The Final Downfall WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors: Book 2]

16

"What do you mean the tunnel ends?"

"I mean what I said," Hathor told Ray who had stayed with Zoe while she went on ahead. "The tunnel ends with a giant stone wall."

"Did you check for a secret handle or something?"

She had.

Hathor spent the last twenty minutes poking and prodding the stone wall, searching or a secret handle, hole, lever, anything. But there was nothing. There wasn't even a message and no symbols were found anywhere. They had no way to escape the tunnel now that the only way in and out was blocked.

Zoe stumbled as she took a step forward, leaning against the wall for support. "Six eyes are better than two, right?" she breathed.

"Zo, you're in no shape to–"

"If we don't find a way out of this tunnel and the item that's hidden there then none of us will be in any shape to do anything," she hissed to her girlfriend.

Reluctantly, Hathor nodded. She helped Zoe stumble to the blocked end of the tunnel, Ray at their side. The three women prodded the area around the blocked end of the tunnel, even going back a few metres to be sure nothing was missed.

All that was found was the smooth stone. Hathor thought it felt polished. Perhaps the tunnel had been dug out at some point . . .

She ran her hands across the stone, stopping when she felt something. "Guys." Hathor spun. "Guys! I've got something here."

Ray felt for the strange lump, the only imperfection on the stone. "Good find!"

She pushed it.

The three held their breaths . . .

Nothing happened.

"Well, shit," Ray said.

"Wait." Zoe spun, looking around the room frantically. "Do you hear that?"

Now that it was pointed out, Hathor was able to make out a creaking sound. It was quiet. She couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Unless . . .

"Gods, damn it, mum!" Hathor threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Sometimes I don't like you."

"What?" Zoe asked.

Before she could answer, the floor beneath them vanished. The three women screamed as they fell into the black void below.

* * * * * * * *

Hathor grunted as she pushed herself upright. Falling unconscious twice in one day. Not her record but not something she enjoyed happening. Zoe was on her side, groaning, winded from the fall. Ray, laying on her back, gave the pair a thumbs up. Hathor flipped to her feet and begun searching the chamber they had fallen into.

The room was quite different from the tunnel. The black walls were polished and covered in golden symbols. Hathor recognised a few words. It looked like the Old Language. Well, a variation of it. Possibly an older variation . . .

Some of the recognisable words stuck out to her. They told of how the item they were after was in this room. Possibly even steps away. It made sense. Her mother had a talent for hiding things in plain sight.

"Find anything, princess?" Zoe called, having finally overcome her head injury.

"The items are definitely here," Hathor said. She glanced toward Ray. "Any chance you can read this writing?" The Dreama laughed and shook her head. "You could have just said no." Hathor already knew Zoe couldn't read the language . . . She tugged her hair in thought, trying to make sense of the few words she could read. "Okay, it says the item is here. I don't know which or exactly where."