House of Anubis: House of Pasts

House of Returning/House of Catacombs

Eddie and the others were all at his house, discussing things before they went through the portals. Eddie would be going into the past and each of the other two groups would be on their third riddle, leaving one left afterwards. Right before they were about to open up the portals, the doorbell rang.

Eddie answered, seeing that it was Nina. She came inside, standing before the rest of the group.

"I'm sorry," she said, apologizing right away. "I know I made the wrong decision, but I want to make the right one now. I can't change my circumstances, but I can decide how I respond to them."

The others glanced around at eachother until Joy spoke up, "Welcome back, Nina."

Nina smiled at her. She then faced Fabian and went over to him. "Hi."

"Hi," Fabian responded.

"I also know I can't change our past," Nina explained, "but I still have future. And I want you in that future."

Before Fabian could ask any questions, Nina pulled him in to a kiss, and he kissed back. When they parted, there was a brief moment of quintessence that they hadn't felt in a long time.

"Hold on, have I missed something?" Alfie asked, interrupting the moment. "Y-you just kissed him. You first just rejoined Sibuna, and then you just kissed him."

"Yeah, that's what happened Alfie," Nina confirmed.

Alfie heaved a heavy sigh s though he were processing it all.

"So," Patricia announced, "let's get this show on the road."

Eddie picked up Nina's locket while the others each had a riddle for the group they were in.

Eddie held Nina's locket up to her. "I think this belongs to you."

Nina willingly took the locket and opened the portal. Before, she stepped through, she looked back at the others, especially Amber and Fabian who both flashed a smile at her.

After Eddie and Nina stepped through their portal, the other two groups had their riddles to read.

Jerome read the riddle for him, Amber and Alfie:

"Here below ground,
In the catacombs of Ptah,
Beyond the rotunda,
Behind the hollow wall,
Knock only thrice,
And then you will see,
The third sphinx from the right,
Shall be the one to set you free."

After stepping through, they ended up in an underground chamber of a small room and straight ahead, a corridor that eventually made a left turn. There were hieroglyphics on the walls that they didn't bother to read, considering they couldn't.

"Catacombs..." Alfie sighed. "Great..."

"Boo," Jerome whispered as he passed by Alfie to begin making his way down the corridor. The sad thing was that Alfie jumped.

Amber continued close to Jerome, and Alfie followed after checking his surroundings. They made the left turn, and that corridor eventually led into a circular room-the rotunda that the riddle mentioned.

"How do we find the hollow part?" Amber asked.

"Just keep knocking three times everywhere until something happens," Alfie shrugged. "Since it says to knock thrice."

The three of them went through with that plan, knocking around the wall until something would happen. Jerome ended up being the one to find it, knocking three times in an area and watching as a hidden door slid open.

"How did the Egyptians do this?" Alfie asked, still astonished by everything they found.

The three of them entered the room, and the door almost immediately slid closed behind them. It grew a bit chilly as the air was still for a moment. Before them, there were seven, eye-level, sphinx statues lined up in a row.

"Third sphinx from the right, right?" Jerome questioned.

"Wait," Amber paused, "but it said it would set us free. What's it setting us free from?"

Just then, it began happening. They saw as dust crumbled down from above them and then the ceiling began to progressively come down further and further.

"Why is the roof coming down?!" Alfie exclaimed, panicking. "How is it coming down?!"

"To the sphinx!" Jerome yelled, hurrying over to it before they were squashed under the ceiling.

~~~~~
Fairly short chapter, but you asked for another update, and so I was happy to write up another one in the same day/night! So, hope you enjoyed!

Fabina...

Will Jerome, Amber, and Alfie make it out in time?