GUIDE FROM THE PAST TO A NEW ERA (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 31: HEAT STROKE?

“Strange…” Xcerox murmured.

“What is it, Your Highness?” Gizelis asked.

Miulwess, Nish, Frix and Ashla beside them also turned their heads at him. They were resting in the palace garden under the gazebo.

“It’s almost evening and I didn’t see their shadows. Didn’t they go to the city to find supplies for their journey?” Xcerox was talking about Zeliker and Silvert.

“Now that you mention it, Your Highness. It does seem strange. They should have been back by now.” Nish agrees and wonders what has happened.

“You’re right, royal brother. Another strange thing is that Stiria and her maid have returned but not with Zeliker and Silvert.”

Miulwess remembered he saw Stiria a few hours ago when he was walking toward his room in another palace building.

“That is very strange indeed.” Frix feels it too. “Should we check whether they were in the mansion?” He suggested.

Xcerox nodded. “Let’s go.”

Gizelis opens the door to the mansion using his door keychain. When they were inside, the mansion, as always, was very quiet when there was no one inside. It looks haunted and creepy too if you come alone. Trez and the teenagers weren’t around either.

“Their rooms are downstairs,” Nish said to them.

Everyone walked to the stairs leading downward on the right side of the living hall. They appeared in another hall with a golden double door at the end with two other doors in oak colour on each of them. The half-lamp above the gold door was the same as its colour while above the oak doors have purple colours.

Zeliker had told them his and Silvert’s room and it can be found easily. They realised something and turned their head to the right. Another stair led down again. They wondered what was below them. Zeliker didn’t mention it before.

“We’ll go down later. Let’s meet with Zeliker first.” Xcerox said to them and walked toward the double door first.

He pushed the doors to open them but they didn’t budge. He felt confused. Could the door be locked by Zeliker?

“Maybe he’s not inside.” Ashla noticed his action and the door.

Xcerox nodded. “He’s not home. Then, Silvert too won’t be here. Where did they go?”

“Let’s check downstairs,” Gizelis suggested. Actually, he was curious about the down below.

He got everyone's agreement and so, they walked to the stairs again and moved downward. They were surprised to see a big hall with dark walls surrounding it. And in the middle of the hall was a big round table, which can be occupied by twenty or more people around it.

At the end of the hall stood two steel doors, one on the far right of the wall and one on the far left, with one small opening on them. The dim lamp made the hall seem creepy and dark.

“What is this place?” They were confused and looked around.

Nish, Frix and Ashla went to the steel door and looked inside through the small opening.

“A prison?” Nish turns his head to Frix and Ashla.

“Seems like it.” Frix turns the knob and opens the door.

It seems it was not locked like Zeliker’s room. The three of them went inside.

“Every cell is empty.” Nish checked with them one by one.

They went out of the prison hall when there was nothing there except another door at the end with a red half-lamp above it. There was no way they were going to enter the door since they knew what was behind it.