Finding the Source (Part 2)

She was not even done blinking her eyes when Arzi found herself inside a room full with properly arranged thick books. Tall wooden shelves were rowed in which respective signs were stamped on its higher portion. A familiar scent of dust entered her nose, making her sneeze softly. As she turned her gaze around, a medium gap was formed on her lips. Blinking yellowish lightbulbs, unsightly scattered cobwebs and countless clouds of dust must had enjoyed dwelling in the place.

"Niqui, don't tell me you miscalculated our location again?"

Her wonder halted as the sudden feeling of surprise distracted her, making her shoulders quivered a bit and her eyes blinked twice. Looking straight to the new guy, she waited for a response, closing her slightly opened mouth. Brother had not introduced the lean man to her yet, so she assumed that Niqui was his name.

There was actually nothing on him in particular to look at. He was mostly covered by black sets of garments, feet to neck, and his face hid under a pink-painted mask.

"I'm afraid not, Brother." He took a quick glance on my direction before facing him again. "Mr. President asked me to bring him The Manuscript."

Brother faced her. "Care to have a quick detour?" The wooden floor creaked as he walked closer to Arzi. Few steps after, he stopped and leaned. "I guess, Mr. President still has an appointment."

After trying to silently clear her throat, Arzi let a soft sigh. "Well, I guess I had no choice." She entered her hands on her pant's back pockets, slightly bending her right knee.

"I'm curious of what you two are whispering for?"

Arzi and Brother dropped their conversation and looked at him. "Nothing." Their awkward chorused response made them eye each other.

A shy pause petrified the two until Niqui exhaled loudly. "Can I please join your staring contest?" There was a sign of annoyance on his low raspy voice. "If you'll not stop this newly-met-lovers act, I'll leave you both here and tell Mr. President that you died escaping the dichotomy."

"The what?" Brother stepped closer to him. "What act did you say, Niqui?" An upward arch curved his brows and his cheeks turned slightly red.

"Nothing, and, please... it's not Niqui. Call me Dom or she," he pointed his right arm to Arzi, "will know your real name." He crossed his arms, proudly looking to Brother. Finally, the staring game had a new set of players.

Arzi felt that the tension between the two lads risen. She found herself asking, "So, what's this Manuscript we're looking for?"

Questioning gaze retorted from Dom as he faced Arzi. "Actually," he slightly raised his left arm and eyed his wristwatch, "it's not here. The location is unknown." His teeth clicked. "Mr. President asked me to delay your arrival as he settle the commotion there."

"Don't tell me--"

"It's not what you think, Brother." Dom lightly shook his head. "It's Henrietta with her trantums again. You don't want her," she looked at Arzi then back to Brother, "seeing a widow in despair on her first visit, right?"

"Who's Henrietta?" Addled of what she heard, a bent line painted on Arzi's eyebrows.

"You'll meet her soon." Brother smiled at her, nodding a few times, then turned his face to Dom. "Have you delayed us enough already?"

Instead of responding to him, Dom looked at the doorway. Three seconds passed and a dark purple portal appeared a few measures behind Arzi. He walked passed her and gestured his hand, offering her to enter the warp first. "After you, Miss."

The area abruptly changed as she stepped her right foot inside the weird oval matter. Soon after she walked passed through it, she found herself inside a different room.

There were fewer bookshelves but more wooden desks. Glass windows with its curtain apart allowed sunrays to enter the place, lighting it on the process. The scent of lavender paired with cigarette smoke welcomed her as she stomped her first foot on the concrete floor. Uncounted voices echoed which stopped right after the people inside the room noticed their arrival.

"Hey! Are you the new kid?"

Light footsteps sounded as a barefoot little girl approached her. She held the left hand of a headless rag doll which swayed as she moved closer. Oddly, a cheerful smile escaped her lips as she stopped several inches in front of Arzi, slowly raising her right eleven-year-old hand. "Hi, Big sister! My name is Allyson."

Frozen for a bit, her right hand was trembling as she moved it to respond to the girl's offer.

