Chapter 8: Opia (Pt.2)

As Mrs Marie finished wrapping Yohan's bruised hands with bandages after applying ointment, she took out a small box of pills and placed them in his hand.

"These are for Eric," she said firmly. "They're suppressant pills." She paused and added, "Whatever the rascal told you, it's only half the truth. His ability is far more unstable than you think. If anything triggers it—against his will— you'll have to get him to take one of these. But don't give him too many; everything has its side effect"

Before she could continue, Eric burst into the clinic with a plate of food. 

"Here's your meal, the famous chicken rice from the East! And for you, Mrs Marie, I bought some waffles," he cheerfully announced.

Sitting down next to the bed, Eric held out a spoon of rice towards Yohan.

"Since your hands are in bad shape, I don't mind hand feeding you as an apology," he teased. 

"Um, no thanks," Yohan replied, snatching the spoon from Eric.

Watching Yohan finishing his food, Eric grew more impatient. His feet tapped against the wooden floor as he supported his cheeks with his palm in boredom. 

"Hurry up! We have a lot of shopping to do," Eric whined. After cleaning up, Eric pulled Yohan's arm and bid Mrs Marie a quick goodbye before leading him out to the carriage he had prepared. 

Eric took the reins and drove the carriage to Vivien Street, navigating along the rows of shop houses. Parking at the side of the pavement, he opened the wooden door with a ring of the shop bell, signalling their arrival. 

Behind the counter, an old man with a stoic expression was rubbing the barrel of a shotgun. 

"Oh, you're here. Your stuff's on the side, take it," he muttered, flipping the gun around and admiring his polishing work

"Thanks, Old James!" Eric replied, opening the bag and rummaging through it. Inside, Yohan saw an array of copper components, from clockwork mechanisms to a traditional protractor. Curious, Yohan asked what they were for.

"I'm a bit of a fixer," Eric explained. "Puzzles, traps, codes... They're what makes the church so special and unique. If I can crack the code one day, I might uncover the hidden secret beneath all that rubble."

"But didn't you say it's an open space?" 

"Yes, but that doesn't mean there aren't basements or hidden passages. Maybe a concealed monument could lead to an underground bunker."

"I didn't find the right monument last time, which was a wasted opportunity. So this time, I've got you!" He pointed at Yohan with a grin. Stepping out of the shop, he shoved the bag into Yohan's hands.

"This is yours. You'll be in charge of what I call 'sensor duty. You're free to touch anything you think is safe, but you'll need protective gear. And don't be disappointed if there's no obvious 'door activation'; it's probably hiding in plain sight."

Looking down at the assortment of random objects, Yohan sighed and followed Eric for the rest of the day.

The days continued as usual until Wednesday where he had to be ready in the morning. Watching the sun rise as the night gave way to dawn, a voice of excitement broke into his thoughts.

"Yo! You're up early. Got everything ready?" Eric asked. Each time Yohan met him, his image of a Duke's coachman faded further into that of a simple explorer with a pith helmet. 

Yohan chuckled. "Are we taking the wagon?" 

"Of course, we can't waste anymore time. Let's  go," Eric nodded towards the tall wagon waiting behind the bushes. 

The ride up the mountain was surprisingly smooth, with lush greenery flanking the road as they crossed the Great Forest Barrier towards the small village of Val.

Once they arrived in the deserted town, an eerie silence hung in the air—no signs of life. Eric glanced around worriedly. It was early morning, but usually, housewives would be up and about, starting their day. There wasn't a single person in sight.

"Weird... Last time I was here, the town was bustling with locals. Where have they all gone?"

"Maybe they're still sleeping. Who knows if they had a festival last night?" Yohan suggested, trying to explain the strange atmosphere.

"Maybe. Alright, let's head to the church first," Eric said, pulling out the compass and leading the way.

The crunch of leaves underfoot subsided as Eric stopped in his tracks. His face brightened as he introduced their destination.

"There, in front of you, is the magnificent Ecclesia de Oraculi. Built in the 14th century, it was commissioned by the first town leader, Augustus Ignitus, to spread the message of God and foster hope so they could live in harmony for years to come."

They climbed the steep slope until they reached the ruins.

"This used to be the hall, despite the ceiling being gone and the windows barely standing." Eric shared.

"Can you visualise it? That's the altar at the end. Now, it's a slab of marble with most of the engravings lost to wear and tears. I heard it was a tornado that hit Val in the 16th century… They rebuilt it but many disasters struck. The locals then deemed it as a cursed place and left it to rot until now."

Eric bent down and pulled out a pair of gloves. After dusting off the nearby fallen columns, he gestured for Yohan to do the same. Yohan immediately headed over to the altar, examining its shape and position.

Standing behind the marble slab, he gave it a light push. It rocked unsteadily, as if it was precariously balanced on a jagged edge. As he watched, the slab suddenly toppled over, crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces, disintegrating into a cloud of fine dust.

Eric, who had been brushing off the dust from an engraved statue, jolted at the loud crash. He turned towards the source of the noise, his face filled with horror.

"Oh my God, Yohan!" he yelled, rushing over to the altar. His eyes widened in disbelief as he surveyed the damage. "For God's sake, I told you, touching things freely doesn't mean you can destroy the historical ruins! Thank goodness it's an abandoned church… but still! I believe that altar had some significance, and now, before I even had a chance to study it, it's gone!" He sighed, kicking at the debris that had once been the marble slab.

As Eric continued to lament Yohan's mistake, Yohan tugged at his sleeve and pointed to a broken stone slab. He pushed Eric aside, crouched down, and began to clear away the rubble, revealing an inscription engraved on the stone.

"Can you read it?" Yohan asked as he rearranged the fragments into readable, coherent sentences.

"Hm… It's in old Latin," Eric muttered, squinting at the stone. "But I can make it out. Let me see…" He leaned in closer to examine the inscription.  

"'Dominus regit me, et nihil mihi deerit,'" he recited quietly. "It means, 'The Lord is all one really needs… and the foundation of life comes from the Lord.'"

"There's a full verse that goes with it. I could translate it for you," he offered, dusting off his trousers.

"I'd like to hear it," Yohan said, "but I've just found something more urgent." He looked up. "Have you got a hammer?"

Eric handed him the hammer, his face filled with worry. He didn't ask Yohan what he was planning, though he was clearly puzzled.

"Before I do anything, are you religious?" Yoahn asked.

"No, I'd say I'm more of a free thinker," Eric replied.

With a powerful swing, Yohan brought the hammer down, smashing the stone slab into smaller fragments. He dragged the hammer across the concrete and swung again, hitting the centre of the stone. The letters on the pieces grew more and more illegible, which alarmed Eric.

"W-what are you doing?! Even if this place is abandoned, it's still sacred! If anyone sees you…" Eric hesitated. His face turned pale, his teeth clenched with anxiety.

"I understand, but it seems whoever was in charge of this church had a different agenda," Yohan replied, revealing a concrete lid with a hole underneath the shattered slab. He pulled it open, and a deep, dark void greeted them, swallowing up the light.

The church, bathed in natural light, looked holy and cherished from above, but below the ruins, a different reality emerged.

"I didn't want you to object if I'd told you my plan," Yohan apologised. "I'm sorry if my actions upset you, but it was the only way to uncover this. I'd guess whoever designed this didn't expect anyone to break through, especially with that engraved slab as a deterrent."

"So, it really was hiding in plain sight," Eric murmured, still shaken. "I'm just surprised by how it was concealed… but I doubt whoever built this tunnel had good intentions."

"Well, they likely believed they did," Yohan replied, staring into the pitch-black abyss. "We'll see just how far their beliefs took them."