The next morning I woke up to the noise of the curtains opening behind me. The sunlight blinded me even without opening my eyes. The person who let the light came in, was the man in charge of helping with the chores of my grandfather’s mansion.

– Do not tell me that you have been all weekend without leaving here, absorbed in your grandfather’s old books.

– I must admit that yesterday’s storm rebounding all over the place got me goosebumps, so this was the only place that seemed safe to me.

– Be careful, your grandfather dedicated his whole life to this bookstore and everything that surrounds the stories that are told on all these pages. In all truth I tell you, that curiosity can become a great enemy.

– Sorry, it was not my intention to bother anyone. It was not intended to cause any inconvenience.

– Don’t worry, as far as I’m concerned, this is all yours. In fact, it was the wish of the family that  this ended up in your hands. So you don’t have to apologize.

He left a tray with a succulent breakfast, although seeing that weekend’s feeding it was more than appetizing.

– You should eat something, and nothing better than a good fruit juice in the morning and a superb coffee with toasts.

– I hope it doesn’t contain Kiwi, I’m allergic.

– Don’t worry, after so many years, I already know how you like juice. If you don’t mind, I’ll remove everything you have on the table.

I could barely listen to him, my eyes focused on the chest and mentally I went back to review the puzzle that I had practically memorized.

The second clue read: Even the most powerful beasts bow before my presence. After what I had read, it was logical to think that this clue was talking about the beasts that caused so much fear in the story I read of the landing of Lindisfarne. Therefore, the Nordic symbol is the one that could have the greatest union with that fragment.

The third clue said: Not even the most awake are able to escape the eternal sleep of my words. As a discard, I wanted to think that this was referring to death, and so I opted for the hanged man.

The fourth clue asserted: I always get what I want. Don’t forget that I am the owner of your blood and your money. If my memory did not fail me, I had seen that coat of arms when I was little in more than one of Grandfather’s books. It was the emblem of the Bathory family. Due to her reputation of power and wealth, in addition to medical knowledge, it was an obvious answer. At least that’s what I thought.

The fifth explain: Even though I hide in the shadows, I will achieve true illumination. It was also clear to me that one of the symbols that appeared on the chest was the Illuminati order symbol, who were persecuted for their beliefs in science. Although it could also refer to the Egyptians who sought enlightenment and believed in the sun God. The combination began to get difficult.

The first clue claimed: How powerful is my wisdom, allowing me to control the elements. Using the elements was something the Illuminati used, but then again, I had already placed that answer on the fifth track. Although … I could be wrong.

Finally, the last clue declared: History is as old as I am, creator of all lost souls. It could be the Egyptian symbol, since it is one of the oldest civilizations.

At that very moment, the butler left the tray on the edge of the table and with the reflection of the sun on the glass, I saw the answer as clear as day. I got up so fast and quickly started to enter the password. The symbol I couldn’t understand was a star mixing some kind of ritual with alchemy, much like my family crest. Therefore, the remaining answers were clear. The sixth clue did reference to antiquity so the answer would be Egypt, the one which relate to wisdom would be the alchemical symbol and the fifth would deal to the Illuminati.

After introducing the answers nothing happened. I leaned back on the couch and sighed in despair. The butler said:

– If you allow me the suggestion. If I have learned anything over the years it is about history. Alchemy is as old as us, and the Egyptians sought wisdom above all else. Their knowledge was such that to this day even the experts still do not know how they built the pyramids and many other unsolved mysteries. Therefore, the shadow thing is clearly consistent with your hypothesis about the Illuminati symbol.

I placed the new combination and the sound of a gear next to a crunch made the top lid part slightly, thus leaving the chest open. This made my jaw drop. In amazement I turned to him and shouted:

-Annibal, you are a genius!

– Thank you, but don’t make a big deal. So many hours between these walls would have to do for something.

I opened the lid and found a piece of old leather. It had a rough feel that was almost like granite stone. I must to admit that it was a bittersweet victory. So much secrecy and so much protection for a simple piece of old leather?

At the bottom of the chest I found a note.

“It is all I have been able to achieve.

I hope it’s enough”

Fondly

                      D.

There was an address written on the back, it belonged to an antique shop who curiously was not far from home. Clearly I had two options if I wanted to get answers, I could stay in the library reading all those books and creating my own hypotheses, or I could go see the person who sold this to my grandfather and get more information about the situation.

– Would you me to bring the car closer?

– Yes please, and make it as soon as possible. Thanks Annibal.