Divinity: The Fates and the Afterlife
Chapter Nine:
A/N: I know, I know... today's Sunday and I was meant to post on Friday but I had some issues with my computer, endless updates, and a load of work to do on the side so I had to postpone the whole process of publishing it, but here it is, another chapter.
A big, big, thank you to kera69love, Sakuar, AstrateMoon, and SerenityMorrison for your lovely feedback and comments. Keep the good vibes coming! Here's to a good week.
After the past hectic weekend, the girls returned to their usual working routine, Makoto included and so far, her day had been busy but pleasant. After the rather uncomfortable incidents that happened at the restaurant with Haruto, she better decided to leave the situation in the past and continue doing her work as always but there was something off, Masao was not talking to her like he normally did and that worried her. In fact, he was being unusually cold towards her and it made her lose concentration on her own work, for two reasons the first one, because he was her mentor and friend and the second one, she liked him—she really liked him.
Another thing to put on her plate is how she noticed a sudden change in her boss' attitude towards her too. Haruto seemed to be in a better mood and more open to suggestions and ideas, especially if those ideas and suggestions came from her but what even startled her the most was that he received her with the news that she might also be considered for a raise and promotion at the restaurant as sous chef despite Suzuki's suggestions.
Makoto tried to keep a positive vibe until her shift was mostly over and decided that after the silent treatment coming from Masao, she had to at least come clean with the situation and move on from it since she had other plans in mind. After all, she was the soldier of courage and she had to honor the memory of her past self. Another busy day came and went and after most of the staff had gone, she stayed on purpose to have a chance to talk to him. She knew he always took his time to clean his space and put everything away. With sweaty hands, a habit she really disliked about herself whenever she was truly nervous, she walked towards the young man who was taking his apron off and finished packing his things. She stood next to his station in silence a couple of minutes and then, took her shot "Hi… Akiyama-san…"
The young man turned and looked at her with a serious expression "Oh, hi Kino-san."
"Busy day…right?"
Masao continued packing his things in silence, leaving Makoto in the limbo of confusion. The brunette frowned and tried to look for his face but when her attempts failed miserably she walked around him and stood in front of him "Are you okay?"
Masao stopped but kept his face down, still trying to avoid any visual contact with her "Yes, why do you ask?"
"Well… You were awfully quiet today, you didn't even greet me this morning."
He looked up, his brown eyes stared directly into her deep green ones "I had a lot to do today, I didn't have the time for greetings."
Makoto frowned "Why are you acting this way?"
"How?"
"So defensive and... rude. What did I do to you?"
"I thought you were different Kino-san." Masao looked away and continued packing his things "That's all."
"I don't understand."
"Trying to achieve personal goals by acting dishonestly."
The brunette narrowed her eyes and shook her head "What are you talking about?"
Masao sighed and grabbed his backpack "Listen, it's okay if you want to become a good chef and it is perfectly fine to set goals but at least keep your dignity when doing so... if you want to be a good Chef, you have to work hard to be one—you don't just go and sleep with the head chef to get the attention and credit you want." he shook his head and pursed his lips "I really thought you were different." Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and left the kitchen, leaving a very confused Makoto behind. Her eyes widened when she saw Suzuki was waiting for him at the door and put one of his helmets before the two left in his motorcycle.
Makoto fisted her hands and closed her eyes for a moment. "Suzuki..." she muttered with disappointment and utter disgust. She knew she was not an easy person to deal with but she never knew how vengeful she could be and this time, she did it for the worst of reasons.
"Kino-san." Haruto's deep voice startled her and looked up at the older chef staring back at her "Everything okay?"
The brunette sniffed softly and nodded before turning to her station and start packing her things "Yes Chef, I'm alright."
Haruto walked towards one of the huge fridges and grabbed a bottle of wine, after popping the cork he took two glasses, pulled a stool and sat next to her, repeating the same scene from last week. "Come on, tell me." Makoto turned to look at him and felt the air thicken around them, she sensed something was odd, "Chef, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"Why me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you want to give me that promotion?"
Haruto took a sip of his wine and sighed softly, while playing with the delicate half full glass "Because I think you are perfect for that position." he looked at her, "I believe you are exactly what this kitchen needs to succeed."
Makoto looked at her untouched glass and pushed it aside "That does not necessarily answer my question. Why me?"
"Why not?"
"I do not have the studies or the experience the other sous chefs have."
"Like who?"
"Akiyama-san or Mahami-san."
"What about them?"
"They have studies and experience, they have gone to Paris and know everything about French food… why not giving them the opportunity?"
