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S. A. A

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" I think I know what Anouke is planning."

Tension filled the room after Negus's statement as we looked to each other.

"What is it?" Demir asked, leaning up slightly from his sitting position against the wall.

Negus let out a deep sigh before he gestured for Emut to pass the paper. Once he did, Negus looked it over again before letting his gaze slip to us.

"The key of persistence opens all doors closed by resistance. I believe your mother is relaying a very vital message in this line." He explained and my eyebrows furrowed at his words.

"Is it not just a metaphor?" I asked and Negus shook his head slightly as he looked to the parchment again.

"What if it is not? What if, she speaks of an actual door and an actual key? What would you say to that?" He questioned me and I processed his words with a small nod.

"I'd ask where to find this supposed key." I started simply and Negus shook his head yet again, running a hand through his white beard.

"You'd be asking the wrong question, Hanna. What you really need to ask is where does that door lead you." He finished and I raised an eyebrow at the odd answer.

"Okay, so where does it lead?" I asked in response and Negus nodded at my words before standing up and shuffling through a shelf behind his desk.

We all watched patiently as he retrieved a small ceramic box before seating himself down. He looked around slightly as if to check for prying eyes before he looked back to us, a solemn look on his usual wistful face.

"When the Gods had left the world, they had left to reside in a realm known as Duat- the world of the spirits and Gods. Just like Earth, it was a dimension that was parallel to Aaru." He started and I realised that Emut had told me something familiar to this when we were back in the motel. I nodded as I processed the information and Negus continued on.

"Long ago, there was no possible or permissible way that a mere mortal could enter Duat and the land remained pious to the Gods and the Gods alone. That was until 15,000 years ago. The scriptures tell the story of how Goddess Hathor became besotted by a human male that often visited her temple, in Aaru. He would indulge her with stories of his life and she, unbeknownst to him, fell deeply in love. She knew that it was both forbidden and impossible for any human to have entry into the world of the Gods and this troubled her. She went to seek assistance from Heka, a deity of magic who was part of the divine solar barge who came up with a solution. He fastened and harnessed the aura of each planet as they aligned with the sun, creating what we now know as the Miftah of Persistance. These were described as keys embezzled with gems, capable of allowing any person who was in possession of them to travel where they so wished." He spoke in a hushed tone and I leaned in, listening to his words.

He took a small sip from his tea; the clattering of the cup was the only sound to be heard in the room. He let out a deep sigh before continuing.

"Hathor visited the human that very night with the keys, speaking to him as one would speak with a lover. She instructed him on what had to be done in order for him to gain access to her world yet one thing she did not account for was if he loved her back. He rejected her advances and explained how he loved another- a human girl. This angered Hathor and, in a jealous rage, she snatched his soul, causing him an untimely death. Upon doing so, Hathor realised what she had done and collapsed in tears. She cried and screamed at his body, hating him and hating herself. Feeling dejected, she tried to destroy the keys yet they were unbreakable; protected by magic. She also knew that bringing them to Duat would show Ra how she resorted to black magic which is prohibited. So, instead, she scattered them amongst the lands and amongst the dimensions, cursing any of those who tried to search for them. They still remain, to this day, in the places that she had sent them."

Negus's words held a weight, one that haunted me. Knowing now about the different worlds and the Gods, only made me feel more fearful of their capabilities. Emut let out a sigh, sitting himself down opposite Negus.

"So, Isis was speaking of the keys to enter Duat? Why?" He questioned and I pondered his question when Negus let out a deep exhale before his tired eyes glanced over to us.

"Because, I believe that Isis was warning us about what Anouke plans to do." He answered and I took in a sharp breath at his words. Anouke was planning to get the keys and enter Duat.

"What would Anouke be planning to do in Duat?" Demir asked and Negus's lips thinned into a firm line as he brushed a hand through his beard yet again.

"I'm afraid that, with the Eye of Ra, she is capable of doing a great deal. It also pains me to say that Duat is where both the lands of Earth and Aaru are maintained." He spoke warily and I took in the seriousness of tone.

"What do you mean by 'maintained'?" Emut questioned, his tone likening to the leader that he was.

Negus let out another sigh.

"Duat is where the spirits maintain the conditions for Aaru and Earth. The tide, the storms, the fertility and the like. If Anouke gained access to Duat, she could tear the grounds out from below us or even turn the whole land to water, if she so wished." He finished, his voice hoarse at the end and I gaped before sitting myself beside Emut.

"She wouldn't be able to without the keys though. They're scattered in unknown locations, right?" I asked through the shock and Negus shook his head slightly, his eyes gazing vacantly to the window.

"At first, mankind had wanted to find the keys in a desire for power. A group of travelling bandits bound an Oracle to give them the locations of each key. She spent days in a trance, her body weakening with every waking moment as she mentally searched the realms. The bandits awaited her words yet our group of defenders from many years ago ambushed the group and killed them. We burned and destroyed all the clues that the Oracle had written down. Yet, one bandit escaped, with the clue for a key- a clue that I believe Anouke may possibly have." He finished and I clenched my fists in frustration.

"And we're just going to let her do this?" Emut stood up from his seat abruptly and I flinched at the harshness in his tone. Nevertheless, he didn't seem to notice and continued.

"There must be some way to stop her, Negus." He leaned his palms against the desk, gazing hard at Negus to which Negus looked down to the ceramic box.

"There is but one." He uttered and silence descended as everyone looked to the ceramic box in anticipation. Negus leaned forward before opening it, pulling out a small parchment paper, inscribed with red ink. He looked up as he held tightly to the paper.

