Cube was a first-class urbanized city in the region. Although Raj used to live in the province Bohol is unlike any province you can see. A Hundred-Acre Wood was considered a province in Cube, but it's still considered a first-class province. While in Bohol most of their towns and barangays are from fifth class to fourth class. It has only one city and is very far from the towns. Traveling to the city is also expensive.
BUENAVISTA
They reached their destination at dawn after two days of travel. The crib where Thomas settles is still far away but they need to walk on foot this time.
"C'mon guys. We need to hurry. It's only a walking distance, around fifteen to twenty minutes' walk."
Carrying around their baggage they finally arrived at Thomas' house.
Faced with disappointment seen in Socrates and Raj's faces.
"uh… is this where we are gonna stay?"
It was only a small hut.
"Is this where you kept my grandmother?"
"Oh. Yes. I will bring you to her later but first, let us settle ourselves inside."
Upon entering the two were shocked in amazement.
"Feel comfortable please."
"Help yourselves."
It was a brilliant picture. The inside of the hut was ground and sweeping. It was no hut at all.
"So, you also live underground huh?"
Socrates while dropping his small suitcase on the sofa.
"The rooms were underground, but I prefer staying here in the living room. But the underground is safer that is why I designed it this way."
"I also live underground, but that was built-in because it was from the collapsed mall on the side of the city."
Remember where Socrates lives. In an abandoned mall underground.
"Follow me, Raj, I will take you to your grandmother."
Raj followed him towards the underground stairs. A lab was present underground.
"Here is your grandmother. I apologize. There were some complications when I brought her here. Her body is already old, and I asked assistance from a friend of mine to carry her body with me."
Thomas was aware that there were two options how would Raj react. First, he would throw a tantrum and rampage and second, he would remain as is.
Raj knelt and tears started to flow through her eyes. The streams of tears were sparked by a reflection of light as he saw his grandmother alive.
"Thank you."
The only words that spoke outside his mouth while she watched her grandmother's sleeping face under a tube filled with water with a defibrillator attached to her mouth.
Thomas' uneasiness subsided as he witnessed a calm Raj. Socrates followed them inside also witnessing her grandmother in the hands of the machine.
Raj sat beside her grandmother for a while, while talking to her.
Meanwhile. Socrates and Thomas were upstairs leaving Raj behind.
"We need to go to the Boholano clan to ask them about the whereabouts of this chest."
"Regulus had already sent his people, but I believe they had made no progress yet because they are continuing the excavation in the ruins of Pandora on the Kampiig desert. If they had already found it, they would already have stopped the expedition."
"Luckily, I know where to find them, but we need to prepare just in case something happens. We'll journey tomorrow early in the morning before the sunrise."
The day came for their journey to come.
They were talking casually while they journeyed the man-made forest of Bohol.
"By the way Raj have you ever been to school.".
Asked Thomas.
"Yes, I did study up to senior high school. I never bothered thinking about college. I see you did study college. There were lots of books piled in your house."
Raj looked at the skies while wondering what is there more to life.
"You kids are lucky these days. During my time, it's so difficult to study due to the pandemic and wars we are facing."
Socrates did finish college, but he had no degree. During this time when he was about to take his licensure, they were scouted and recruited as part of the Gemini group who works for the government.
"No. I did not consider schooling it was never my option. Most of the things I learned are from the books I have read. First, we learn to read, then we read to learn. But I believe it does not stop there. Once you know the thing you must apply it to truly learn and understand it."
"I see, but you already have journeyed a lot and you have the money to supplement your expenses."
"We'll I am not alone. I also depend on the people around me. I run some errands and I accept some underground missions that people give me."
"Oh, I guess we are almost there. We just need to pass this last hill. We are lucky because no monsters showed up in the forest today. It was a lot easier."
"What did you say monsters? You mean monsters existed here?"
"Of course, wild creatures that mutated and abnormalities caused by the Quanta. Animals transformed because the animals cannot stomach the energy."
"There were more monsters in Cube compared to here. But the monsters here are much stronger. I say ten times stronger than the one you can usually encounter in Cube."
The guide fire surged from the rough culmination, a turning snake of fire and smoke ascending through the dusk sky. Bone symbols encompassed the wooden hill, eviscerated skeletons of Goliath monsters, and vanquished adversaries bound along with lines of dried ligament until they converged into incredible columns conquered by the skulls of fallen clan leaders.
