Guerrero and Jeromino were forced to work without being given even a single meal.
That was when cheran arrived at the palace to meet the king.
As cheran passed by, his eyes fell on them. Hunger-induced exhaustion was clearly visible in both their faces. While cheran was still watching, Jeromino suddenly collapsed.
Cheran immediately bought a cup of cocoa drink from a nearby vendor and walked toward Jeromino.
Water was sprinkled on Jeromino's face to revive him. As soon as he opened his eyes, cheran placed the cup into his hands.
Driven by unbearable hunger, Jeromino gulped the drink greedily. Some of it spilled onto his clothes. Cheran's gaze slowly turned toward the overseer—sharp, cold, and filled with warning.
Pointing at Jeromino, cheran asked the guard,
"Who is he?"
"A slave," the guard replied arrogantly.
Xeran's eyes hardened.
"Don't work a slave to death," he said. "Keep him alive."
With those words, cheran walked into the palace.
Above, four men were tying ropes to the armrests of the king's throne.
Unwilling to witness what was about to happen, cheran turned away and moved toward the upper chamber.
Moments later, all four men leaped down together, their nooses tightening instantly—ending their lives in unison.
It was an event that occurred daily inside the palace.
The Mayans firmly believed that those who died by suicide were granted heaven directly by the goddess Ixtab.
They believed such souls would bloom as flowers in the gardens of paradise.
Repeating this belief to himself, cheran tried to calm his own conscience.
Meanwhile, Guerrero and his companions were handed over to the priests by royal order—to be used in the construction of a temple.
Cheran overheard the guards discussing this.
To him, it felt as though the priests' dominance inside the palace was growing stronger by the day. For reasons he couldn't explain, cheran felt an urge to free Guerrero and Jeromino. Learning about Aguilar's death had left him deeply disturbed.
When cheran tried to speak to the priests about this, they flatly refused.
Down below, Guerrero overheard that cheran was speaking on their behalf in the upper chambers.
At that moment, a deep respect formed in Guerrero's heart for cheran—
a respect that would one day write an entire era in Mayan history.
Rebecca stood above, staring down into what looked like a steep ravine.
Sam warned,
"Guys, slide down carefully. Don't stop the moment you reach the ground—you might lose balance and fall."
Saying this, Sam slid down the slope himself.
The idea didn't sit well with the rest of the group. They chose to climb down carefully instead. David stumbled, instinctively pressing his hands against the ground to steady himself.
When they finally reached the bottom, they froze.
Deep within the forest lay an entire city, buried for centuries. Even now, its architectural brilliance was clearly visible.
"How did they transport such massive stones through such a dense forest?"
Beulah wondered, unable to comprehend it no matter how much she thought.
They had arrived at the palace that once stood during cheran's time.
Inside lay ruins of multiple chambers—
a private room for the king,
another for the queen,
separate quarters for visiting priests,
and exclusive chambers for honored guests.
Though abandoned, artistry filled every space.
Not just stone, but even clay bore sculptures and beautifully crafted murals.
Where cheran once stood, Vincent now stood.
As he looked around, countless questions flooded his mind.
How could a civilization that lived like this simply vanish?
The answer…
lay in one single reason.