(August 31 – 4:00 PM)
Aradhay is aboard a passenger train, and he expects to reach the castle by tomorrow evening. As he travels by the train, he looks out at the window, and the weather seems to be taking a turn for the worse… He also ponders about the skull and bones emblazoned on the doors of those jeeps in Egypt…
(August 31 – 6:00 PM)
The weather indeed turned bad, as it was absolutely pouring down rain as Aradhay reached his stop. There was no taxi at sight, so Aradhay strapped on his backpack, and started walking…
Five hours later, by around 1 AM next day, Aradhay arrives at the castle. It was past midnight, and he was soaked to the skin. There were lights on the upper windows, but it seemed like a risky option for Aradhay, hence he did not dare to approach through the front doors…
He then prowled around the perimeter of the castle, until he reached behind a thicket overlooking a sheer drop, where he finds a concealed door. The door opened as he tugged on the handle. "Good luck!" He exclaims…
(September 1 – 2:00 AM)
He enters the castle through the concealed door, and he enters a space that looked like a storeroom. He walks his way up towards the main part of the castle, where he hears a conversation coming from a grand ballroom. Aradhay positions himself on one of the balconies to listen in… He peaked over the railing, and saw a group of men sitting at a great oval table. He could also identify the towering figure he had seen in Egypt. As he listened to the conversation, he learns that the men gathered around the table were part of a secret group of antiquities collectors who called themselves The Bones, who were working with the German government to unearth ancient world treasures…
Deciding this was enough information for the moment, Aradhay decides to step back and sneak away… But a familiar voice entered the conversation… Aradhay peers over the railing… And witnesses something that shocked him to the core… He saw Miyake walking into the room, and decides to listen to the conversation…
Mercenary: Welcome! Mrs Miyake Kimi!
Miyake: Thanks for the warm welcome…
Mercenary: I hope you have retrieved the ancient jade tablet from Cambodia…
Miyake: (takes out the tablet) It did take a bit of effort… I mean I had to knock down the person whom I was working under but… Here it is!
Mercenary: Very well! (takes the tablet from Miyake) You are a valuable addition to The Bones! Emperor Fujii Tatsuo would be very proud of you, and now, you will be the best agent he currently has…
Miyake: (chuckles) We let our work speak for ourselves… If you excuse me, I am tired from all the continuous travel to reach here… Let me get some rest, and we'll discuss about further details…
Mercenary: Have a good rest… You surely deserve a grand celebration for your effort…
Miyake gestures a thank you to the Mercenary, and takes a few steps back…
Aradhay was visibly stunned. He huddled about on the balcony, unsure about what to do next. Soon, the meeting broke up, and everyone dispersed to different parts of the castle. He followed Yumi, and when he thought it was the right time, he confronted her… To his surprise, Miyake did not scream or call for help… They kept staring at each other, and suddenly, she leapt into Aradhay's arms, hugging him tightly…
Miyake: (hugs him tightly and sobs) Oh Aradhay! Am glad you are here!
Aradhay: (pushes her away) I know everything! You have betrayed me!! (teary eyed)
Miyake: (stares at him and bursts into tears) Yes, I had been working with the Bones! Yes, I had knocked you unconscious! YES! I was translating ancient texts for the Bones! But… I had stonewalled any plans to kill you! I knocked you unconscious, just to keep you alive! And ever since I reached Egypt, I was looking for a way to escape from them! By the way… (lips tremble) Who do you think left the tapestry in the tomb for you to find?! Who do you think left the bottom cellar door open?!! I was leading you here… So that you can save me!
Aradhay couldn't contain himself any longer. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Miyake sobbed and hugged him back…
(September 1 – 2:30 AM)
"Vat are you doing here?!" A man's voice sounded from behind Aradhay and Miyake. Aradhay turns around, only to find one of the Bones' agents pointing a shaky finger at me…
"Hilfe! Hilfe! Arezzei ist dabei!!" Shouted the Bones' agent. Aradhay swings his fist and knocked the agent against the wall, and he slid senseless against the ground. But it was too late… The alarm had been raised, and he could hear the sound of many running feet… The duo sprinted down the hallway. The agents chased them until they managed to slip undetected in the uppermost tower… The duo waited there until the sounds of pursuit died away…
(September 1 – 4:00 AM)
Eventually, they heard the sound of cars driving away from the castle, and they emerged from the tower to investigate. They descend down to the ground floor and found the castle completely abandoned, which left them scratching their heads… But an explanation soon manifested itself…
In the ballroom, they discover about 30 to 40 oil drums tied up, and strapped to a bundle of explosives with a very short sparking fuse…
"RUN!" Aradhay yelled, and the duo ran. The length of the fuse was so short, that they wouldn't have time to reach the front door. Aradhay and Miyake mustered their courage, and they leapt out of a window. As they fell, a massive explosion rocked the castle and flame leapt into the night air…
Aradhay lands with a thud on the rain-drenched muddy slope, and Miyake landed on top of him. They immediately began to slide down the muddy embankment. Pieces of the castle, stone and flaming wood alike rained down them as they hurtled down the hill. Eventually they came to a stop, and when they looked back, the entire hilltop was ablaze. Aradhay and Miyake sat watching the inferno for a while, caked in mud and ash, trying to figure out what to do next…
Miyake: Let's go after the treasure… I know where it is…
Aradhay: Really? Where??
Miyake: It's in Peru. The papyrus scroll we found in Ramses II's tomb recorded that Umhotep's treasure was bound for Machu Picchu to commemorate King Pachacuti's unification of the Incan Empire. A find of this significance belongs to a museum, not in the hands of a few privateers.
Aradhay: So, our next stop is Peru… Let's head out to Peru then…