Cursed

***ARTEMIS***

Uncle Wu Fen, Lei, Seven, Kyle, Pingjing, Chen, Liu Fen and I arrived in front of a set of big iron doors. Uncle Wu Fen said it was a vault door to be more precise. We followed Pingjing who found out where Tim and Dean were and led us to it. Meanwhile, the rest of Guardians were left in Xuanyuan Hall… through a lot of persuasion.

The iron door looked very thick but pristine. Not even a bit of rust could be found on it. This iron vault door was located under the Zhang Family main house, a sub-level deeper than the basement and even Lei's mom's secret library.

The atmosphere was eerily silent and the place looked like it hadn't been ventured for quite a long time. Such remark would've been convincing, if only the door wasn't ajar.

"How did they find this place?" Uncle Wu Fen asked.

"Why do we even have one in the first place?" asked Chen in return. "And didn't we know about it?"

"I expected this from Tim, snooping around I mean. I even expected this from our troublesome beagle line." said Kyle. "But I did not expect this from Dean at all."

"Kyle," Seven called. "We don't even know if they're really the ones who opened the doors you know?"

"Whether they're the ones who opened it or not, the fact that the forbidden area has been accessed by someone other than me, Lord Wu Fen and his successor, it's very worrisome." said Pingjing.

"Dad, what is this place?" asked Lei.

"I think you're gonna have to explain this uncle." I inserted. "I can feel magical energy coming from inside."

"That is…" Uncle Wu Fen hesitated and glanced at Pingjing. It made me suspicious.

"Magical relics." I heard Liu Fen mutter. I almost forgot he came with us. "This vault holds the dangerous magical relics the Zhang's have gathered throughout their grave-robbing years."

"And how the hell do you know that?" I asked with a doubtful voice, then added a title out of courtesy; "Shifu?"

"I was one of the people that enchanted it. A long time ago." was his simple answer. "With Hauria."

""Magical relics?"" asked the Zhang twins.

"Ancient tombs tend to have them every now and then." answered Pingjing. "The Zhang Family members in the past uncovered many of them.

"Yes, and we store it, or rather, seal it, so it will not fall into the wrong hands." continued Uncle Wu Fen.

"And you store them, here?" Chan said in a flat tone.

"Well, it's not like we can just put them out in the open." Uncle Wu Fen replied, sounding a little miffed. "Let's just head inside and find your friends."

We opened the door wider and entered the vault. I couldn't help but whistle at the sight of the vast cave that was illuminated by familiar glowing green crystals.

"It's the same type of crystals back in Emperor Yue's tomb." Kyle muttered beside me.

"According to the records, they are. But, you've seen it? Wait, you have been to Emperor Yue's tomb? How come I never knew about that?." Uncle Wu Fen asked simultaneously.

"Don't bother looking for it." Lei mumbled. "It'll be better if you just leave that place alone."

"…The Zhangs and that place are also connected. Although we do not have the records of the specific location."

I stayed silent at that. If Uncle Wu Fen was able to connect the dots he would know our unusual unplanned trip to Hainan, especially when we were actually abducted and brought there. Although whether he had figured it out or not, he didn't really show it.

"Master Li Er brought the crystals on one of his escapades in the south. I'm making it glow using my own power." said Pingjing.

The vast chamber was filled with many items lined uniformly within shelves and niches in the wall. I could see jars made in different materials, jewelries, etc. And each of the items I had laid my eyes on, emitted magic power.

"Now where do we find two young men in this place?" asked Chen, shaking me off my thoughts.

" A locator spell." answered Liu Fen, and then tapped my shoulder. "Time to put your abilities to good use."

"Good use? You taught me many things shifu. And they were both good and bad."

"Shh. It's our secret."

"You two stop that and focus." Kyle said.

Seven then took out two items; Tim's favorite cap and Dean's phone. When doing a locator spell, whether eastern or western magic, the caster would need personal items of the people subjected to the spell.

I squatted, Indian style, to the floor then placed the two items in front of me. I created a formation and started chanting. Moments later, the items were coated in different colors; the cap was dark green and the phone was brown, it levitated and started flying away in different directions.

"Follow it." I said.

