Tangled By Fate

Chapter 582  THE ROSEMARY TEMPLE

"Is there any cave nearby?" Darius shouted. His question was directed to Veronica who knew this mountain range like the back of her palm.

"If there was one, we have already passed it," Veronica yelled back. The strong wind was surpassing her words. She signaled with her hand and said aloud, "There is another cave close to the temple. We cannot rest tonight. We have to walk until we reach there."

Others understood and silently moved forward. Only Darius cursed their misfortune.

By the time they reached the cave, it was already another morning and the snowstorm ended. They dropped their bags and laid flat on the ground.

They were all out of breath and most importantly, they were hungry and tired. They didn't eat or sleep for an entire day!

"If I knew magic works in this place, I would bring the fire stones. At least, that would keep us warm," Darius lamented.

He wasn't the only one who felt that way. They all did. Unfortunately, none of them had it and they weren't wizards.

Despite feeling exhausted, Ironin dragged his fatigued body, gathered some dry sticks and then started a fire. "I'm surprised hat someone gathered sticks and left them here. It's a good thing that they are dry," Felix commented.

"I left them here. I'm glad no one used them," Veronica breathlessly replied.

"That means no one else came here," Darius stated. While Darius stayed on guard, others slept for hours. Ironin woke up after four hours and let Darius sleep while he guarded. In the afternoon, they had breakfast and brimmed with energy.

Afterward, they headed to the temple. The snowstorm was gone. Veronica opened the heavy stoney doors for them. It was the first time Darius was able to enter the Rosemary Temple. The same for Zinnia and the rest. They looked around them while holding their breath. "You don't have to be stiff," Veronica casually said. "We don't have guards here. It's the Saint Ava who lives here." She firmly walked forward and looked for Saint Ava in the prayer room.

Unfortunately, she wasn't there. Veronica looked elsewhere but she was nowhere to be found.

"Where did she go?" she slowly muttered to herself. She even went to the garden but couldn't find her.

"Veronica, you need to see this," Zinnia called out from another room.

"What is it?" Veronica's heart dropped as she heard her voice. She quickened her pace. She entered the room Zinnia was in and stopped on her track.

Her body chilled as she stared at the scene. It was the library where all the ancient scrolls were kept. She was used to staying here most of the time while she lived here. At that moment, the little ancient library was a mess. The shelves were broken and leaned toward the wall. The scrolls were either tattered or on the ground. Her heart was torn apart when she saw the ancient scrolls in ruin. More than that, there was blood splattered all over the place – on the floor, on the scrolls, shelves and the wall.

According to Veronica, only one person lived here – Saint Ava.

Could it be that she was attacked by someone?

But who could have done that?

Someone had to open the temple door to have any access inside. And, only three people knew the code. The Head Priest, who was dead, Veronica and Saint Ava.

"This is impossible…" Veronica didn't want to believe it. She stepped back. "I will look around. You all have to look for Saint Ava. She doesn't know how to fight. There is no way she can attack anyone."

'Come down first, Veronica," Zinnia calmly stated while holding her shoulder. "We will scan every nook and cranny. If you know any passage to go outside, let us know."

"I'll be with her," Felix said. He didn't want to leave her alone, especially when someone was attacked on the premises.

Darius crouched and touched the blood. He then smelled it and said, "It's too dry and dark. It has a rusty smell. It could have been a couple of weeks."

"That's too long…" Veronica muttered. Her blood felt cold. Her entire body shuddered in the process.

Even if Saint Ava was injured, there was no way they could save her now… oh wait… Veronica recalled something. Saint Ava was a saint. There was no way she didn't know how to heal herself. The moment she thought of that, she relaxed. Zinnia watched her relaxing her muscles, she was relieved. They divided into four groups and spread the search.

The sun had dropped long ago and the moon had appeared in the vast clear sky. The moonlight shone upon the Holy Tree in the middle of the ancient garden.

Veronica stopped there and looked at the Holy Tree. It had become so old and yet it was all high and mighty. She reached out and touched the rough skin. She closed her eyes as though she was trying to communicate with the venerable being. Felix stood behind her. He was in awe as he stared at the magnificent tree. He couldn't believe his eyes that he was standing in front of the oldest tree in the world. His legs trembled as he felt weak on his knees. He bowed to pay respect to the Holy Tree.

Veronica finally opened her eyes. She turned to face Felix. "Did you hear something?"

Felix shook his head in return. He didn't hear anything.

Veronica frowned and looked around. She was sure that she heard a groan. She suddenly remembered that there was a tomb of the Great Dragon. It was hidden behind the vines. She quickly went there and moved the vines. The hole was still there. Without another thought, she slipped inside.

Felix panicked when she suddenly disappeared. He went after her.

Veronica took her time to adjust her eyes in the dark. She saw the stone-cold dragon's lying body. Right beside it, a woman wearing a red dress was resting. The dress wasn't red at first. It was a white dress that turned red from the blood. Veronica recognized the face instantly. "Saint Ava!" She rushed to the woman who was resting. "Saint Ava, are you okay?"