Allyson was just as tall as her waist. She was dressed in white blouse with black collar cuffed by a bolo tie and the edges of the long sleeves even had the dark shade as well, matching well with the pairing underskirt of the same fabric. The badge stapled on the right chest part of her uniform boasted the insignia of city's high school. She also wore this dark cosmetic, circling her eyes, and her long and straight black hair lifelessly fell from her top ending below her knees.

The two girls jiggled their hands while Arzi had this uneasy grin on her lips. They only stopped after a loud greeting from Brother echoed inside the room.

"Hey, guys! Where's the president?"

Brother turned his head in opposite directions only to find that the one he was looking for was abaft him already.

"If I am an enemy, you have an appointment with death already."

A man towered behind Brother. He was wearing a lime green pajama pants and a mala of the same hue, exposing his broad buffed chest and tone muscles. His bald head shined the reflection of the light from the medium-sized shiny crystal chandelier hanging upright on the ceiling. He had this horizontal scar lined on his wide forehead. His both hands were covered by gloves while his feet wore socks of an unripe apple color.

Arzi and Brother turned to his direction simply to witness the face that has no noticeable expression at all. The man few feet taller than her gazed at her boringly.

"Is this she?" Without moving his head, the topless man took a quick glance to Brother. In just three seconds, Brother might had nodded his head twenty times, unsure on how he would vocally answer. The tall man returned his stare to Arzi. "Then, I welcome you." His face remained expressionless. "Come with me in my office," then gazed to Brother again, "you too."

It was not even a complete second passed when he turned around and walked towards the doorway behind him, few meters away from his original point. Two seconds after, a pair of opening and closing loud door sound vibrated, slightly shaking the concrete wall close to it.

A sigh of disapproval escaped Brother's mouth. Heavy footsteps followed as he walked his way to the said room.

"I hope that you can control your laughter." Allyson playfully poked Arzi's left buttcheek, making the latter inched a little. "And, please, don't make him angry."

She disregarded Allyson's words and had a quick eye-tour on the office. Aside from Dom and the weird kid, there were two other girls inside the room, their backs facing her. Both were busy on their respective works. The girl on the left was covered with a black veil and the other wore a white bunny headband. She cleared away her thoughts on greeting them as her name boomed from the separated room.

A playful 'Good luck' flew past Allyson's thin pale lips as Arzi walked closer to the doorway. A white WELCOME was sewn on the dark green rug on her feet while a wooden sign had a golden THE PRESIDENT'S LOUNGE engraved.

Her nostrils holed bigger after the smell of infused lemon-scented air freshener and mixed smoke of incense and cigarette entered her nose as she turned the knob clockwise, pushing the door forward.

The room was so dark and only the four corners of a king size bed were what she could see. On each poles were lit green candles. She had a hard time locating the two men until a familiar reflection glimmered the earlier bald head. As she recalled what the kid told her, she hid a controlled giggle.

"Seventy-five seconds and you're still standing there, how many seconds more do you need?"

Her hands were shaking as she moved closer to him after hearing the irritated voice of the president. Girl, I think it's better just to leave. Treasure your life.

"S-sorry." She stood few steps before the bed, discreetly searching for Brother. C'mon! Show yourself before I pass out.

"I summon you here to welcome you."

Her eyes widened as she heard a different voice. It was totally not that deep lifeless voice of the president. This time, she thought that she was welcomed by a male angel.

"I asked my son to seek the child of Arzath, and now, look..." The soothing voice still continue to escape from the president lips. Her eyes opened wider as she noticed that the bald guy's eyes were completely white. "You are now in front of me."

"Are your bones still complete?" This time, the voice changed again, it sounded younger but playful. "I wish I break one back when you're still young, but now, you grew better than we thought."

"Enough!" A much deeper voice echoed, making her flinched a few. "We will only ask this once, Arcilla."

Her system got numb as she heard her name. How can this voice know my name that was known only by my family? She tried to gulp but her throat contradicted the thought.

"Will you aid us find The Source?"