My companions split into two groups while I stayed to keep the spell working. They returned a few minutes later with the two missing boys who were both unconscious.

"What's wrong with the two of them?" I asked.

"We don't know yet." answered Lei.

"Let's head outside first." suggested Uncle Wu Fen and nobody really argued.

As we headed outside, I noticed the two flasks each of them were holding. It was made of jade and had the shape of a gourd, something like the ancient Chinese people use to store wine.

It caught my attention because it was emitting an aura, a dangerous one at that.

'Seriously? Jade again? I think we have a curse with objects made from jade.' I thought.

"I think you're right. I'm starting to hate jade as well." Lei suddenly said beside me.

"I said that out loud didn't I?"

"Do you sense something from the items?" asked Pingjing.

"Yeah." I nodded. "It doesn't seem sinister, but it's definitely dangerous."

***

"Their vital signs are okay." I said once I finished my check-up on the two unconscious young men. "It's odd though, it seems like they're just sleeping."

"But why aren't they waking up? I know for one Tim is a light sleeper." asked Kai.

"Something's missing from them." Uncle Wu Fen answered. He held out the two objects Tim and Dean were clutching when they were found. "These items are magic relics and they trap a person's soul."

"'A person's soul'?" Chen asked. "Wait, wouldn't that mean, that they're in a coma?"

"Medically speaking, yes." his father replied. "But science and magic doesn't necessarily coincide every time. Right now, Tim and Dean's souls are trapped inside those jade gourds and their minds are trapped in some sort of dream, or worse, nightmares."

"But that's strange." Liu Fen spoke up. "Those relics are used to trap demons though. I'm pretty sire these two are humans."

Awkward silence hung in the room but it was broken with Blake's complaint.

"Demons? There are demons as well?" he scoffed. "The world is sure full of surprises."

"You have no idea." Liu Fen replied. "This side of the world is a collection of culture and beliefs. Don't be surprised if witches and demons actually exist. I mean, we already encountered monsters in my brother's tomb."

"Witches, I know…" Blake glanced at me.

"What?"

The idiot just shrugged.

"I think my sanity is stretching its limits." he sighed. "But I suppose I should be open-minded."

Blake excused himself and headed outside. The rest were then ushered outside no matter how worried they were. The only ones left were Lei, Liu Fen, Uncle Wu Fen, Pingjing and me.

"What do we do? How do we get them back?" I asked.

"Back in Agymista, we searched for a special book with spells concerning spirit magic." Lei replied. "Is there any book like that here?"

Silence wrapped around us once more, but I noticed the way Uncle Wu Fen, Liu Fen and Pingjing looked at each other. It was like they were having a private conversation using only their eyes. It seemed very suspicious. In return, I glanced at Lei who also seemed to notice about the three's actions.

"Pingjing." I called. "You guys are acting suspicious, spill it."

"Well…"

"Pingjing!" Liu Fen called with a very authoritative voice. "I don't think-"

"Got it!" Lei piped up so we looked at him with a surprise look. "That thing from years ago! That time when fire broke out in the archives!"

"Lei-" Uncle Wu Fen called with a warning tone. "Don't-"

"The Codex of Souls!"

The three immediately stiffened. They seemed very scared at the mere mention of it.

"The Codex of Souls?" I asked. "What's that?"

"No idea what it is here, but in Agymista it's a powerful relic that belonged to the Guardian of Phantasm." he answered. "And I think 'they' know about it."

Liu Fen sighed deeply then shook his head at us.

"Lei is right. I can't do anything about this with my own power, I don't think Pingjing could either. The Codex of Souls will probably have an answer."

"What is the Codex of Souls?" I asked again.

"It' a powerful grimoire." Uncle Wu Fen answered.

"It's older and surpasses your Book of Jade, Artemis." Liu Fen commented.

"In Agymista, the Codex of Souls contained many spells concerning souls and spirits; from summoning, to curing a corrupted soul, even on how to banish one."

"Lei is right." Liu Fen said. "It was created by the Guardian of Phantasm, also known as the Maiden of the Stars."

Maiden of the Stars. The name sounded familiar.

"One of the three Celestial Maidens." Lei replied.

I stayed silent in my seat. I was thinking that I finally had the chance to meet one of the Celestial Maidens.