"You are not grateful?"
"I am Chef… but…"
Haruto leaned closer to her and rested his hand over hers and looked into her eyes "Kino-san, I have been in this business for too long to know how this works. To get a good opportunity to succeed you have to work your pieces…it's like a chess game—you need to have a strategy." he patted her hand, "You worked yours the moment you decided to change one of my recipes."
"But…"
"You took the initiative and looked far beyond other people's needs… and I liked that." he looked at her sternly, "I like that." Makoto widened her eyes and tried to move her hand away but his grasp was too strong for her to move without forcing her way out "Chef?"
"I won't deny I like that inner fire in you. You are different from other women I have met… there is something special about you."
Makoto pulled her hand away from his and grabbed her bag "Are you suggesting something?"
"I know there is some sort of attraction between us." Haruto moved closer but Makoto turned her face away, "You are mistaken." she looked at him and turned to leave; "I thought you wanted this." Haruto said with annoyance, almost anger. Makoto stopped in her tracks "I want to be a good chef but by my own merits… not like this... "she began walking again.
"Kino Makoto, I believe you forget the power and influence my name carries. If you walk out of this restaurant, you won't be able to work at another place for as long as I want to. It's your choice, you can leave—but be aware that if you do, you will never step inside a professional kitchen again." Makoto stopped and looked over her shoulder but did not say a word. Makoto felt frustrated, how her life could change so drastically in just a matter of weeks? She thought she was on her way to succeed and to make her dreams come; she could see herself opening her own gourmet café and achieve the goals she had set since she decided to pursue her career in the food area and now, after so many efforts and sacrifices her whole future was jeopardized by the man sitting a few feet from her, while drinking his wine so carelessly.
"Think about it Kino san, a stain with my name in your resumé can shadow further opportunities and not just in the culinary world—I am that famous."
Makoto took a deep breath and tried to think about her options which basically summed up in keeping her mouth shut and continuing her work as a sous chef, take the now cursed promotion and keep ignoring the fact that this man she once idolized was now harassing and threatening her future, her dream.
"I will see you tomorrow, Chef." her voice sounded tired, defeated and broken. He had her faith and spirit in his hands and that boosted the man's ego. With a smile and another sip of wine, he nodded and cleared his throat "Very well Kino-san, I will see you tomorrow… try to be here early."
Makoto stayed silent and walked out the door without looking back at the man, she was sure was enjoying his new wave of power. Once she was outside and sure nobody would see her, she broke down in tears and walked without a specific destination. She walked in silence, ignoring the tears pooling from her eyes and her red nose as she looked around at the many couples walking hand in hand with a big smile on their face. Her mind flashed back to all the times she felt her heart broken by the few men she has dated in the past and how despite their lack of interest she couldn't stop believing in love. She really wanted to believe there was somebody out there, waiting for her.
Makoto decided it was better if she just went home so she turned around the corner when noticed a little café place that had just recently opened and decided to walk inside; as soon as she opened the glass door she was immediately welcomed by the delicious fresh ground coffee scent and fresh baked goods lightly lifting her wounded spirit, she walked towards the counter to look at the menu behind the counter and order something to go. "Hi, welcome… can I get you anything?" a chirpy young girl asked the Amazon brunette.
Dazed and fascinated by the picturesque surroundings, Makoto gave the girl a smile and nodded, "A tall iced coffee and a blueberry muffin to go." she watched the girl turning and start preparing her order, giving Makoto some time to spare while her order was ready. She turned and looked at a small wooden shelf with local and foreign magazines for sale and she smiled when she spotted the one where Usagi worked as a designer and picked up a copy and another one she had never seen before. Curious about the content, she flipped through the pages and widened her eyes when she saw something that instantly made her feel vulnerable and nostalgic.
"Miss?" the young girl's voice brought Makoto back from her thoughts and shook her head, "Y-Yes?" she asked, stunned. The girl smiled at her and tilted her head "It's gonna be 106 yen."
"Oh, right…" Makoto looked for her purse and grabbed the money, "I am taking these too." she gave the girl the money, thanked her for the coffee and continued her way, this time to another specific location.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Right in the comfort and peace of her small apartment, Minako was lying on her couch while reading a magazine; while Artemis was sitting beside the window, looking at the night sky "It's quiet." he mumbled absently.
Minako tilted her head back and looked at the cat with a puzzled frown, "What?"
