The Sacred Temple (Part 2)
The most gorgeous man I've ever laid my eyes on was slowly leaning towards me, his pink lips looked ready to steal mine, and pensive hazel eyes engrossed in staring at me.
As much as I would like to get drunk on his cool fragrance and the way he was looking at me. I had to move away.
'I can't get involved with anyone in this timeline like that.'
"Woah there! Ahahaha!" I awkwardly laugh then stumbled back only to almost get stabbed by a slanted sword rack but he grabbed my hand and I stopped falling mid-air.
'I wanna crawl underground now, please.'
"Careful now, Tabitha." His tear-stained face was replaced by a crooked brow raise and a soft smile was planted on his healthy-looking lips.
'Are you challenging me to be careful with you? Are you really challenging me? Cause if I had a choice I would– Woah. Calm down self.'
"Right. Cough." I tried to laugh my embarrassment away as my feet was easily placed down on the ground. "Thank you for that…"
"Khalique. I am named as Khalique." A loose strand of silver hair flail to the center of his forehead.
'He looks like a completed masterpiece, how am I supposed to act?'
My heart fluttered instinctively and the rise of love hormones was something even I couldn't terminate if someone like him was in front of me.
'I have to slap myself when I get back. If Khiel was supposedly the most beautiful man I've ever seen then this one had top the handsome and gorgeous category.'
"Tabitha…?" He called my name again, restoring my sanity away from dreamland.
"Yes? Yes, right. Uhmmmmmmm… Did you just call me Tabitha?" because of his distracting and dumb-inciting looks I just noticed his familiarity in calling me by my name. "Are you from the Obiel Duchy?"
It might seem like a dumb question because he was non-human but I shouldn't be surprised if there are mixed races in this timeline.
He covered his mouth with a hand. He was trying not to laugh I'm sure of it but for some reason I don't feel offended. Maybe because of his handsome looks and familiar gestures to me.
"I actually witnessed you with the heirs outside the Sacred Tree."
I might have not noticed it or maybe he heard Lanessa and other people talking about me while I was knocked out.
"I see. You heard my name when I was knocked out?"
"A little bit before that."
"Okay. Yeah." My social skills just plummeted down after meeting this man, I have to distance myself from him. "Okay well… I'm… I'm gonna go now." I smiled, my feet was on the move against the marble floor.
"Will you let me accompany you as your guide? I assure you I'm the best guide you'll ever have." This man, Khalique, was grinning happily as he bowed to his waist and eyes focused on me.
'I really need to get away from this man' was what I thought an hour ago.
"This hall was made with stone in its first establishment but then on 276 and approximate a year when stone marbles were discovered, it was changed to the marbles you see now. It's imbued with mana every day for a hundred more years to strengthen and give it the glowing effect that you can see now."
"By the entrance, there's a spherical stone instead of a marble placed on the wall. It's where the citizens who wants to pay respects, shower the rock with their mana and helps keep this sanctuary supported." He elaborated better than I thought he would.
The sun-kissed skin was a giveaway that he wasn't from around this area but his clothes were befitting of nobles of the Empire.
Black and white stripped chemise and pants attire, the first few buttons was loose, giving him a free-spirited but formal look.
"What sanctuary do you like to explore next?" my guide seemed to be more excited than me. "Although I have to say, you can't visit the Sacred Tree for now because a small ritual is being held there. And about the Golden Throne…"
"No. I'm not going to visit the Golden Throne tonight." I won't ever visit it in this timeline because I'm an anticipated Fourth Ruler in mine, and I don't want to test if it reacts to my presence at all. Maybe if I was alone, I would.
"I thought so." He smiled, mumbling some weird stuff to himself. Is he interested in me? Isn't acting like he knows me one of the signs of someone liking you?
'I shouldn't focus on this stuff, I'm only 16.'
"Then I'll guide you to the altar." He ushered as we climb the grand staircase.
"Is the altar placed here?"
"Yes. The Sacred Temple actually has three floors."
"So what's on the third floor?"
"It's the library dedicated for mana-blessed children, in other words, the ones recognized by the Duchy households."
So it was a library. "This is only a secret so don't tell anyone about this…" he started and I leaned in as he whispered in my ear, "There's also a small archive room on top of the library if you find the secret staircase."
"An archive room?" I stared back at him, bewildered.
'That sounds like an area built for people like me'
My mouth slowly grinned at the beautiful news. Although I'm not yet sure if it's true but isn't this something every ancient sites has?
"So what's inside the archive room?" I moved much closer unconsciously.
"Well Tabitha, the archive room holds the truth and secrets of Soledad and her private engagements." As we reach the top of the stairwell, a huge door with a stained glass design welcomed us, and Khalique easily opened the entrance.
"We call it the Sanctuary of the Sacred Altar but it's really just a proper temple to focus more on healing or praying. Well it doesn't really change the fact that this was the last time Soledad was seen alive."
The first thing that caught my eye was the silver table in the middle adorned by fresh flowers and golden patterned lettering.
[Grace the mother of light to which the altar shall only be used for the holy matrimony of the Mother and Father of purification.]
My nightgown glided next to the altar, fingers trailing gently on top of the golden letters that glowed as I touched it.
[The temple will sing the glory and birth of the Mother and Father even when the Sacred Tree falls.]
I frowned. Bad. I don't like that detail.
I feel like I'm acquiring information I don't need to for this mission. Well technically I'm being carefree and adjusting willy-nilly here and there but these were steps to comfortably execute my objectives.
I closed my eyes and as soon as I opened them there was a small chair in the corner of the room. And for some reason… For some reason I could feel that this the last seat Soledad had rested before closing her eyes.
It might just be because I'm the fourth prophesized ruler and I like history a lot, that's why I'm able to have a certain feel for these occasions.
"Thank you for the tour but I think I'll go back now." I turned my attention back to Khalique to find him standing behind me, so close.
"Say my name, will you?" His finger touched my cheek gently as if a single push would break me, and my breath hitched when he tenderly raised my chin. His honey eyes meeting mine, properly this time.
I gulped before parting my lips, "Khalique."
He laughed dangerously and led me back to the entrance of the sanctuary, both of us didn't utter a single word after that. "See you next time, Tabitha."
"Bye, Khalique." I waved before moving away out of sight.
'I really don't want to meet you again. For the sake of my heart. Damn it.'