𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 [𝐣𝐢𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐱 𝐨𝐜]

Chapter 19 | Night at the Museum

Liz Walker POV

That night, the foursome went to investigate the street where Eli had taken the picture while Liz paid a visit to the museum for her own private investigation. She knew something unusual was in the museum and had to find out what it was that was emanating magic.

Dressed in all-black casual attire and a hood pulled over her head, she walks down the street towards the large building with a clock on its top. Fortunately for her, there was no one walking around at this time to see her sneak into the museum. Breaking and entering seem to be second nature for her nowadays. She hopes it doesn't become a common occurrence.

Approaching closer, she walks toward the side of the museum and stands below a window. She looks around for a second before teleporting herself inside and appearing on the second floor of the building in the same area where she was earlier today. She glances around in the darkness, the moonlight from outside the windows casting dark shadows from displays across the indoor balcony floor. Liz shook slightly from the chill, the museum feeling eerie at night in the quiet darkness compared to its wonderous atmosphere during the day when its halls were brightly lit with soft chattering and shuffling feet of its visitors.

With heightened awareness for any passing security guards and quiet footsteps, she walks across the hallway of the indoor balcony, down a long flight of stairs to the first floor towards the section closed off with large white drapes. Ignoring the "do not enter" sign, she pulls back the drapes to the side and walks through.

Although there were no lights on, the moonlight from the skylights above gave her a visual of stacked wooden crates piled throughout the room, but in its center, something significant covered in a white sheet of cloth with scaffold platforms on both of its sides grabs her attention. Walking closer to the covered structure, she began to feel an aura of magic emanating from it, growing stronger with each step.

Once she stood before it, she felt chills go down her spine as though a cold wind blew through the room.

With a gulp, she lifts a hand to grab the covering and pull, the white sheet falling to the ground and revealing an incomplete large stone bridge with elaborate carvings on it. The Killahead Bridge.

Instead of backing away as she should have, Liz instinctively placed her hand on the cold stone surface. As soon as she did, the magic within reacted to her own, the elaborate carvings of the bridge glowing a shimmering blue with traces of silver coming from her hand. She gasped in shock, quickly pulling back her hand as the glow faded away. So, she was right! Bular has been rebuilding the bridge right under their noses, and he's halfway from completing it. But to build it here in a museum of all places? Someone who works for the museum must be helping him...a human.

Suddenly, the sound of a door creaking open and clicking footsteps in the hallways made Liz snap from her thoughts. Quickly, she waves a hand over the fallen sheets, the white drapes magically drawing back across the stone structure, covering it once more. With no time to spare, she runs to a side pile of wooden crates and ducks behind it. Peering from behind, she watches as the sound of clicking footsteps draws nearer and then stops before a hand pulls back the curtain, revealing the museum curator, Ms. Nomura.

The tall lady with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a purple jacket with matching ankle-length skirt and black high-heel boots, was carrying a wooden box in her hands. Luckily for Liz, Ms. Nomura went to the pile of crates to the opposite side and placed down the box on top. She must be the one helping Bular. It has to be. How else would the bridge be here in the first place? But then, why is she helping Bular? Maybe she was threatened to help him. Or maybe Bular bribed her in exchange for her aid. Nah, the first one makes more sense. Right?