CHAPTER 42
Iliana and Alexander stood in awe at the breath taking sight of the new environment. There was a singular source of light that illuminated the entire place. The floor was broken and had a lower floor. The atmosphere felt weightless.
“Look.” Iliana pointed upward. There were objects that levitated. It felt like a completely different world. A world unknown.
“There are stairs.” Alexander pointed at a descending staircase that led to the lower floor. The both descended never minding what was in front of them.
“What exactly is this place?”
“I don’t know. All I expected was a dusty bookshelf with old books, not…this”
“It’s magnificent.”
As they walked down the flight of stairs, they observed multiple doors on the walls. All placed side by side. All the doors had the same color, shape and size but each had a letter on them; arranged alphabetically.
Strange” Iliana asked. “What do these letters mean?”
“They could be the some sort of arrangement—like an index. Each door has each book arranged…maybe.”
“That makes sense.”
“Where do we start from?”
“The first letter? A?”
“Let’s not rush in. We don’t have enough time.” Alexander pulled out his phone to look at the time but observed a glitch on his phone. He furrowed his brows. “We have an hour and half to do what we’re here for.”
“Should we go in?”
“We don’t have a choice.”
As they took a step forward they heard a grunting sound coming followed by low barks.
“Rachel, go. Now!”
Iliana and Alexander took to their heels. They reached the door that had the alpha symbol on it. It was locked. Alexander felt the presence draw nearer.
“Say that password.” Alexander order as he watched back as Iliana said the unknown language.
“It’s open!”
The door was hastily pushed open by Iliana. She hurried in and so did Alexander. The door was slammed shut.
“What exactly were we running from?” Iliana asked her questions was answered with a growl from behind the door.
“We were running for that.”
The both turned and saw what they never expected.
“Very...strange.” Iliana slowly walked to a book that levitated two feet above the ground. It was the only visible item in the room. Alexander followed as it was a strange sight for him too. They reached the book
“Be careful.” Alexander said as he watched Iliana flip the hard plain cover that had the A symbol on it.
“The Birth.” Iliana read the title that was written on the first page.
“Find what will be helpful to you.”
Iliana glanced through the table of content. The book contained numerous chapters but none fascinated her. She flipped the other page and her eyes lit up.
“Page 4…56” She flipped through to page 456. She slowly flipped the pages through 456, 457-458—she tore out 457-458 and 459-460. She closed the book. “I’m done.” She folded the papers and stuffed it in her pockets.
“Let’s go to the next.”
The turned to leave but found no door. The stood speechless, amazed, perplexed and shocked. They heard the sound of a door creaking behind them. They turned to see the door.
“That’s not Beta.”
“I don’t think it matters. Let’s go.”
Iliana and Alexander walked through the door that had the F letter in it.
In it, there were large metal cages, large enough to fit in more than five people at once.
“Where is this now?”
“I don’t know but there is life here” Alexander said.
“Life?”
“Something is alive here. Not just one but multiple people.” Alexander said.
Alexander turned on his flashlight for better viewing. Most of the cages were empty but had chains that suspended.
“Over there.” Iliana whispered.
She sighted people in a cage. Alexander rose his flashlight to them and they all screamed with anger at the light. Their screams were not normal. They screamed and ran in circles. Alexander turned of his flashlight and used the dim natural lighting of the room.
“What was that?” Iliana whispered.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to find out.” Alexander turned on his flashlight but kept the flash to the ground. He slowly approached the cage and the people in it moved towards to opposite end of the cage as if they were afraid of something. Alexander examined them thoroughly and turned his back in pity. “They are gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“I regret using this word, but…they are useless.”
“Oh.” Iliana felt pity. “Why are they even here?”
“I don’t know. This is all new to me.”
The sound of another door creaking was heard.
“Should we go?”
“There’s no other was out of this place. Let’s go.”
They were about to enter the room that had the letter B, Alexander heard sudden whispers that spoke his name. He shrugged it off and went into the room.
“What the—” Iliana was amazed my the size of the room but also by what were in it.
“Shh.” Alexander silenced her. “We have to be very careful here.” Alexander whispered.
They were in a massive room with four giant werewolves that were sound asleep. There were no binds around them, they were free roam. Arranged all over the room were ceramic vases. Iliana felt a rush seeing these.
“I thought the only one of it died.” She whispered.
“I thought the same too, but Rajesh seems to have more up his sleeve. That man. We’ll move slowly. These things have incredible hearing—even in their sleep.”
“Where will we run to—” Iliana was shut by Alexander’s hand on her mouth. There was a low growl that could be heard—one of the werewolves had woken up. Alexander quickly pulled Iliana to a wall that hid them from sight. They both laid their backs on the wall. Suddenly, they heard the creaking sound of another door. Alexander took a slow peek at the open environment to search for the door. His eyes instantly met the door at the opposite end of the room.
“Shit.” Alexander exclaimed underneath his breath. “We have to go around…very slowly. Let’s go.” Alexander took another peek before–ever so slowly– walking out of the place they hid. Step by step, they began their movement. They saw a glimmer of hope as it was only one giant werewolf awake. They kept an eye on that one giant werewolf that was awake, ensuring that it doesn’t spot them. With every shift from the werewolf, they froze. They had reached more than half of the distance from their starting point. They were close to the door. Unexpectedly, Iliana’s leg pulled a string buried on the floor– a ceramic vase tumbled and fell. Alexander and Iliana froze on the spot. There was no where to hide. They saw the three other werewolf get up. There were wrathful growls from the first werewolf that woke earlier. Alexander and Iliana were seen. The other three werewolves growled as well.
“We have to run.” Alexander said. “Ready?” Alexander whispered and Iliana nodded. They both prepared to sprint to the door. “Go!” They both bolted off. The werewolves barked loudly and chased after them. Alexander and Iliana were merely two meters away from the door when one last unseen werewolf, a fifth one, jumped in front of the door and barked at them.
“Go back!” Alexander yelled as Iliana turned to run the other way. They met a wall, there was no way out. The werewolves were rushing towards them. “Rachel, I’ll get their attention while you run.”
“What about you?!
“I’ll catch up.”
Alexander transformed into his werewolf form. He barked at Iliana giving her the signal to run. She immediately understood and transformed, running at maximum speed. A werewolf followed her. Alexander went after the werewolf that chased Iliana. He leaped into the air and drove his canines into the neck of the werewolf. Other werewolves chased after Iliana who was nearer to the door. She arrived at the door and transformed back to her human form. The door was closed and locked. She panicked as she pulled and pushed the door. Alexander barked at Iliana from across the room. She knew he tried to tell her something.
“The door is loc—” A werewolf out of nowhere swooped in with its razor sharp claws at Iliana. Iliana was quick to dodge but did not go unscathed; she bruised her knee trying to dodge the strike.
There were now six giant werewolves in the room. One was on to Iliana and five on to Alexander who managed to dodge every attack. Alexander barked at Iliana who was occupied with one of the wolves. Alexander sprinted to the werewolf that disturbed Iliana and stepped in front of her. Other werewolves followed. Alexander now in front of Iliana barked at the werewolf in front of her. The werewolf lost focus on Iliana and focused on Alexander. It was Iliana’s chance to run. Alexander barked at her giving her a signal to run. Iliana did not waste any time to run. Alexander followed her shortly after. Iliana arrived at the door and transformed to human. She hastily said the unknown language and the door was unlocked. She went in and left the door open for Alexander who was sprinting with six giant werewolves following him. He was close to the door when unexpectedly, another werewolf landed in front of the door. The door was shut and instantly disappeared.
Iliana was in another room and Alexander in a different room; trapped with seven giant werewolves.