Richard woke up with a strange sensation, as if something was watching him. Sunlight filtered through the curtains of his apartment, but it couldn't dispel the uneasiness that had accompanied him throughout the night. He had dreamed of shadows, whispers, and an endless desert, but the details were vanishing from his mind like sand between fingers.
Three days had passed since his conversation with Professor Harrington, and the frustration of his fruitless search was beginning to weigh on him.
He got up heavily, turned on his computer, and while waiting for it to load, prepared a cup of coffee. The aroma of coffee filled the small apartment, but failed to calm him. His mind remained trapped in the echo of that name: "Ur-Kigal."
When he returned to the desk, the message was there again, floating on the screen as if it were part of the operating system:
[**New mission available**]
[**Objective: Find information about the Book of Ur-Kigal**]
[**Time remaining: 72 hours**]
[**Reward: Access to the First Level of the System**]
Richard felt a knot in his stomach. A countdown? This was new. The message had evolved, adding an element of urgency that wasn't there before. This was no longer just an archaeological mystery; now it seemed like a macabre game in which he was trapped without understanding the rules.
"What the hell does this mean?" he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
The message seemed to mock him with its immutability. He tried to close it, interact with it, but nothing worked. It was as if the system knew he had no choice but to obey.
He decided he couldn't waste any more time. He checked his phone and saw a message from the professor that had arrived during the night:
*"I spoke with my colleague, Dr. Marcus Henshaw. He's willing to talk to you. Here's his contact. Good luck."*
At last, after days of waiting, a concrete lead. Richard didn't waste a second. He dialed the number and, after a few rings, a deep, measured voice answered.
"Richard Wonder? This is Marcus Henshaw. The professor told me about you."
Marcus's voice had an authoritative tone, but also an underlying curiosity, as if he were assessing Richard from the first moment.
"Yes, thank you for taking my call, doctor. I'm very interested in the texts my professor mentioned, especially the 'Book of Ur-Kigal.'"
There was a brief silence before Marcus responded.
"It's curious that you mention that name. It's not something that appears explicitly in the texts, but some symbols and patterns seem to allude to a 'Kingdom of Kigal.' It's a term that doesn't fit into any known chronology."
Richard felt his heart racing.
"Could you send me more information?"
"I will, but I must warn you about something. These texts... they have something strange about them. Some of my colleagues have reported disturbing dreams after studying them. And the site where they were found has been the scene of... unusual events."
"What kind of events?" Richard asked, with a shiver running down his spine.
"Accidents, disappearances. Nothing that can be easily explained. But if you're willing to investigate, I'm organizing an expedition to the site. You could join."
The idea of going to the site both excited and terrified him at the same time. Richard hesitated for a moment, but knew he couldn't pass up that opportunity.
"I accept."
Marcus paused before responding, as if measuring Richard's determination.
"Good. I'll send you the details soon. Prepare yourself, it won't be an easy journey."
While waiting for the expedition details, Richard decided to return to the university library for the second time. Although his previous search had been fruitless, he now had new information that might lead him down a different path. There was something that troubled him: the feeling that he was missing something important.
The library was quiet, with only a few students scattered among the tables. The sound of turning pages and the slight hum of the lamps created an almost hypnotic atmosphere. Richard headed to the ancient history section and began reviewing the shelves.
After a while, he found a dust-covered book in a forgotten corner. The title was barely legible: *"Myths and Lost Kingdoms of Mesopotamia."*
He sat at a nearby table and began leafing through it. The pages were yellowed, with margin notes written in tight calligraphy. In one of the chapters, he found a vague reference to a "Kingdom of Kigal," described as a place between the world of the living and the dead. According to the text, it was a domain ruled by an unknown entity, mentioned only as "The Guardian."
The text spoke of a bridge between worlds, a place where wandering souls could become trapped. Richard felt a chill. Could "Ur-Kigal" be a reference to this kingdom?
While studying the book, something strange happened. The library lights flickered, and for a moment, Richard felt the air around him become heavier. He closed his eyes, and suddenly, had a vision: a desert landscape with ancient ruins.
The sky was an intense red, and the wind carried a dark dust that seemed to whisper incomprehensible words. In the center of the ruins, a hooded figure watched him. Although he couldn't see its face, Richard felt it calling him by name.
The vision disappeared as quickly as it had come. Richard opened his eyes, gasping, and looked around. No one seemed to have noticed anything.
"What's happening to me?" he whispered, with trembling hands.
That night, Richard decided he couldn't continue facing this alone. He had already spent several days trying to process everything he was experiencing, and the line between skepticism and disbelief was beginning to blur. He met with his friends again at the café and, after hesitating for a moment, told them part of what was happening.
"A lost book? Strange symbols?" asked Jake, with an incredulous smile. "Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie."
"Jake, this is serious," Emily intervened, with a frown. "Richard wouldn't make something like this up."
"And what do you plan to do?" asked Elliot, intrigued. "Keep investigating?"
"I'm going to join an expedition to the site where the texts were found," Richard replied.
Emily looked at him with concern.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? It sounds dangerous."
"I don't have any other choice. I need answers."
Elliot nodded slowly.
"If you need help with anything, like searching for information in more advanced databases, let me know."
Richard appreciated his friends' support, though he knew he couldn't tell them everything. The system, the visions... these were things he still couldn't explain or understand.
That night, while reviewing his notes, the system activated again. This time, it presented him with a puzzle:
[**Solve the following symbol: What does the spiral surrounded by eyes represent?**]
After days of refusing to accept the reality of what he was experiencing, Richard finally began to assume that this wasn't a product of his imagination or a brain injury. It was something real, something he would have to interact with.
He spent hours trying to decipher it, reviewing books and notes. Finally, he remembered something from the book he had found in the library: the spiral was a symbol of transition, a bridge between two worlds.
When he entered the answer, the system responded:
[**Correct. Reward unlocked: Fragment of knowledge.**]
Suddenly, Richard had another vision, but this time clearer. He saw a man writing on a clay tablet, surrounded by shadows that whispered incomprehensible words. The man seemed terrified, but continued writing.
When the vision ended, Richard collapsed into his chair, exhausted. He knew he was closer to the truth, but also that the path he had chosen would become increasingly dangerous.
The system clock kept ticking.
Time remaining: 48 hours.