GREGORY EVANS WAS very excited. So much so that he could barely express his feelings and emotions, which seemed contradictory inside his head. He took a deep breath and said softly,
— I never believed I could say this, but I'm glad to see you!
— How long until we get there? — Candice asked, eager to finish the initiation rite.
Balkis stroked her hair, smiling as he answered her logical question.
— All that's left is to complete the circle. Just a few steps left... come! — he murmured softly. — I'll show you right now.
's niece let herself be led down the steps after glancing at Evans for approval. He gave her a nod of approval, following close behind her. Hiram, however, held him back for a moment.
— Remember, the key to the shop is essential to climb the stairs — he told her gravely. — It's in your hands, not Candice's... Use it correctly. And only you can open the door to Wisdom and the Arts.
With that, he followed Balkis's lead. Greg took a moment longer to react. He was trying to figure out what he meant by those words.
Together they walked the path that separated them from the exit, no more than a dozen steps. Finally, they saw an opening topped with colossal stones, forming a semicircle. Beyond, an intense light illuminated the cavernous landscape of stalactites, rocks, and sand, a light that came from everywhere and brought with it celestial sounds. A light, warm breeze caressed their faces as they emerged from the corridor.
The spectacle was marvelous. A square cave of colossal proportions opened before them, like a marvelous, unexplored world. It must have been approximately eight hundred meters long and about a hundred meters high.
The ceiling was formed by an immense mass of rocks, from which sharp formations hung. The floor, on the other hand, was quite sandy, with the occasional rocky outcrop scattered throughout.
At the back of the cave was a huge stone wall, trapped between tons of earth, a primitive construction with hundreds of signs inscribed on the stone walls. It was about two hundred meters long and then divided in two, forming an incomplete square on both sides— the fourth face of this edifice, which rose like an immense monolith, remained trapped under many tons of earth.
Next to the wall was a portico with a golden keyhole, which rose to the height of the rocky ceiling and, next to it, the door through which they had just left, which was also part of another monolithic construction of identical proportions, the detective realized, his mouth open, in view of so many emotions in a row.