"Outside—it's quiet," Artemis muttered; his green eyes were fixated on the white moon hanging like a pearl in the night sky. Minako pursed her lips and continued reading her magazine "Well… that is probably because Luna isn't here."
The white cat turned to the blonde and looked at her "What is that supposed to mean?"
Minako giggled playfully as she flipped another page, "Oh, you know what I mean."
"You always think the worst things about me—" Artemis said, trying to change the pitch of the conversation "I never tell you anything about your boyfriends and let me tell you, there is quite much to say."
Minako widened her eyes and put her magazine down in a frantic mode, "Hey! It's not my fault that the few people I have dated turned out to be frogs instead of princes… or, pop stars…"
The white cat turned and frowned, frogs, princes and pop stars? Minako…" he said with an exasperated tone, "What on earth are you reading?"
"What?"
Artemis looked at the magazine the blonde had in her hands and shook his head, "You are reading about that girl again—oh how much you like to torment yourself."
Minako rolled her eyes and threw her head back with annoyance, "Artemis, I can't help it, she's everywhere!" she frowned and looked at the cover "I should be the one in this cover, Usagi-chan should do something!" with a loud sigh she put the magazine away and stared at the ceiling "What did I ever do wrong?"
"Minako?"
"I followed my dream, or at least I thought I did—and look at me. I am not living it. I should be living it... what the hell went wrong? My mother must be so pleased to know she was right..." the blonde closed her eyes and sighed, "Or maybe this is it, maybe this is what I was destined to have, no less… no more."
Artemis sighed and shook his head, "You did not do anything wrong. Just because things have not worked well these couple of months it doesn't mean you won't live your dream."
"I'm alone Artemis."
The white cat widened his eyes, it was strange to hear her speak the way she was doing it. For all the time he has been with her as her guardian and mentor, she has always been a carefree but very mind set soldier when it came fighting the enemy. He could not deny the many times he has felt impotence for not being able to help her more than he wished, to give her a hug when her heart was broken. They created a special bond, since their days in the Silver Millennium, and to see the soldier of love being discouraged by love itself, was sad.
Minako opened her blue eyes and a wave of sadness began to overflow her, "I have no one to support me, to be with me…" she turned to look away, "He took that piece of my heart with him… he cursed me. He cursed me the very moment we looked into each other's eyes..."
Artemis frowned confused, "Who did Minako?"
Minako sighed and rolled on the couch and turned to look at her mentor and companion. She gave Artemis a sad smile "I've been thinking about—" a knock on the door interrupted her. As usual, that thick cloud of brutal honesty dissolved just seconds later, leaving a normal and curious Minako staring at her door. "Who would that be?" she heard the male cat ask, slightly worried.
The blonde moved from her couch and walked towards her door "Who is it?"
"Hi. It's me."
Minako's eyes widened and opened the door, revealing a very disturbed, very tired Makoto standing in the hall, "Mako-chan…" she said softly, her voice catching Artemis' attention immediately. Makoto looked at her blonde friend and shrugged her shoulders carelessly, "I didn't want to go home after work so I basically wandered around Juuban like a zombie without a purpose."
"Mako chan, what happened?" she stepped aside and grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her in, "Come on in."
Makoto walked inside the small apartment and took her rose printed scarf and bag off, "Can I get you anything? Water, tea, orange juice… coffee?" Minako asked from her kitchen and turned to look at her friend, who was showing her her iced coffee and the paper bag with her blueberry muffin inside, "I bought these on my way here."
Minako walked back to her small living room and began to clear the mess she had scattered around and made some space for her friend to sit "I'm sorry about the mess… I was doing my nightly ritual of catching up with the magazines." she frowned confused and sat next to her friend "You don't look so good… what's the matter?"
Makoto looked down at condensed cup of her iced beverage in her hand and sighed heavily, "My boss crossed the line with me tonight—he tried to make a move on me."
Minako and Artemis' eyes widened in shock "He did what?!" the blonde raised her voice "That bastard… the Chef?!"
"Yes, the chef." Makoto sighed and put her cup on the coffee table and looked at her friends, "I also spoke to Masao, the guy… you know…"
"Yes, yes."
"He thinks I got my promotion…" Makoto trailed off and shrugged her shoulders when saw Minako widen her eyes, "Oh yeah, Haruto offered me a promotion as a sous chef… and well, Masao thinks I got it because I am sleeping with Haruto… so he's mad at me."
Minako shook her head in disbelief, "You would never ever do that, why on earth would he think that?" she growled with frustration, "Ugh, what is wrong with him!? What the hell is wrong with men?!"
