Guerrero was still trapped in fear.
He was the last one forced to kneel.
Watching every man beside him being slaughtered, his blood felt frozen in his veins.
When cheran finally cut their ropes, none of them could believe they were alive.
They had escaped the Kokóm Mayans—
only to fall into the hands of the Caracol Mayans.
Out of the fire… and into the smoke.
At last, David spotted Beulah's brown dress in the crowd.
He walked straight toward them and asked Rebecca,
"Why are you guys so late?"
"Sorry, David," Rebecca said.
"It was extremely crowded. We got delayed moving around."
David didn't ask anything more.
All four of them reached the pyramid.
Only ten minutes remained for the shadow of the Feathered Serpent to fall perfectly upon the ground.
Excited, Amanda rushed forward.
Beulah and Rebecca followed her, trying not to lose sight of her.
Irritated, David stepped away from the crowd and sat inside the car.
Meanwhile…
Cheran and his group were returning to their territory using a hidden shortcut through the Kokóm lands.
On the way, a few Kokóm warriors stood blocking the path.
At that moment, Sharan noticed a herd of elephants approaching.
Without hesitation, he pushed both his men and Guerrero's group straight into the moving herd.
Carefully avoiding the female elephants and calves, cheran guided them through.
Once they reached their territory, cheran instructed his uncle to ask the king what should be done with the remaining three men.
Without wasting another moment, he mounted a nearby horse and rode off.
Like his grandfather, cheran was considered deeply trustworthy by the king.
All security responsibilities were entrusted to him.
In his time, cheran's grandfather had been immensely devoted to the Mayan king named Chisén.
Out of that devotion, he had changed his own name to cheran.
In his memory, cheran's parents named their son the same.
Carrying precious gemstones, cheran rode to meet Pachamma.
A message of mourning had reached him.
As soon as he entered her house, Pachamma broke down and hugged him tightly.
Her mother had passed away the previous night.
The news had reached cheran too late.
To help Pachamma's mother's soul find peace, various food offerings made from corn were prepared.
This ritual was rooted in Mayan belief.
Itzamná, the creator god, first tried to create humans from clay.
But within hours, the clay men collapsed.
That attempt failed.
Next, Itzamná tried creating humans from wood.
Though successful, the wooden humans had severe flaws.
They couldn't speak.
They couldn't walk properly.
They couldn't think.
They were lifeless—just like the wood they came from.
Disgusted, Itzamná destroyed them.
Then came a final idea.
By mixing corn and water, he created humans.
Thus, according to the Mayans, mankind was born.
That is why corn became sacred—inseparable from life itself.
All the funeral rituals were completed.
Cheran stepped forward and gently placed corn into the mouth of the body.
He then placed the gemstones he had brought for his mother-in-law's journey in the afterlife upon her lifeless chest.
Taking a whistle shaped like Kukulkan, the Serpent God, he placed it beside her.
"Carry my mother-in-law's soul safely to the upper world, Kukulkan,"
he prayed.
Her body was laid into the grave along with finely crafted pottery, masks, and ornaments.
Cheran sprinkled red mineral powder throughout the tomb—for her joyful rebirth.
Thus, a son-in-law fulfilled his final duty.
That night…
David sat alone in his room, overwhelmed with frustration.
Fifteen years as an archaeologist…
And I still haven't achieved anything worth talking about.
Dinosaur nests, Egyptian pyramids—I've researched them all.
And now… instead of trying something new, I'm repeating my old Mayan research from 2012… all because of Beulah.
And she doesn't even seem to accept me.
I hate everything.
I need to leave this place soon.
You need at least a month or two of rest,
then you can decide what to do next…
Lost in thought, a throbbing headache overtook him.
Unable to bear it, David held his forehead and lay down.