Guardians of Immortal Keys

Chapter Nine: Discoveries

Liana broke the silence with a mix of wonder and determination. "Here's what we've figured out," she started, eyeing the mysterious device in front of them. "Whenever one of us unlocks their part in this thing, it shows a hologram that looks like a void and a key pops up, matching the guardian's power," she explained, her curiosity clearly piqued.

Iñigo, deep in thought, added, "Right, the key changes depending on the guardian. Mine was all fiery, just like my powers. And the same goes for yours," he said, trying to piece everything together.

Standing up, Liana thought over what they had discovered so far. Iñigo continued, "But there's a catch. The key disappears if we touch it, and trying again just shows us our own information on the device. So, it seems like each key can only show up once and can't be triggered again—at least from what we've seen."

"It's odd, but it looks like the device only reacts to those it's marked, making them sort of the owners. But one guardian can't get marked without help from the others, like how you helped me," Liana added, piecing together their experiences.

Iñigo, fascinated, looked at the glowing mark on his hand that appeared whenever he got close to the device, showing he's now an owner too.

"There is more, earlier when you activated your key. My body reacts differently to it, as if it's feverish. Don't you think some of the keys react oppositely to one another?" Iñigo wondered, intrigued by the strange reaction.

Liana leaned closer to the device, inspecting its complex design, and shared, "I'm not sure. I didn't feel anything; maybe because you already touched your key by the time mine was unlocked? That's why your body reacts differently?".

Iñigo raised his eyebrows.

"Wait, do you think?" Iñigo added. "Do you think the keys somehow get absorbed by our bodies, which is why they react that way and disappear?" Iñigo continued while looking at his palms.

"No way, that's ridiculous, isn't it?" Liana said while looking for any possible changes in her body, but there isn't.

Both laugh off the idea, thinking it is absurd.

Then a sudden thought hit Iñigo. "Hold on," he said abruptly. "What?" Liana responded, puzzled by his sudden intensity..

"Back at the cabin, my dad mentioned a prophecy about keys and marks. I didn't get it at the time," Iñigo recalled.

Liana, a bit nervous yet determined, mentioned her own knowledge of the prophecy, which she gathered when she was in the hands of the Obsidian, until she escaped not too long ago with the help of Iñigo's father. "I learned that this prophecy was kept secret for a really long time, so not many people know about it. It's about 12 kids who are supposed to be the Guardians of these special Immortal Keys," she explained, still shaken up by what she went through.

Iñigo gave her a concerned look for a second.

"Do you think—?" Iñigo started, a smile of curiosity on his face.

Liana quickly interrupted, "Maybe? I'm not sure. But isn't it too simple for us to get to it? These aren't ordinary keys; they're the immortal keys! Shouldn't they be under tight security?" Overwhelmed by everything they were discovering, Iñigo could only nod in agreement.

"But, the idea of 12 kids with these marks?" Liana pondered aloud. Then, catching Iñigo off guard, she asked, "Can I see your mark?" Her question, asked so innocently, somehow made Iñigo feel even more uneasy. He suddenly felt awkward, his heart rate picking up. "I, um," Iñigo stumbled over his words, not quite sure how to respond. Then Liana, out of the blue, pulls down her pants, showing her bare white legs. Iñigo turned his gaze away quickly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Check it out!" Liana urged. "No, no," Iñigo replied, his voice tinged with nervousness. "Please, just look," Liana insisted, her voice stronger this time. With that, Iñigo couldn't help but glance. He caught sight of a white, glowing symbol shaped like a snowflake on her right leg. Impressed yet mindful, Iñigo swiftly averted his eyes. As he did, Liana awkwardly adjusted her pants back into place.

As Liana adjusted her clothes, Iñigo felt compelled to show his mark, pulling off his shirt to reveal a muscular frame and the fire symbol at the base of his neck. Liana, driven by curiosity, gently touched it, causing Iñigo to flinch at the unexpected contact, a wave of shivers running through him. Her touch, surprisingly cold to him, sparked a strange sensation, as if igniting something dormant within. He found her touch chilling, just as she found his surprisingly warm. Yet, as their contact lingered, an inexplicable intensity built between them, only for them to abruptly pull apart. Dismissing it as their imagination, they decided to overlook the unusual encounter.

Now, their gazes met with a new depth, hinting at something budding between them. But this moment of connection was abruptly interrupted by a faint noise outside.

"It's time we get moving. We can't afford to let the Obsidian find us," Liana said, her voice faltering. Iñigo nodded, quickly slipping his shirt back on as if to erase the moment of vulnerability.

As they continued on their journey, the layers of mystery began to peel away, revealing ties that went far deeper than they had imagined. The significance of the keys, the symbols, and the device itself started to become clear. Confronted with these discoveries, the guardians faced a crucial question: could they unlock the full potential of their destinies before being caught by the shadows of the Obsidian? The path ahead promised to unveil the truths hidden behind their fate, but only if they could navigate the perils that lay in wait.