Elements: The Ancient Tomb

Chapter 21: "Land of gods"- Part 9: "An appointment"

"…After that important meeting, Yelena drove home. When she got home, she went to her bedroom, threw her bag and nightgown in a corner of the room, and lay down on the bed with a tired look. Usually, when she came home, she put aside all her thoughts about work and outside relationships, and only spends time doing personal things for herself such as taking a bath, watching movies, going to bed, etc. but at that time it's not like that anymore. Many thoughts kept popping up in her mind, about the conversation with Toan, and her remaining good memories of Linh. They made Yelena uneasy, and bored. Her original plan before meeting Toan was to go to an appointment with Linh tonight with prepared luggage and psychology, but at that time she was confused as to whether to do this after knowing the real person of Linh. Everything in her seemed to be turned upside down, which made her feel like she couldn't arrange and control it anymore.

'What should I do now?'- The question showed Yelena's confusion when faced with two options: the first option was to perform the task that Toan had assigned, and the other option was not to go anywhere and just stay at home. Suddenly, she remembered something: While she was at a coffee shop with Toan, she received a phone call from Nhan. She was extremely surprised when she learned that Nhan helped her investigate the identity of the attacker of the East-West restaurant and he did it so quickly. Hai told her that the car that the guy drove was a rented car because this guy was a homeless man who had just finished his prison sentence and had no money, so someone rented a car for him for convenience for the move. He suggested that the person might be his hirer. It is worth mentioning that the car was in the name of someone Yelena knew, none other than Linh. Yelena was not a little bit shocked after hearing that. When she asked about the guy's identity, Nhan described it in great detail. She realized the match between the person Nhan had just described and the person she had met at the cafe. She realized that there was a high chance that her meeting with Toan had reached the target of that guy and maybe if she didn't go to Linh, it would make her suspicious, leading to sending him to the house to find out information and finish her off. In other words, any choice would put her in danger because although she knew Linh was holding the switch of the protective barrier that Toan said, once Linh had high precautions with it, it would be difficult for her to steal it.

She suddenly glanced down at the bag that was left in the corner of the wall at her feet. A few seconds later a phone rang from his pocket. She worriedly wondered if it was Linh calling her. Uncertainty made her hesitate to take her phone out of her pocket. But she thought that hanging up the phone would only complicate things. So she pulled it out, pressed the answer button, and slowly brought it to her ear. A hoarse male voice rang out:

'Hello! Yelena...? Where are you? Is everything all right? Nhan told me everything.'

Yelena heard a voice that sounded urgent and worried. A few seconds after listening to that voice, she recognized it as Uncle Kim Tran. She exclaimed:

'Oh, is that you? Phew, I'm working now. And everything is fine. That guy will be caught soon thanks to some information he gave me. I just called the police to make an investigation about him.'

'Oh, thanks, God. That's nice. We will have an unforgettable night together, I think. About Christmas night, Uncle and Nhan cooked some of your favorite dishes at home. Would you like to come here to eat dinner with us? It's been a long time since we sat down to eat and talk to each other.'

'I... I...'- Yelena stammered.

'What's wrong? Or are you still busy dealing with your office business? I beg you, can you put everything aside for now and come to my place? Take it as this old man's request, okay, Yelena?'

'I'm sorry. The truth is I have to work overtime tonight. You know I want to come over to your place, I haven't lied to you once since I was a kid, right? Maybe I have to miss an appointment with you two. I hope to have a wonderful Christmas with you next year. I love you. Enjoy the Christmas. Bye.'

'Yelena…! Wait...!'

She hung up the phone when Mr. Kim Tran hadn't finished speaking. She just realized her tears came out but she didn't know when. She felt so sad, but she had no regrets about it. It was the best she could do. But she also realized something bad is about to happen to her, which forced her to face it. She then took a shower and changed clothes to prepare for her appointment with Linh. While putting on makeup, she looked in the mirror to take a good look at herself, thought about what she was going to do, and patted her cheeks to regain her composure to face what lay ahead of her.

Yelena went out the door when she received a call.

'Have you started to go yet?'- The voice on the other side's signal came out

'I just got out the door.'- Yelena replied.

'Now go to Linh's workplace and follow the plan we discussed.'