"I think Suzuki had something to do with it. I know she told him something…"
"Did you speak to her?"
"No, I spoke with Masao and he was like 'I really thought you were different.'" Makoto tried to imitate the young man's voice and waved her hand dismissively right after, "And they left together, in his motorcycle... ugh, I hate this..."
Minako sighed and turned to Artemis, hoping he might have some comfort words for her friend. The cat moved closer and looked at Makoto, "That only means he is a weak man Makoto, he does not deserve you—men can be frogs," the blonde smiled at him, knowing what he meant with that comment. After all the nagging, he always put close attention to every little word she said, Minako thought.
"Nobody deserves me then…" Makoto sighed "And here I am, still believing…"
"You are going to leave that job now that this man literally harassed you, right?"
Makoto sighed and shook her head, startling both: cat and girl. "What do you mean –no? He is molesting you!" Minako frowned angered at her friend's unusual submissive behavior.
"He basically told me that if I leave, he would make sure I wouldn't be hired anywhere else… he is a man with many influences, he's famous, he can do whatever he wants." she looked at her friends "And I have a dream—I really want to open my own place… until I have a better plan, I will have to stay there and deal with all this mess."
Minako pursed her lips and sighed, "And here I thought I had an awful day." she leaned closer and put her hand on top of hers "Mako chan, I am so so sorry."
"He won't break me…" Makoto shook her head with determination, "Not even that jealous girl or Masao-san…" she sighed, "It hurts because I really liked him… but I can't cry over him, he preferred to believe her rather than me, that's not fair!"
"He will realize what he has done but by the time he does it will be late for him to come back, mark my words." Minako said softly with tremendous pride in her voice, "If Rei-chan was here, she would be telling you to never cry over boys despite her being crying over one at this very moment."
Makoto chuckled and nodded, "She would have given me a whole lecture."
"Well yes, you know—that's Rei chan."
"Makoto sighed, "Oh, who would have thought… me, the sailor senshi of courage, crying over these things…" her green eyes widened, "Oh, speaking of…" she turned to grab her bag and took the magazines out of it "Look what I found."
Minako grabbed the magazine and arched her brow, "Where did you find this?"
"At the café, just when I was buying my coffee... I was flipping through the pages of Usagi chan's magazine when I spotted this one."
"I've never seen this one before… but looks good."
"Look for page 52."
Minako did as she was requested and widened her eyes "What the…"
Makoto nodded "Right? I thought the same."
Artemis tilted his head and frowned, "What is it?"
Minako sat straight on the couch, "It's an article about us…'" she cleared her throat, "What happened to the Sailor Senshi? Where are they now?" her eyes met with her friend's and continued reading, "It has been eight years since we last saw any of them in action, with their strong will, unusual clothes and amazing power. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus and even the always dashing and mysterious Tuxedo Kamen have gone under the radar without leaving a trace of where they might be or where they have gone. After eight years, we all ask ourselves if they are still here, living a normal life. Could the young lady that packed my grocery today be one of those Legendary Soldiers or even Sailor V? I guess we will never know but we certainly wonder and secretly wished to see them back in action.'" Minako closed the magazine and turned to her Amazon friend with a face of excitement and wonder, "Mako… they remember us! They miss us!" she turned to Artemis with a big smile on her face, "Artemis! We are famous! we are 'The Legendary Soldiers'… aren't you proud and happy?"
Artemis turned his head and looked away "They did not mention Luna or me. I find it unfair."
Minako leaned over and pet Artemis behind his ear and returned to give another glance at the article, "This is so weird and amazing at the same time..." her smile widened and jumped in her seat with excitement, "I can't wait to show this to everyone!" she turned to the white cat "Right, Artemis?" Artemis lowered his head and sighed slightly disappointed and closed his eyes, "I still think I deserved a little credit."
Minako turned and smiled at her cat companion, "Come on, it's just an article." she looked at the open magazine "I would kick that blonde's ass as Sailor Venus." she muttered, "Then I would be in every magazine in existence—the all great and beautiful Sailor Venus kicking ass—with style... Oh yes!"
"Still giving you a hard time, that blonde?" Makoto took a sip of her cold coffee, "You are giving her way more attention and importance than she deserves."
"I am not mad at her..." Minako trailed off and shook her head "No wait, yes, I am mad at her because she has to use her voluptuous curves to get everything that catches my eye and that pisses me off. She is not talented at all... just, very voluptuous." she sighed heavily, "I never thought things could go this way you know?"
