Trifariam, The Lost Codex (2012) Read Online Free PDF

firelight. James carefully studied his treasure, and it reminded him of the kind of keys used in the ancient past.
    Upon closer inspection, he could make out some letters engraved on the handle. The word was in Latin and read: “ECLIPSIS”. He wasn’t a Latin expert, but he knew it meant “eclipse”, although he didn’t have a clue as to what it could be referring to.
    He calmly yet quickly made his way over to the ottoman. In his head, he tried to guess what could be lying inside: a painting, a statue… he had no idea. Upon inserting the key into the lock it turned perfectly. There was a click and the uppermost part, about an inch thick, opened like a box.
    James could never have imagined the surprise that lay in store for him inside this chest.
    There were eight solid steel balls of different sizes, each connected to a wire cable running through their centers. These eight globes in turn formed concentric circles around a larger copper ball. It seemed to be a clear model of our solar system, with the eight planets which had been discovered at that time orbiting the sun. It was a sublime, excellent piece - there were even some smaller balls which represented the different moons of various planets, the existence of which has been known about for hundreds of years. They were all there, except for one. After a second, James realized that the ball which represented the Earth’s moon was missing, and in its place was a small fissure.
    The key bears the inscription “eclipse”, he remembered as he stroked the five-day stubble on his chin. “Eclipse” is the magic word but… I don’t see how it fits. Think James, think.
    After half an hour trying to decipher the mystery, he gave in. He thought it was more feasible to smash the chest into a thousand pieces and see what was inside, but he soon abandoned the idea. That chest was obviously a relic and an ill-judged blow could ruin what had been kept inside for so many years.
    He lowered the lid of the chest and was just about to lock it with the key when his eyes widened more than ever before. The key had a round ball at one end, which at first glance appeared to be a small grip with which to turn it. He quickly picked it up and noticed that the sphere was not part of the key, but was instead screwed on to the top. He unscrewed it very carefully. His hands began to shake, even more so when he saw that it screwed perfectly into the empty hole in the chest where the Earth’s moon should have been. As he was doing this, a couple of beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped onto Saturn. With the last turn of his wrist, the ball moved into place and a smooth click echoed in James’ head.
    “That’s it! I’ve done it!” he murmured in a low voice as his face betrayed a hint of satisfaction.
    Despite his sense of accomplishment, though, nothing extraordinary happened and everything was just the same as before. Furious, he began to shake the chest angrily. He was frustrated and did not understand how this could get the better of him.
    Think James, he said to himself over and over. The key, the old chest, the inscription, eclipse…, ECLIPSE… Got it!
    He slowly studied the model of the solar system, and a cunning smile tugged at his lips. The Moon wasn’t in the right place to form an eclipse with the Earth and the Sun, so he slowly moved it, turning it towards the Earth and placing it in between the two. The hinges creaked - an encouraging sign that movement was indeed possible. At last it clicked into place and, just at that moment, a secret compartment opened in one of the sides of the chest, dropping onto the floor an object wrapped in a dusty, dark cloth. James’ astonishment was growing by the second, especially when he unwrapped it and saw that it was an old book.

Chapter 4

    I n an isolated area of the forest, crouching on the ground amongst the dense vegetation, two men in military attire were observing every movement inside the house. They were