Raj and Socrates were looking around as they witnessed a vast unusual view.
"You brought with you the chest? Right, Raj?"
The surroundings remained silent. It was creeping them out, but the three were on guard. Eyes are watching everywhere it might not be visible but the gaze of the abyss from the darkness of the woods is staring back at them.
A wooden stick suddenly started to beat. One after another. Tick tock tick tock. They were looking everywhere and scanned all their surroundings. Perplexed and defensive.
It was the steps of the elderly clan leader that appeared before them slowly by slowly outside the darkness. His skin was already too old and wrinkled. His eyes even bear the weight of his folded skin. Wearing traditional tribal clothes.
"What brings you here wanderers? I am old man Marco leader of the Dagohoy clan of the Boholanos."
Speaking slowly with his faded voice. More eyes gazed upon them when the old man showed himself.
"Follow me, my dear adventurers." Said his warbling voice.
He took a step back inside the shadow. The three visitors were scared. Their heartbeats were racing faster. They feel like they have stepped into a bond of horror. The darkness consumed parts of the old man that had crossed the shadowy part.
They then followed. The darkness covered them. Upon stepping inside the darkness under the shades of the tree the old man became visible to them. The old man was walking slowly, and they were following him with his pace. It has become clear to them. There were rays of light passing through the leaves. But most of the tall trees and the trunk obstructed the light.
Empty hammocks were hanging in the tree trunks and treetop branches.
The sound of iron pounded in an anvil is gradually ringing. Screams, cracking branches, and cheers. Like an increasing volume that is slowly turned.
When they walked past the shadow everyone was surprised.
The place was festive, and the people were friendly, people were greeting them.
The elder son of the old man came. Hopped right in front of their father, knelt, and bent down.
"My father. Are you sure that it is okay to bring the intruders inside?"
Guards were beginning to circle them with their bamboo spears and a rock-tied spearhead.
"It is okay my son." His warbly voice said once more.
Raj slowly whispers to Socrates and Thomas. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"If they attack us head on…" looking at their numbers.
"…We can't take them all at once."
Thomas and Raj held on to Socrates like babies.
"The two of you! What are you doing!?" Intensely speaking while trying to keep his voice low.
"From what I know they are good people, and they can sense if someone brings danger or not."
Thomas said while he tightened his hold on Socrates.
Socrates coughs loudly.
"Maybe we are lost in the wrong tribe." He cracks a smile while slowly walking the path they just took.
But before they took another step the old man once again spoke.
"You."
"You are born with the stone."
The three of them were confused and pointed at themselves and together they said. "Me?"
The old man continues to speak as he enters his hut.
His son was showing them the way signaling the three to follow his father.
They entered the hut. There was only a single seat for the old man Marco. Three carpets were covering the floor designed for their seats.
All the other guards remained outside. Only his son went with him standing beside the entrance door.
Raj sat smoothly first after the old man.
"Now, this is more of a hut than yours Thomas."
The three of them were already arranged.
"Is it just me or we do not fit the context here?"
They notice the man warriors are wearing bahags.
"The moment we came here I haven't seen a single lady. Is this place like an all-boys town?"
"I don't know men. I just learned today that man can give birth." Thomas sarcastically said in reply to Thomas.
The jaw of the three dropped. Meanwhile, Socrates spanked himself and was brought back to his senses.
A beautiful brunette came in bringing them food and beverage.
"All was plain and boring ever since we started our journey. But I never knew that it would take me to this haven."
Raj and Thomas' eyes were like beating hearts. While their noses continue to bleed like a waterfall.
It was the chieftain's servants.
Raj and Thomas drop dead as the servants continue to line up bringing them food.
Both of them were still wild in their imaginations.
"Hey."
There was a sudden disrupting sound entering outside from their imagination. As they continue to sit with ladies and caress them.
Socrates poked the two. Now they have lumps on their heads steaming from Socrates' fists.
The ladies chuckled while they exited.
The old man touched Raj's hand, then Thomas, then Socrates.
"Different nature and different energy."
"What do you mean old man?" Raj replied.
"You. You are born with the stone. How are you born with the stone?" The old man referring to Raj.