Makoto looked at her friend with sad eyes. She felt like she was on the same boat as her, she thought she was doing well and then something unexpected happens and changes everything. It was hard to see Minako talk like this since she was always the one with the great attitude and most positive thoughts. She always knew what to do next and never seemed like she had second doubts about her decisions made but now, it was like she had stomped on a dead end and didn't know where to go from there.
"Things have to get better." The Amazon said softly while resting her hand on the blonde's shoulder. Minako raised a brow and looked at her with a questioning look "Says the girl who has to deal with sexual harassment at her job?"
"Come on! If we think things will go bad, things will go bad!" Makoto blinked and pouted her lips.
"What?" Minako asked, confused.
"That's it, I'm out of advice... I am not good with this, this is Rei chan's jurisdiction, not mine." Makoto slumped on the couch and took a sip of her now diluted beverage again; Minako looked at her friend and started laughing, surprising the brunette "What?"
"It's true, we suck at giving advice to each other." Minako continued laughing, "And yet... we still try."
Makoto smiled and started laughing "Yeah, this isn't our thing—and don't even bring Usagi-chan into the mix, she's even worse!" The comment ignited more laughter on both girls, both agreeing in silence to the statement. Minutes after they finally calmed down, Makoto reached for her muffin on the coffee table and turned to the blonde "Muffin? It's blueberry."
Minako turned her head and looked at her friend's hand and nodded "Yeah, sure."
o.o.o.o.o.o
On the other side of town, Michiru and Setsuna entered the dining room with some plates and small trays with food. The sound of the t.v. was heard in the background as they slowly set the table and prepared to have dinner. Setsuna put another plate with green veggies and rice and turned her head "Hotaru, dinner is served!"
"She probably is wearing her headphones. She won't hear a thing." Michiru joked and smiled while putting a plate on Haruka's place "She is growing so fast, I can't believe it…"
"It feels weird, isn't it?"
"Very much—I feel old!"
"Hey, have you talked to the girls?"
"Setsuna shook her head "Well… I saw Ami san yesterday but it was quick, she was running late for her shift at the hospital, why?"
"Just to see if they needed any help with the wedding arrangements," Michiru said softly as she put another dish on the dining table. "Minako has been taking her maid of honor job very seriously, she is on everything." she chuckled, "She has been handling everything pretty well, like a total professional." she turned and clapped her hands excitedly and turning to the hallway again "Hotaru! Dinner!"
"It's her Princess' wedding—of course she will do everything as perfect as possible." Setsuna chuckled and put another plate down, "I will go get her before the food gets cold."
Michiru nodded, silently thanking the senshi of time for her help, then turned to Haruka and frowned, "Haruka, do I have to insist you too? Dinner will get cold!"
Haruka kept watching t.v. without responding to Michiru, a gesture she found very odd. The aquamarine girl walked over to her and wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck to see if that would get her to notice her, "Hey… I was talking to you!" she blinked when realized the blonde was too entranced watching the news, "What are you watching?"
Haruka pointed her finger at the screen and frowned, "They are going to interview them."
"Who?"
Haruka turned and looked at Michiru "Remember when we read in the paper about a couple who had discovered a treasure?"
"Yes."
"Apparently they have a major announcement and they will be interviewed in a couple of minutes."
"Hmm… and?"
Haruka pressed her lips tight, "I don't know why I am too interested… It's like a calling."
"Well…you better come sit at the table before dinner gets cold, you can watch the show from there."
"Aren't you a little cranky today?"
Michiru chuckled "I've put so much effort in the kitchen, considering I am no master of cooking—I was expecting a little more enthusiasm from you."
"Alright, alright… I'm coming."
Setsuna came back with Hotaru following behind in silence; Michiru turned and smiled at the young girl "Were you wearing your headphones again? I was calling you for dinner."
Hotaru nodded and blushed softly, "I'm sorry."
"Here." Michiru gave her some napkins and sat on her spot and began serving food on her plate. Haruka followed and turned to watch the t.v. when she heard the reporter returned talking about the archeologists with the most awaited discovery of the year.
"Thank you for staying with us in our one-hour special, for those who just tuned us, my name is Yokimura Kazumi and I am here with two of the most famous archaeologists of the moment, Casanova Akira and Ahlstrand Mikael in our studio. Welcome, it's a pleasure to have you here…"
Mikael smiled and nodded his head "Thank you for having us."
"It's been over two years since you were here telling us about this special new treasure hunt you were going to embark. You are very famous for finding one of the most iconic and mysterious pieces all around the world."
Akira smiled and chuckled "You could say that."