"The bandit had escaped with one clue, so we decided that we seek out the clues before they did so as to keep them secure from evil hands. For this, we didn't burn the last clue. This clue right here." He gestured to the paper in his hand and I stilled as I looked at the ancient paper.

"Each clue leads to a key location where the next clue can be found. In total, there are 9 keys, named after the planets from which they were harnessed- Mars, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Earth or Aaru, Pluto. The key of Mars is first in the cycle as it is the one from which the least aura was derived and Pluto was the most. The bandit had escaped with the key of jupiter. In this box is the clue to the key of Mars, otherwise known as the Miftah of Mars." He explained and Emut let out a sigh of frustration.

"What must we do, Negus?" He asked, brushing hand through his hair roughly. Negus only closed his eyes at Emut's words.

"What do you wish to do?" He responded just as quick.

"Get the keys before Anouke does." Demir spoke, standing up from the windowsill and Emut nodded at his words. A small smile etched into Negus's face before he opened his eyes, his gaze landing on me.

"And what of Hanna? She had opened a gateway to Earth, but she has yet to fully realise her abilities. She must first be trained." He affirmed and Emut shook his head with a look of disdain on his face.

"Seeing our encounter with a Bakenanouke, I believe we all need to train further. We were unprepared." He admitted, looking down and Negus shook his head softly.

"Very well, but you must realise that Hanna's abilities must be trained." He replied and I leaned towards the desk at his words.

"Bomani can teach me." I urged out suddenly, remembering the words of Madu. Negus's eyes widened slightly at this and he looked to Emut in surprise who, in turn, nodded.

"A lot happened when we went to Earth...."

******************

I stood, arm linked with Ayla as Emut addressed all of us in the courtyard. Demir was stood by his side, with his glaive in his hand while Negus was stood slightly further back, a calm look on his face.

Emut had already explained the importance of the keys and what Anouke was planning to do and, now, a tense silence had taken place amongst the group. It was then that Emut continued on, deciding the next steps that needed to be taken.

"We are to leave tomorrow and go to Bomani Ustaaz's residence in the Apium province. There, we will train ourselves further and allow Hanna to hone her powers as we had done, under Ustaaz's supervision. It is only after, that we will seek out the keys and stop Anouke." He finished, a stony tone to his voice and I watched as everyone around me nodded firmly. They were ready to leave immediately, if it meant saving mankind and I admired them for that.

Emut instructed us to rest well and I watched as everyone dispersed with sullen silence.

"You go, I'm coming." I muttered to Ayla and she nodded before making her way to the stairs. Instead, I followed Emut as he made his way down the corridor in the direction of the training hall. I had seen how tense he had been when relaying the instructions and I knew that he was stressed from the problem that was now weighing down on us; one of which he was expected to lead us out of.

He opened the door to the training hall and I followed in, coming to a halt when I saw the shelves. They were completely empty and devoid of the metal that was usually present. I made a mental note to see how Arun was feeling about this all as he had made all the weapons from scratch.

Emut was stood by the shelf, his gaze vacant and I walked over to him slowly.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked softly as I neared and Emut nodded idly, his expression devoid of emotion and I sighed at this.

"They look up to you, Emut. As a leader, you are their strength. Remember what Madu said- separate your emotions from it all. They need you." I reassured him to which he sat down on the bench. I followed suit and sat beside him, watching as he looked to the window.

"I used to think like that. We were all just instruments for peace; the prophecy was just an instrument for success" He said suddenly, his deep voice reverberating against the hollow walls of the hall. I turned to him curiously.

"And now?" I asked to which he turned to look at me and I stilled at the intensity in his golden gaze.

"And, now, I see you as a person, Hanna." He murmured, his eyes tracing my face and I sucked in a sharp breath as I processed his words.

"A person that can still help with the cause." I answered through the heat that was crawling into my cheeks. He sighed at this, his eyes not leaving mine.

"I don't want you getting hurt." He admitted before looking down and I opened my mouth to speak, but he stood up abruptly. I followed his actions again and stood beside him.

"Emut, I-"

"You need to rest, Hanna. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." He said firmly and I shook my head, reaching for his arm, but he was already walking away towards the medicinal room, no doubt to check what was missing. I let out a sigh as the door shut behind him before retreating to the door of the hall.

Tomorrow was definitely going to be a long day.

**************

I walked along the corridors, my towel and toothbrush in hand. My hair was dripping slightly from the shower that I just had as I made my way to my bedroom.

I thought back to how much had happened in the last few hours and knew that tomorrow was going to be just as hectic. I really needed to get some rest to the point where my eyes were burning. There were so many thoughts and questions in my head, but I knew that delving deep into the dark thoughts would only make me restless.

I neared the room with a yawn which shortly turned to a yelp when a dark towering shadow passed. I clutched at my heart, letting out a small sigh of relief when I saw that it was just the towering form of Demir who merely rolled his eyes at my actions.

"Try to not open a gateway to hell in your sleep, Hanna." He teased stoically and then he was gone, his door shutting behind him with a thud.

I gritted my teeth at his words, but felt too tired and dizzy to give him a response. Instead, I focused my energy into thinking about how good it would feel to sink into the soft mattress of the bed. I smiled at the thought before opening the door to a long awaited rest.

I let out another yelp yet again when my eyes fell on Ayla and Maya tucked into my covers, with a platter of food and drinks in their hands. Ayla's eyes glimmered as she looked to me and I smiled at how much I had missed their presence.

"You have to tell us everything that happened" Maya instructed and I let out a giggle as I shut the door before retreating into the covers and spending the next 2 hours laughing with the two females who I had missed.