The Bond || ONC2022

Chapter 14

Bhallar noticed the steps as soon as he stepped inside the tunnel. They were much worse than he remembered; crouching down, he illuminated the path ahead.

The underground passage was his family's secret, but the multitude of boot prints leading into the temple's heart suggested that that wasn't the case.

Bhallar leaned in further and concluded that all the prints seemed recent.

Perhaps the masters of the bootprints had followed his sister inside while she was trying to outrun them.
It didn't make sense that even though at least a dozen or so people looked like they had entered, none seemed to have left yet.

Fear knocked at Bhallar's heart.

What if he was already too late? What if Mayeen had already fallen into the hunters' hands!?

He quickened his pace, almost losing balance and falling into the dark abyss that ran along the steps. Soon, the faint gurgles of Aari reached him. The calming sound took him back to when his sister had joined baba and him on their yearly trip to visit almighty Ra's home. His father had surprised him when he had, instead of taking them through the eastern entrance, like always, had chosen a path Bhallar had never threaded on before. That was the first and last time they had ever taken that particular passage to get to the womb of the temple.

The siblings didn't know then that the next time they would enter the temple through the central part, they would be in such a dire situation.

Bhallar's mind wandered off to happier times, trying to piece together long-forgotten memories.

'He doesn't stay there, silly. It's just a place where ordinary people like us go to seek his blessing.'

'You are the silly one, Dada. Ra can only bless you if he is there waiting for you.'

'Don't start arguing here. This is a sacred place, so stay as quiet as possible, alright? The quieter one will get an additional piece of Violet Genoises.'

'Mn!'

'Mnnnn!'

The memory brought a nostalgic smile to the light-eyed man's lips.

'Baba, why does he always get an additional Violet Genoise!?'

'Because, my dear, you never seem to be able to follow orders.'

"Baba," Bhallar called softly into the dimly lit space. "I am scared. I lost her once already. I can't fail again."

Loud gushes replaced faint gurgles, the sound intensifying a thousandfold as he neared the first platform.

The platform was a plateau-like structure on top of which the second entrance lay.

A total of three entrances needed to be crossed to reach the temple's womb.
Atmoo had explained the significance of each platform to his children as they had come across each one.

'The first platform is where you must bow to show your humility and loyalty to almighty Ra. Only if he deems you worthy will he illuminate the way ahead.'

'What happens if almighty Ra doesn't deem us worthy, baba?'

'Well, my dear, Mayeen, in that case, he will not let you through the entrance.'

'What if I try to force my way in?'

'In that case, Ra will punish you, won't he?'

'Mayeen, why do you always ask such questions!?'

'Because you don't, Dada.'

Bhallar kept a close watch on the movement of the flames that lit his path, waiting for them to freeze for a few seconds, signaling that his next step would take him a level higher.