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

128 129 The Chosen: Battle with a Cerberosian Prince Entering the Forbidden on either side of the stairs. They looked like guards. They wrapped all around the side of the building, which looked like it stretched as far as a kilometer away on either side. As they were walking up, they noticed that no one was speaking—throughout the whole compound. There was complete silence. It was a new experience for everyone on the team, you could see it from their demeanor. They were all looking around them, trying to figure out what was going on. Everyone but Fang. He kept his head and body straight up, looking ahead, following after Theo and the unknown lady. They began climbing up a set of stairs. “Aren’t we supposed to be getting an opportunity to rest before we go into the next part of the journey? These stairs are brutal,” Ethan said, with his best attempt at a whisper. Unfortunately for him, it was almost as loud as his usual voice. Ethan may have been the one who spoke up, but a few of the other team members were thinking the same thing. The lady stopped abruptly as soon as Ethan began speaking. Theo and Fang stopped almost as instantly as the lady did, while the rest of the team stumbled into one another. The lady didn’t turn around. They waited in silence. “What’s going on?” Ethan asked. Theo and Fang looked back at Ethan. The girls were still gathering themselves from the aftermath of colliding into one another. Theo had a more gracious and understanding look on his face, one that said, They don’t know the rules and conduct yet. Fang on the other hand was staring daggers at Ethan, as his face was saying, You can surely see at this point that there is no talking. Ethan stood upright, head facing the same direction as the lady, and he gestured with his hands that he was done talking. The girls kept their heads facing down, yet also up straight with their bodies ready to go. The lady began walking again, as fast a pace as before. After about 15 minutes of navigating various sets of stairs, corridors, and courts, they came to a stop. There was a lady standing in front of a big, wooden door that was the size of the buildings surrounding them. The lady they were following bowed before the lady standing in front of the big door. Theo and Fang followed suit. The rest of the team figured that’s what they had to do, and they too bowed their heads. “Good morning.” Unlike the previous lady, this lady spoke to them. “Please,” she said gesturing with her hands for everyone to stop bowing. “My name is Huanzhu, and this is Peiling, our faithful group’s coordinator around the compound. Pardon her, she is a woman of few words, and high expectations. She just wants to make sure we honor the code, and we honor those who have gone before us.” “Good morning, Mrs. H. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Though we always hoped we would never have to meet,” Theo said. “It truly is unfortunate that the day has come, one might say perhaps inevitably so,” Mrs. H responded. “Well, we are here to serve at the order of the Almighty.”