Beulah, who had been sleeping, suddenly woke up.
David had appeared even in her dreams.
If Beulah had known earlier that David was coming on this trip, she would never have agreed to come here.
The flight tickets to Mexico were booked by the American Archaeology Association.
Only after everything was finalized did Beulah learn that David would also be part of the expedition.
Refusing at the last moment would have seemed impolite.
With no other choice, she came.
Seeing Beulah awake, Amanda also woke up.
"What is it, Beulah? Can't sleep?"
Beulah remained silent.
As Amanda rested her hand on the table, the book they had been reading—The Mysterious History of the Mayans—shifted slightly.
But neither of them felt like reading anymore.
"Sorry, dear. I woke up suddenly and disturbed you. You sleep," Beulah said softly.
"It's okay, Beulah. I'm not sleepy either. Shall we read a little more?"
"No… let's not read. Let's just look at the pictures."
When Amanda opened the book, page seventeen revealed an image of Kukulkan.
The statue was carved in white stone.
Even the hair appeared pale.
A serpent hung from his hand.
His eyes were blue.
The statue stood atop a Mayan pyramid.
"Amanda," Beulah said,
"Look carefully at Kukulkan's image. Then look at the images of the Mayans. Do you notice any difference?"
"Yes… the Mayans are dark-skinned. But he's white."
"Correct. Look at the shape of his skull—it extends backward. The Mayans didn't look like this.
I think he must have arrived by ship, through the sea, possibly from Guatemala."
Beulah began explaining Kukulkan's history in detail.
Before she could finish, Amanda drifted off to sleep.
"Alright, Amanda. You sleep. I'll lie down in ten minutes," Beulah said.
Amanda nodded, wrapped herself in her blanket, and fell asleep.
Beulah walked to Amanda's bag and took out her divorce papers.
She returned to the bed, placed the pillow upright, leaned back, and began flipping through the pages.
Lost in sorrow, she fell asleep without realizing it.
In the past
The elders had officially arranged the marriage of Cheran and Pachamma.
An auspicious date had been chosen.
On a Friday, exactly two days before the grand Mayan festival, their wedding would take place.
Cheran and Pachamma were preparing to celebrate two festivals back to back.
They were not alone.
That day, twenty-five couples would be married together before the idol of their serpent god, Kukulkan.
Pachamma's mother was bedridden due to illness.
Pachamma could tell—just by looking—that her mother had only a few months left.
"I must stay with my mother during her final days," Pachamma told Cheran before leaving for her aunt's house.
Cheran sent her off with a heavy heart, then began thinking about their life after marriage.
He took a rope and wooden planks, stepped outside, and tied a swing.
He watered the blue roses behind his house.
Then he picked up his sword and left for the day's hunt.
The hunt
As Cheran walked through the forest, he heard the buzzing of flies.
He slipped between the branches and saw a deer that had been attacked by a lion.
Only flesh near the leg remained.
If a lion leaves its prey unfinished, it usually lingers nearby.
Cheran knew he had to eat quickly.
He devoured the remaining flesh rapidly.
His morning meal was done.
As he was leaving, a female elephant approached with her calf.
The moment the elephant saw Cheran, she raised her trunk and pulled her ears back—
a clear sign of attack.
Cheran immediately moved behind a tree.
The elephant charged, slammed into the tree once, then left with her calf.
Year 1511 CE
A man named Guerrero was traveling by ship from Panama toward the Santo region with eighteen people.
Sixteen men.
Two women.
They were heading toward an island off the South American continent.
Suddenly, the ship was caught in a violent storm.
The vessel shattered.
All eighteen escaped in emergency boats.
They were stranded in the middle of the sea.
For two weeks, they had no food.
No drinking water.
Hunger, illness, cold, and fever claimed their lives one by one.
Twelve died.
The remaining survivors had lost all hope.
Back to Cheran
Preparations for a feast were underway at Cheran's house.
His uncle and a friend were approaching on horseback.
Paryas waited at home for Cheran.
Because of heavy lion activity, Cheran had abandoned the deer hunt.
Walking along the riverbank, he noticed an old crocodile lying on the shore, eyes closed, basking in the sun.
Cheran prepared himself.
Silently, he moved behind the crocodile.
Drawing his sword, he aimed at the center of its neck and struck in one swift motion.
The crocodile thrashed, trying to reach the water.
Cheran held its jaws and smashed its head against a nearby rock with all his strength.
The crocodile died.
Cheran slung the body over his shoulder and walked back through the forest.
On the way, he noticed bees flying around a tree.
A hive hung at the top.
He thought of the children.
After handing the crocodile to Paryas, Cheran went inside, smeared charcoal all over his body, wrapped himself in cloth, and returned to the tree.
At sea
Only six people, including Guerrero, remained alive in the boat.
As they drifted, Guerrero suddenly spotted land.
An island.
Hope surged through them.
They turned the boat toward it—
unaware of the danger that awaited them on that island.