"Is it probably because you do not work directly for any association?"
Akira looked at the host and smiled "Well, I think it is mostly because I feel there is so much history still being untold. There are so many wonders in this planet that we haven't really had the opportunity to appreciate because they are still hidden. I take my profession as a job to find those clues in our lives and connect the dots."
The reporter nodded and brushed her auburn hair away from her face "Two years ago you discovered some treasures in the middle of the Indian Ocean that turned out to be gold and jewelry from a pirate's collection; this time, were you after the same treasure and why teaming up in this specific project?"
Mikael smiled, "The Pirate's Treasure Hunt was an ambitious project that took us more than a year to study and to complete."
"But it was successful." said the reporter
"Yes."
"What were you looking for in this new project and why so soon?"
Akira took a deep breath and crossed her legs. Her chocolate colored pencil skirt matched perfectly her tight bun at the top of her head; with a polished look she gave the reporter a polite smile "Well, after we found the Pirate's Treasure we received an invitation and sponsorship to look for a rare crown valued in millions of dollars so we embarked on the adventure and well… here we are now."
"Whose crown was it?"
"The leader of an ancient tribe. It is believed that these same pirates stole it and hid it somewhere near the Nippon Area; we had to change locations constantly because there is no existing map so we basically followed our intuition and previous notes from the hunt investigation."
"So, are you saying you found it?"
"We can say we found more than just a crown." Akira said softly and turned to look at Mikael who continued "We are still not sure what we witnessed, but… it is sure a lot different from what we expected to find. This discovery made us change the whole course of the expedition."
The reporter widened her eyes in shock "Is there more information you can share with us concerning this expedition?"
"Weare still putting the pieces together and are currently in the process of investigation, until the research peaks with enough proof we will share it with the world." Akira started "We went close to Iwaizumi, to be precise more to the north side. We were not really expecting to find what it turned out to be a hidden cave with more than 77,762 ft below the surface. This is a cave even deeper than Iwaizumi Cave making it one of the deepest in the world if not the deepest."
"How is it to go that deep inside our planet?"
"Challenging—exciting." Akira joked and shrugged her shoulders "It is a whole new world down there… we found many wonders we are not aware have been living beneath our feet. There is stone covered in ice and luminescent bio specimen."
The footage showed some of the crew walking around the cave in their gear and equipment while walking behind Akira and Mikael. The video showed them explaining the many specimens they found down there and the ice they were talking about. Akira soon started talking while explaining what they were doing on each segment until something shocking, left Haruka perplexed.
"Haruka?" Michiru asked puzzled, while turned to the t.v. "What is that?"
Setsuna stood up and walked over the couch and watched carefully the footage showing Akira and Mikael walking inside the ruins of a what appeared to be a palace. Her throat went dry when in her hands Akira held a piece of stone with a symbol engraved in it "This is one of the many samples we could gather from that place." The reporter looked at the monitor and watched the symbol and blinked in surprise "Was this the tribes' secret civilization then?"
Akira took a deep breath while the footage still continued, "We are still studying this case, our team is at the laboratory doing research and we are still working on good theories of what this could mean, but, I could easily say and with confidence that this is no ordinary citizen. We are talking about a structure buried deep underground; this is not something a civilization can do. No human being would be able to survive in such penumbra and temperatures. The stones from that building are too ancient to even say that have been carved by any of the civilizations we have known up to date. This goes far back in time."
Kazumi Yokimura saw the end of the footage and turned to the young archeologist, "Then what could this mean?"
"There have been many legends about divine beings. There is a reason why Mythology exists… and this could be proof of that."
"Gods?"
Akira nodded "I've studied about this and it has been a passion of mine, to find the reason for our existence. Mythology is a very complex matter, and to include divinity into this might lead us to a never ending battle but, the many samples we took has opened that option for us. The symbols engraved are believed to be from royalty. It might show this place could be a sacred temple or even a palace."
Haruka widened her eyes and turned to Setsuna "Could it be?"
"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"
Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru turned to look at a very calm Hotaru sitting in her place at the table, playing with her food with a lost stare. "Hotaru chan?" Michiru called.
Hotaru continued mumbling the same words over and over, like a mantra "Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"
"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"
"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"
"Venio ad accipiendum quod est meum"
Michiru went for her hand mirror and before she could look at it, Hotaru turned to look at them "It's coming."
"Who is coming?" Setsuna asked with deep concern while staring at the girl at the table. Hotaru turned to Setsuna with a frightening look, "Something out of our control."
