THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 326: 326. A HELL POOL?

Sagiri smiled before he closed his eyes again. This time it didn’t feel like he was a stranger in the fortress. He felt like he had been here many, many times. He felt one with it. They both carried something ancient, and that was something they shared. The archive buzzed in sagiri’s veins, coming alive with the aching feeling of familiarity.

Sagiri plunged low into the archive and into its void. He kept falling until he hit that rock. That rock is the same as the one used to build the shadow colonnade. He should have looked at its history, too, back then. He was beginning to get a feeling that the stone being able to block the archive had something to do with the archive. He could feel some life faintly on the other side.

The raging feeling in his heart felt even deeper now. Whatever had been causing the disturbance was under there. Sagiri remained standing on the ledge above a corridor he had landed for another second. Down here, it seemed like no Manny soldiers loitered. It seemed abandoned, yet always walked into. He listened carefully for a while before he lifted from his crouching position and landed the remaining distance. The solid ground made a small noise.

It was indeed a sensitive type of stone. It would block the archive and even give evidence that someone had stepped on it. Sagiri walked along the spiralling corridor until he reached a cul-de-sac. Mmm, that must have the layer that had been added in the last few decades. When the place was first built, there used to be a door there. Sagiri tilted his head. There were three entrances into the place. Now there was only one, according to the history of the building. He did not know the reason for this change yet, but it was time to find out.

Sagiri laid a hand on the cold stone and listened, but there was just silence and the irritating restlessness from the other side. He turned around and started going around. He refrained from using the archive at this point. Even Zaira had stirred again, and her eyes were now open.

Sagiri could feel the four heartbeats as he approached the place. He pushed the archway out and disappeared. One foot in front of the other. came into view a few seconds later. The four guarding the door were dressed in dark grey combat suits with armour on top. They did not look bored, however, and they kept pacing in front of the wide door.

It was not like someone sane could make it this far without a reason. What could they possibly be guarding?

Sagiri walked until he was standing in front of them before he finally materialised.

The four men’s movements stopped immediately at the sudden arrival, and they turned to look at the cloaked figure. There was a pause before four blades were unsheathed in unison as the four men fell into a defensive stance.

”Hello, boys?” Sagiri greeted. His face was still hidden behind the long cloak hoodie.

”Who are you?” The one with the most armor-plated on his shoulder spoke.

”That is not important. What is important is that you let me pass through.” Sagiri said. He did not have to bicker and fight them, as it could cause a commotion.

”I asked a question.”

”Well, I am the chief of N’folu, and as my clan took part in building this fortress, I’d say I have a right to visit the place behind that door. It won’t take long.

”Who let you in!!” One of the men stepped beside their man in charge and gritted.

Sagiri sighed. He did not have time to waste.

He pushed the archive out and moved within it. One moment he was standing in front of the four men, and the next moment he was standing behind them. His hand had been pulsing all the while he stood in front of them. He could feel that the door was not made of a specific stone. Even so, it was heavy enough to hide most of the humming sounds behind it.

He would need to hit the door hard enough to break through.

That is exactly what he did. He moved with as much as he could, building his momentum as hard as he could, before he smashed his open palm, now pulsing and glowing with the archive power.

The door shattered and curved inwards and then imploded into a million pieces. The four men barely had any time to react before they had the deafening shutter. They wheeled around only to find sagiri yet to break his stance.

”W-What...”

The man in charge said while his subordinates stood frozen.

”That door weighs sixty lake beasts!” One of the men said when they could finally find their voice.

”Well, I asked you to move and let me through. Look at what you have made me do?” Sagiri finally turns around. His hand was glowing with the marking scrawling all over his body. His plan was a mass of markings pulsing and glowing.

”As I said, I am the chief of N’folu. I am not a patient either.” Sagiri said, and the fear in the place rose. The weapons the men had drawn pulsed in their hands.

”P-Please don’t kill us. We have a family. I have...”

”Shhh... I am not a monster. I have a family too. I understand what you mean.” Sagiri said before he laughed a little. He could feel himself becoming a little sadistic. ”Well, you all know I don’t have a family because you could not protect my clan and tribe. I am not here to blame you. I, however, have a family member behind this cage. The archive doesn’t forget, so you know. If you say a word, I will not let this slide.” Sagiri said.

The four men nodded vigorously. Sagiri could hear their bones quacking.

”Now sit down and don’t move a muscle until I am back,” Sagiri said. ”If you tell anyone....” Sagiri lifted his hand dramatically, and the men swallowed in fear and shuddered.

The men with already weakened knees fell forward onto their knees immediately.

”Any more gates?” Sagiri asked, and the man in charge nodded vigorously before handing two keys to sagiri.

”The prison and the hell pool.” Is all the man said

Another hell pool?

Sagiri lifted his face finally. He wanted to make sure they saw his eyes before he turned around. The fear could buy him some minutes of an hour. That is all he needed. They swallowed upon seeing his right eye even more, and they sagged even lower onto the floor.

Sagiri turned around and moved.

He was gone at that moment. The place after the gates was dark, mostly with a lit torch in intervals. It smelled dumb and was cold. It was so cold that Sagiri could not imagine a person surviving the place for more than a year.