A new fragment of the mystery of the Emerald Building by e.black, who has given us the pleasure of gradually publishing parts of the story.
It's 100% original.
"You did a good job today. But what we found raises more questions than answers."
Lucía sank into a chair, sighing.
"Do you think this box holds something that could help us stop Méndez?"
Teodora eyed the box cautiously.
"If it doesn't, it might at least give us a clue as to how to protect what we already know."
Leo sat down next to her, staring at the spiral on the lock.
"So, what do we do now?"
Teodora looked from one of them to the other, her determination renewed.
"Now, we prepare for whatever comes next. Méndez won't stop, but neither will we."
The metal box rested on the table in Teodora's apartment, the spiral symbol on the lock glowing dimly in the overhead light. The atmosphere in the living room was tense, heavy with questions and concerns about what it contained.
"Are you sure opening it is the right thing to do?" Lucía asked, eyeing the lock suspiciously. Teodora, sitting in front of the box with a makeshift key in her hand, nodded slowly.
"If this box belonged to Álvaro Cárdenas and bears the symbol of the Keepers, it could contain vital information. We can't ignore it."
Leo leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"But if it's also connected to the energy of the artifact or the Vault, it could be dangerous, couldn't it?"
Teodora looked at them seriously.
"That's why we must proceed with caution."
With precise movements, she inserted the makeshift key into the lock and turned it carefully. For a moment, the lock's coil emitted a soft blue glow, and a click echoed in the room.
Lucía instinctively stepped back.
"That doesn't seem normal."
Teodora slowly opened the lid, revealing the contents of the box: a set of yellowed papers, a medallion smaller than the one they found before, and a strange black crystal that seemed to pulse faintly with internal light.
"What's this?" Leo asked, staring at the crystal with fascination.
Teodora pulled out the papers first, flipping through them quickly.
"They're notes from Cárdenas," she said, her voice tinged with wonder. "They talk about something called 'The Echo Shard.'"
"The shard?" Lucía repeated, frowning. "Does it have to do with the Chamber?"
Teodora nodded as she continued reading.
"It seems this crystal is part of the Echo Chamber's system. According to these notes, it was removed to prevent the Chamber from reaching its full capacity."
Leo eyed the crystal suspiciously.
"Why would they do that?"
Teodora looked up from her notes.
"Because reaching the Chamber's full capacity could release all the stored secrets at once."
Lucía let out a shaky breath.
"Release all the secrets? That would be... a disaster."
"Exactly," Teodora confirmed. "That's why the Keepers divided the power of the Vault. This fragment is a key piece that was never meant to be reunited with the system."
As they processed the information, a loud knock on the apartment door made them jump.
"Who could it be at this hour?" Leo murmured, quickly standing up.
Teodora gestured for silence. She approached the door carefully, peering through the peephole.
"It's Méndez," she whispered, her face tense.
Lucía felt her heart race.
"How did he find us?"
"I don't know," Teodora replied, turning back to them. "But we can't let him in."
