Dungeon

CHAPTER 19 - BRUSHSTROKES OF REVELATION

"Okay! Now she's goddamn heavy!"

Ethan looked around at what looked like an abandoned warehouse for a chair to sit in, but there were absolutely no objects in sight. Lack of sleep mixed with anger and frustration showed across his eye bags as he slumped on the cold stone ground beside the unconscious body of Elena. He eyed Bryan with the same tired eyes and gave a small scoff.

"All this because someone really craved some screentime!"

Bryan couldn't believe his ears. The first thing he wanted to do was take them somewhere safe and discreet, and this warehouse that stood at the far end of the street seemed simply perfect. Brushing away his thoughts, he took a small illuminator from his pocket and placed it on the cobbled floor.

"Ethan, how well do you know about paintings?"

Ethan gave out an incredulous look and cocked his head. "Better than you. I was the topper of my history batch with straight A's and-"

Before he could continue, an illuminating scene popped up in thin air before him, and his eyes craved in to take in every single detail. He strode forward, gluing his eyes into each and every nook and corner of the illuminating image before him.

Bryan wanted to share the same feelings, but for some reason, his mind was occupied by Jessica. Hope she's alright. Before he could continue thinking, Ethan's voice cut across the serene atmosphere of the abandoned warehouse.

"This painting's tampered! The fresco is wrong!"

Bryan's mind wandered as he placed the pieces together. "Tampered? That entire place is filled with guards, and you think someone could literally paint an entire fresco in minutes?"

Ethan gave a bloodshot look towards Bryan and pointed to the book held in the left hand of Christ. "The letters in the book spell 'scientia est lux mundi' which in Latin means science is the light of the world."

Bryan's body seemed to pick up the pace. Though he had not had a proper base of religion since childhood, his mind was quick enough to register that no Christian painting would possibly etch science with Christ.

Ethan moved closer to the illuminator and pointed out the symmetry of Christ's face. "If I'm right, the original painting had the words 'ego sum lux mundi' which translates to I am the light of the world, which is taken from the gospel of John."

Bryan's heart churned within at each and every revelation. But he was more interested to see that the ego-filled Ethan turned into a geek just after seeing a painting. "So what about the symmetry?"

Ethan's face illuminated as if he were waiting to encounter this question. "It hints straight away at science. The standard model of particle physics states that the universe is symmetrical and that it is indistinguishable from the other; however, the Bible miraculously talks about the creation of the universe but lacks substantial proof."

Bryan knew the other half of the answer, and he could hear his heart thumping within, resonating throughout the silent, eerie atmosphere. "So he made a pun out of the entire painting, placing two polar opposites together, and now we have to look for a crazy psychopathic atheist?"

Ethan shook his head and lay on his back. "Not really; just because someone loves science doesn't mean he's an atheist. The possibilities are many; he could be a scientist, a painter, or just an ordinary man."

Bryan couldn't help but agree with that thought. Pablo was a scientist too, but now he's a devoted man of God.

Ethan stretched himself and gave out a loud yawn. "Now get yourselves away from me so that I can get a few minutes of rest." As he was about to close his eyes, Bryan's voice cut in, sending a wave of adrenaline through him.

"What does 2311 mean?"

Ethan got up and let out a loud grunt. Seriously? This prick!

Bryan rolled his eyes and pointed towards a small sect of numbers engraved minutely in the white halo portion of Christ's head. Ethan lunged forward and zoomed in on the visual, which sent a rush of adrenaline inside him.

"Read properly; it's engraved as Acts 23:11... It's a verse!"

Bryan looked stumped as if awaiting a reply, but to his surprise, Ethan went quite too. He looked as if the whole encyclopedia got drained of its knowledge. Bryan moved forward and shook Ethan by his hand, giving him an awaiting look.

"So what does it mean?"

Ethan's face flushed with embarrassment as he fumbled around for a reply. He let out a huge sigh and raised his hands in exasperation. "Well, I don't know! I-uhm failed in my catechism classes."

A loud laughter broke the eerie atmosphere, which resonated throughout the enclosed aluminum walls. Bryan tried controlling his laughter, but his body wouldn't obey, and it exhilarated his senses as if a good old joke were a small tonic to deprive him of his tired state.

Ethan stood up and kicked the ground, which sent a pile of dust flying through the air. He looked sternly at Bryan and blew off a rage of breath through his nostrils. "Well, at least I know stuff, unlike you!"

Ethan was surprised to see Bryan's face wide with horror. He was expecting him to lunge in with a fight, but now he was on his feat with a look of fear etched across his face. Ethan scoffed and spat on the ground. "So you do know how to get afraid, huh?"

Before he could anticipate a reply, a sweet yet raspy voice filled the atmosphere, which sent sweat trickling down his neck. Before he could react, he felt a cold metal blade glued to the side of his neck. Its sharp ends taunted the nerves, which were now thumping inside his neck.

"The following night, the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must also testify in Rome."

Bryan gulped and tried approaching Ethan, but Elena was quick enough to draw the knife even near Ethan's neck, which now stood just a nanometer apart. He stepped back and tried summoning an unknown inner peace that would be able to calm his rushing senses.

"Elena! Don't do anything!"

Elena let out a mocking laughter and mimicked plunging the knife into Ethan's neck, which made Bryan twitch. "Darlings, I'm so sad to see you both lose your lives at such a young age, but you see, I love violence, and so does he."

He? Bryan's mind wandered to find whom she was referring to, but his heart told him that Ethan's life was at stake, which was even more important. Before he could do anything, a loud shattering of glass deafened the trio, which made all three of them fall back to the ground.

Ethan got up first, shaking off the vibrating feeling within himself, and looked towards Bryan as he too stood up beside him. But both of them were shocked to see a lifeless body beside them, blood oozing out of her forehead through a hole that was shot clean all through her skull.

"She's dead!" Ethan screamed and lunged back, but Bryan caught him by his hands and pulled him back to the ground. "Dont move! There are armed people surrounding us!"

Outside the warehouse, the Spanish police force took their positions, and snipers guarded all corners surrounding the building. The head of the sniper force took out his walkie-talkie and spoke with a defiant voice, motioning inside the building.

"Le disparó a una mujer. Los principales sospechosos siguen dentro. Dispárales en el momento en que los veas." Shot a woman. The main suspects are still inside. Shoot them the moment you see them.

Inside the warehouse, Bryan and Ethan felt like two trapped mice in a cage of lions. Their breaths labored together, and Ethan looked at Bryan for a response. Bryan looked at him defiantly in the eye, and Ethan gave a responsive nod.

"I know it sounds impossible, but run."