What does Grian mean by all his friends? 👀

Aaannnywaaaaaay, please comment down below, and maybe leave a vote? That'd be greatly appreciated.

See you guys soon!