'I'm a bit worried. Linh is a person who always has high precautions, not to mention she has a prisoner as a bodyguard, so accessing the switch is extremely difficult, I think. With what you told me, will they work?'

'Unless the things we talked about at the cafe reach Linh's ears, otherwise, I believe we will succeed.'

'Will you come to the meeting place to see me?'

'Of course, we all want to go there, right? Of course, I always hope you won't miss our appointment."

"I won't. You know how much I sacrificed to reach our aim?"

"Maybe a lot of things, I guess. I trust you, brave girl. I will be the angel behind you. You won't be alone this Christmas night.'- A firm affirmation from the person Yelena was calling.

'It's nice to hear that from you, Toan. Then see you at the ancient tomb.'

'Always keep an eye on the rear while driving. That guy will probably still be watching you to make sure you won't be able to make it to the appointment.'

'Got it. Bye!'

The part Yelena pressed the cancel call button slowly. She had a hunch about a frank conversation between her and Linh, most of all she wanted to hear a confession from the person she had considered a friend, a colleague she used to admire very much. Insecurity and fear followed Yelena to the appointment, they caused her to be so distracted that she forgot to hit her gas to drive when the traffic light at the intersection turned green for 5 seconds. She came out of her thoughts when she heard the car's siren behind her and the car's owner's complaint ringing in her ears. She reassured herself that she had to bravely face that fear when she was only 400 meters away from Linh's Archaeological Institute.

As she walked from the parking lot to the entrance of the Institute, Yelena slowly pulled out her phone and was about to text Linh that she had arrived, but with the experience of someone who already knew what kind of person Linh was, Yelena realized that doing this superfluous, and slowly put it in her pocket. At this time, the Institute was empty, the lights were also turned off, forcing Yelena to use a flashlight to light the way. Approaching the office door, Yelena knocked on the door three times. From behind that door, Linh appeared with a warm attitude as always and invited Yelena inside.

'Hi Yelena, you came on time.'

'I always arrive 4-5 minutes early so that I can always be proactive and confident in front of the opponent in all circumstances. That's my rule so far.'

'That's what I like about her. But you don't have to be like that with me. I'm relaxed and not too fussy about being 1 or 2 minutes late. But I don't like people who are too proactive, because I like being on top.'

'So you're the one who likes to impose rules on others, right?' - Yelena asked Linh in a serious voice.

'Look at you, don't be so serious, I'm just saying I like the top door. Being 'grabbed' by others makes me feel uncomfortable. But sometimes some people make you respect, those who are better than you.'

'Really? Indeed, you are a very careful person in your words.'

"The way she talks is very unusual. Shouldn't...?"

Looking at Yelena's pensive face, Linh asked:

'Now we meet each other but not to talk about something stupid like that. I think I need to ask you something. Whom did you go to see today? The one you suspect?'

'No'- Yelena replied- 'Just my colleague.'

"Really?"

''This questionable attitude...as I expected. There's only one thing left to do to be certain of my conjecture.'- Yelena thought.

The part when Yelena looked straight into Linh's eyes, asked:

'Your curiosity scared me a little. Are you questioning me?'

'Oh no, not at all. I don't mean to interrogate you. Well then, let's go. It's late.'- Linh answered.

'Okay, then let's go. Only a few more hours until the new day.'

Yelena deliberately walked in front of Linh when Linh stuffed her left hand in her pocket after both of them had just stepped out of the office door, suddenly Yelena turned her head and grabbed Linh's left hand tightly. Linh was startled and asked:

'Yelena, what are you doing?'

'I have to ask you this question. What are you going to do to me? What's in your pocket...'

Linh immediately pulled Yelena's hand away from her while shouting:

'Take your hand out of me. You hurt me.'

'Did you already know about the coffin and its mysterious artifacts?'

Yelena glanced at her bag. Before she left, she left a tape recorder inside in case Linh told the truth.

'What?'

'How long do you think you can hide? I need to hear the truth from you.'

"What do you mean? I don't understand at all."

'The handwriting on your document file matches the handwriting in the threatening letter sent to my uncle's house. Also, the fact that you know the person next to me at that time was my uncle that made me surprise. After meeting with Toan, I realized it wasn't a coincidence. You're the one who wrote the anonymous letter and sent people to throw stones at my uncle's house and follow.'