"Your Quanta's energy is the same wavelength as… as the stone. It is one of the purest and most natural energy of all time. And it is the seed that created the Earth."
"Old man we came here in search of the chest…"
As soon as the son heard the chest his stance changed to offensive.
Raj noticed it and paused his sentence.
The old man signaled his son to stop.
"We bear no chest my travelers, but if you are looking for the passage towards Pandora's box then it is not here. It was deep in the ruins of Pandora itself on the other island."
"That is impossible we've searched for it in that place, but we found nothing."
Technically speaking it was not them who searched but their respective organizations.
"It was because you are searching blindly. And you people who are searching do not know what you are truly searching."
"The one who can find it is the one who has the key. I can also see that you are already wearing one key you have there, but I am uncertain what that is for." The old man was referring to Raj's bracelet.
"The one in your hands was a key for something but I do not know what it unlocks."
"You mean my father had the key to unlock Pandora's ruins? And this thing on my hand, this bracelet I am wearing is the key?"
"No young man, only we hold the key and there were only three keys left that can only be used once to enter and once to exit."
"After the key is used it vanishes itself."
"Can we have one key? We need it. We need to get that chest before some organization does, an evil organization who wishes to use the power of these Quanta for evil..."
"Then forth it will conceal itself more from these evil doers."
"I don't think so it can conceal more of itself," Socrates said in chorus.
"The last message I received from Strawberry says that they had found a way to correct the disruptive nature and anomalies of the cave."
"Regulus already had already been building the technology." Socrates faced Thomas and Raj.
"Aren't you wondering, Raj, Thomas, why even after a year they had found nothing they are continuing their operations?"
"The last time I went there. They were already bringing huge machinery I wonder what's that for?"
Something also came into the mind of Thomas.
"Yes…yes… so that's it."
Everyone wonders.
"The reason for the creation of the hands of Axel that extracts are not for mere extraction of Quanta from other users. It is for the sole purpose of the ruins itself."
Socrates asked. "What do you mean his hands? He has something in his hands…"
Socrates remembers when they saw Raj in the ruins of the caves. He remembers Axel's hands.
"Oh shit! Holy crap!"
"So that means… maybe it needs a particle source of another Quanta to break an unknown barrier."
"So those machineries that were created were not for Axel to feed with his Quanta energy, but to assist Axel when he breaks the barrier!!!?"
"So? We need to go now!? If they have something to open it… we need to stop them!" Raj was worried at this moment.
"I do not think so, before we left for here, Strawberry messaged me that they added more manpower in the ruins, and they are fixing it."
"Then that is better, we need to hurry now."
The chieftain's son was still on guard.
A warbly voice again spoke.
"I do not think so. It takes time. It was over a century before our ancestors created the runes that match the same signature that they cast to cover and conceal the labyrinth underneath. I do not think it would be easy for them to do so."
"…And upon doing so and entering do you know who will meet you inside?"
The curious faces of the three turned to him as he spoke.
"The giant guardians will be there. They were the spirits guarding the chest. Should the chest be opened for a long time will be the end of the world."
"The chest itself contains the contaminated stone, the feelings, the evil guardian, monsters, unlike any kind."
The old man was chilling with fear as he spoke. His closed eyes bearing the weight of his folded skin became strong enough to carry his eyelids exposing his eyes. The eyes with a look of terror.
Socrates and Thomas negotiated with the chieftain as they were speaking.
"I will give you the rune if what you speak of were true. If you did visit the ruins and came from the other island. Only if you battle one of our warriors in a duel using your stone or Quanta powers."
"I choose my son to battle anyone of you."
"…And if you don't, and you try to exit this place, you will have to battle a hundred of our warriors to test your words of honesty."
Socrates was smiling at Raj and Thomas. Then he grabbed Raj in a friendly manner.
"You see young fellas you need to at least face one right than a hundred?"
"If we chose a one-on-one duel old man, we don't need to face a hundred, right?"
The old man agrees. "Yes."
Socrates then said to the two young boys.
"You see I am older than you, and I am also already getting old. So, I guess you should handle these youngsters."
Thomas also stated and placed his excuses.
"You see Raj, I just came from my long adventure, my body hasn't fully recovered yet. The best option is you."
Both Socrates and Thomas stared at each other and gazed happily.