Vincent's team was staying at the hotel.
Beulah couldn't stay alone, so Amanda remained in the room with her.
Meanwhile, Rebecca knocked on the door of Vincent's room.
Once…
Twice…
Three times…
Only after the fifth knock did Vincent open the door.
"What is it, Rebecca?"
"I'm really sorry, Vincent. I read a few books about the Mayans, but none of them felt convincing. I thought I should ask you directly, so I had to disturb you."
Vincent smiled faintly.
"It's alright. That's how it should be. Come in."
He took two books from the top shelf of his cupboard and another one from the lower shelf.
The table was neatly filled with research reports written by scholars about the Mayans.
Rebecca took the books from him and sat on the nearby chair.
Since she didn't disturb him, Vincent quietly returned to his research.
In the next room
"What book are you reading, Amanda?" Beulah asked.
"Did Vincent give it to you?"
"Yes. I borrowed it from him."
"How many times should I tell you? Don't call me 'ma'am.' I'm your friend, just like Rebecca. Talk freely."
"Alright, Beulah."
"Good. Come, let's read together."
"Shall we start from the beginning?"
"No, no. Start from where you stopped."
Amanda turned to page eleven of The Final Pages of the Mayans.
Through the pages of history
Around 50 BCE, the city of Cerros was first established by the Mayans.
Temples and halls surrounded the city, and it later became a significant center of their civilization.
By 100 BCE, another city called Teotihuacan emerged, formed naturally by the people.
Until this point, the Mayans had no kings.
Only around 300 BCE did they establish a structured system of rule—
Kings, nobles, and priests.
Even then, the Mayans did not live under a single ruler.
They split into small groups, each with their own laws, rituals, and culture.
One group had no concern for the fate of another.
This began to change during the Classic Period of Mayan civilization.
Kings were no longer called kings.
They were known as leaders.
Later, conflicts arose again, and the Mayan land was divided into four independent regions—
Tikal, Calakmul, Caracol, and Dos Pilas.
Cheran belonged to Caracol.
The Mayan power structure slowly shifted.
Due to extreme devotion, priests gained more authority than kings and nobles.
Faith became the foundation of power.
Rituals were performed to communicate directly with the gods.
Calendrical records were created based on the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Venus.
Around 700 BCE, hieroglyphic writing was developed—
Not meant to be read like normal text, but expressed through symbolic illustrations.
The same story, elsewhere
At the same time,
Cheran was seated at his home, surrounded by children.
He gave them cups of cocoa and narrated these very histories as stories, turning knowledge into legend.
Back at the hotel
Beulah could read no further.
"Close the book, Amanda.
We'll continue tomorrow."
Outside, the sound of taxis filled the night.
Tourists from all over the world had arrived in Mexico to witness the phenomenon of March 21.
In Chichén Itzá, the Mayans had built a pyramid centuries ago.
On March 21 and September 23,
the shadow on the pyramid appears like a feathered serpent descending.
The locals believed that on these days,
their god Kukulkan descended to Earth.
But Vincent had not told anyone that he planned to see this phenomenon.
That night
Everyone slept.
Everyone except Vincent.
According to his calculations,
the place he needed to go was not the pyramid.
It was a cave.
Because Vincent had not come to Mexico to uncover Mayan history.
His true objective was the origin of the Mayan Calendar itself.