Linh began to tense up, so scared that she was caught red-handed and the accuser had enough evidence that she couldn't dispute it. With a faltering voice, she tried to justify:

'That...'

'I just smelled a strange scent around you. If I'm not mistaken, what's hidden in your pocket is...'

Yelena said as she pulled Linh's hand out of her pocket, revealing a cloth that had been impregnated with a strange solution. Linh's face gradually became worse, Yelena smiled happily and continued:

'I knew it. An anesthetic towel. I'm used to this scent. You intended to drug me in the first place to hold me hostage so that Toan would show his face.'

For a moment, Linh suddenly held her head and burst out laughing - a savage laugh. When she was smiling, she suddenly frowned and shed tears. Her legs were still unsteady, and she fell to the floor. Changing her expression unusually made her look like a psychopath. Suddenly she cried out in sobs and said:

"Don't..."

"What's wrong with her? She looks like a psychopath now."- After thinking that, Yelena asked Linh-

"What's wrong? Are you starting to get scared because of my guilt and repentance?"

"Don't make me laugh! Do you think that just a few accusations can scare me and make me kneel to apologize and beg for forgiveness with a penitent look? it's not that I give up so easily. Yes, it was I who planned everything. I want to get rid of the two of you, who will make it difficult for me to achieve my desires. "

'Finally, you admitted her guilt. I am so disappointed in you. 'Are you going to try to steal it from me?"- Yelena asked- 'Like the way you did Toan?"

'Why can't I? To achieve my goal, I am willing to do anything.'

'You're insane. Do you remember what you did to Toan at the ancient tomb? What you did to him made him have to hide and hide, accept losing everything, including his career, relationship, etc. but he still did not accuse your guilt to everyone because of the friendship between the two, he tried to convince himself to forgive her. After all, that's how you did to him to repay him? By doing dirty tricks like eavesdropping on me and Toan? Now I believe what Toan said about you is completely true.'

'Really? That damn guy. He is such a scoundrel, he dares to tell everything about me without my permission. I should've ended my friendship with him a long time ago. After all, you believe what he says more than you believe me. The two of you have such a strong and special bond."

'Despite being friends for a long time, you broke the sacred relationship between the two of you just because you were tempted by frivolous desires and got stuck in the whirlpool of your ambition.'

'He should have obediently handed over the Elemental Card to me. He accepted to help to discover the mystery of that ancient tomb, but in the end, he betrayed me. It was he who made me lose it all. Compared to what I lost, what he went through was nothing. Entering the ancient tomb and getting the Elemental Card is mostly my work, thanks to my sacrifice, and him, what did he do? Even though he couldn't do anything, he still set out to teach the truth and acted nobly to me like a superior. He will be like me, and will use it for his gain on another day "

'No!'- Yelena yelled- 'I think he's different from you. You… you think that thing is more important than your morals, right?'

'Yes, it will change my life. I'll find the other three thanks to it. Then with them, I will trace the whereabouts of that white light and find out, discover what entity it is. That way I will have everything I crave. I can rule the whole world. Hahaha...'

Linh's creepy laughter made Yelena goosebumps, and vomited:

'So you're not going to be the person I used to know, are you? Has your honesty been eaten away by greed?'

'Who'd give me honesty?'- Linh shouted- 'I have never lived peacefully in 25 years. I was always pulled out by others as a joke and became a 'springboard' for those greedy people to achieve fame and money. Whenever something went wrong, people would blame it on me and make me the center of criticism. When I realized I was being suppressed too much, I turned myself into a human like them. I had to be more greedy, cruel, and self-satisfied so that no one could do me any more harm. So it's better to give it to me voluntarily, don't make me show my 'true nature'.

'Your 'true nature'?!'

'Why don't you cooperate with me? With what I knew, I'll tell you what you want to know.'

'As expected, I'm not mistaken about you.'- Yelena covered her mouth and smiled, waving her arms back and forth.

'Huh?'- Linh was surprised by her attitude, not knowing what Yelena meant.

Yelena smiled and then pulled out something from her pocket: the Elemental Card