Part I: Six Packages, Six Journeys, One Big Wooden Door

126 127 The Chosen: Battle with a Cerberosian Prince Entering the Forbidden The place was beautiful. Buildings upon buildings ran across the premises. And it was a massive area. The architecture of the buildings, and the walls, was magnificent. Unique to the Asian region, most of the buildings were made from indigenous wood. There was a combination of structures that were one level high, with a few larger ones that were two or sometimes three stories high. The roofs and eaves decorations consisted of stunning colors and designs, captivating to the eyes from a distance. Embedded between some of the buildings were lush, green trees, mixed in with a variety of stone and bronze statues, along with a variety of animal decorations also scattered across. The painting and artwork across the walls were something to write home about. Some of these decorations included imperial drawings of dragons and phoenixes, what they referred to as Suzhou garden motifs, and they also had some geometric motifs. As if that was not enough, the numerology and symbolism seen throughout the place was endless. “Where are we?” Ethan asked. “The Imperial Palace of China. Also known as the Forbidden City,” Ana said in awe. “Theo, are we really going to go inside?” “Looks that way, Ana,” Theo affirmed. “Is this the place that we often see in, like, the martial arts movies and stuff?” TJ asked. “Oh, yeah, this does look a little familiar,” Tumi said. “I remember as a kid my family loved to watch those movies”. “With the lips that weren’t synced whenever they spoke English,” TJ said. “And they had amazing fight scenes,” Tumi added. “Oh, the fond memories.” Tumi and TJ went on for a moment chatting about the memories they had of various martial arts movies set in Asian locations. The conversation kept going for a while as everyone slowly got off the aircraft. While they were still speaking, Theo asked for their attention as he introduced them to a lady who was standing by the exit of the aircraft. She was wearing a long robe that went all the way down to her legs. It looked like a silk material, resembling a gown, with some floral print on it. The lady didn’t say a word. She stood with an upright posture and an expressionless face. She had the kind of look that reminded you of a strict school headmistress, who tolerated no shenanigans and was a tough disciplinarian. The lady did not move. After Theo had drawn their attention to the lady, he did not move or say anything either. It took them a while to pick up on it, but the lady was waiting for them to stop talking and give her their full attention. With puzzled facial expressions, they looked around, looked at one another, looked at Theo, and looked at the lady. There was complete silence. The lady didn’t move or say anything for a few minutes, which felt like hours. The lady then gave a bow to the team, turned around, and started walking. Theo began following the lady, in silence. The team naturally followed behind Theo. The lady moved at a brisk walking pace. She looked like a woman with purpose. As they approached a flight of stairs, two rows of men stood