The desert wind howled fiercely, driving sand against the tents of the camp. Richard, sitting at his small table inside the tent, reviewed the notes he had taken during the day. The tablet he had found remained an enigma, and although the system had granted him skills like "Inscription Analysis" and "Echo Vision," he still didn't fully understand how to use them.
Outside, the wind intensified, soon becoming a deafening roar. Richard left the tent to see what was happening. A sandstorm had broken out, covering the camp in a cloud of dust and darkness. The archaeologists were running to secure the tents and protect the equipment, while Marcus shouted orders to keep everything under control.
Richard covered his face with a bandana and tried to help, but something caught his attention. In the midst of the storm, a section of the ruins began to clear, as if the sand was being pulled away by an invisible force. Under the dim light of dusk, the entrance of an ancient temple emerged, with carved columns and symbols that seemed to glow faintly.
"Marcus!" Richard shouted, pointing toward the ruins. "Look at that!"
Marcus turned, and his face changed from surprise to amazement.
"This... this wasn't here before," he muttered, approaching cautiously.
As the storm began to subside, Richard and Marcus approached the temple. The entrance was partially blocked by debris, but the symbols carved into the columns were unmistakable: the same spiral surrounded by eyes that Richard had seen on the tablet and in his vision.
Suddenly, a movement in Richard's peripheral vision made him stop. He turned his head quickly, but there was nothing.
"Did you see that?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"See what?" Marcus replied, looking around.
Before Richard could respond, a hooded figure briefly appeared among the shadows of the ruins. It was identical to the figures he had seen in his vision. Richard stepped back, his heart beating hard.
"There!" he exclaimed, pointing toward the ruins.
Marcus looked, but the figure had already disappeared.
"Richard, I think you need to rest. This place can play with your mind."
But Richard knew what he had seen. And he wasn't alone. Other archaeological workers began to murmur about shadows moving among the ruins, and some even claimed to have heard whispers in an unknown language.
With the storm finally dissipated, Marcus organized a small team to explore the temple. Richard insisted on joining, and although Marcus hesitated at first, he finally agreed.
The entrance to the temple led to a dark corridor, with walls covered in inscriptions and reliefs that seemed to tell a story. Richard activated the system's "Inscription Analysis" skill, and to his surprise, the symbols began to glow faintly, as if responding to his presence.
[**Skill activated: Inscription Analysis**]
[**Mana: -2**]
The system translated the symbols in real time, projecting the words before his eyes:
*"Here lies the knowledge of Ur-Kigal, the bridge between worlds. Only the worthy may walk between shadow and light."*
Richard felt a chill. This wasn't just a temple; it was a place of transition, a connection point between the world of the living and something beyond.
At the end of the corridor, the group reached a large chamber with an altar in the center. The altar was made of black stone, with inscriptions that glowed dimly under the light of the flashlights. Richard felt a strange attraction to it, as if something was calling him.
When he approached, the amulet that Emily had given him began to vibrate softly in his pocket. Richard took it out, surprised, and noticed it glowed with a faint light, similar to that of the inscriptions on the altar.
"What's that?" Marcus asked, looking at the amulet with curiosity.
"It's... a gift from a friend," Richard replied, still trying to understand what was happening.
When he placed the amulet on the altar, a wave of energy swept through the room. The inscriptions on the walls began to glow more intensely, and Richard had another vision:
[**Skill activated: Echo Vision**]
[**Mana: -3**]
A group of hooded figures surrounded the altar, performing a ritual. In the center, an object similar to the amulet floated, emitting a bright light. The figures murmured words in an ancient language, and Richard could understand some thanks to the system:
*"The bond must remain hidden. The lineage must protect the secret."*
When the vision ended, Richard fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"What did you see?" Marcus asked, helping him to stand.
"I don't know... but I think this place is connected to something much bigger than we imagined."
Richard then realized that he was standing in the "Guardian's Chamber" that the system had ordered him to find in yesterday's mission. It wasn't just another archaeological discovery, but the specific place he needed to advance in his understanding of the mystery.
Marcus carefully observed Richard's reactions, his academic gaze mixed with growing suspicion and curiosity.
"You've been acting... different since you arrived at the site," he commented in a measured tone. "As if you knew things you shouldn't know."
Richard avoided his gaze, focusing on examining the nearby inscriptions.
"I'm just connecting dots," he responded evasively. "My research on these symbols began months ago."
"Nobody connects dots that quickly," Marcus insisted. "Not even the best linguists on the team have been able to decipher these symbols, and you seem to read them almost instinctively."
Before Richard could elaborate a more convincing excuse, one of the excavation assistants interrupted them, urgently calling Marcus to consult about a finding in another sector. With a final suspicious look at Richard, Marcus walked away, promising to return soon.
Now alone, Richard allowed himself to examine the chamber more freely. The altar seemed to be the focal point of the space, but there was something else. On the opposite wall, barely visible under layers of millennial dust, was what appeared to be a door sealed with symbols similar to those on Emily's amulet.
Richard placed his hand on the symbols, and they began to glow softly under his touch. The amulet in his other hand responded with a pulse of energy.
[**Mission completed: Locate the Guardian's Chamber**]
[**Reward: Symbol Comprehension Level 1 unlocked**]
[**New skill available: Basic Arcane Reading**]
Suddenly, the symbols on the door began to rearrange themselves under his gaze, forming words he could now understand:
*"Whoever possesses the ancestral lineage will be able to open the path to true knowledge. Only those who understand the flow of mana can become guardians of the bridge."*
"Mana?" Richard whispered, remembering the word that had appeared in the system messages.
As if answering his question, he felt a strange sensation inside, as if something was flowing through his body. It was a subtle but powerful energy that seemed to connect him with the ancient symbols.
Richard spent the next few hours meticulously documenting every inscription in the chamber, making sure to photograph and transcribe everything he could. Marcus's team came and went, conducting their own measurements and analyses, but no one seemed to notice the special connection Richard had established with the place.
As night fell, when the team decided to return to the camp to analyze the findings, Richard felt a strange reluctance to leave the chamber. It was as if the place was calling him, insisting that much remained to be discovered.
---
That night, while reviewing his notes in the tent, the system activated again. This time, in addition to the skills, a new section appeared:
[**Status: Apprentice**]
[**Mana: 2/10**]
[**Active Skills:**]
[**- Inscription Analysis (Cost: 2 mana)**]
[**- Echo Vision (Cost: 3 mana)**]
[**- Basic Arcane Reading (Cost: 1 mana)**]
Richard frowned. Now he understood better: mana was a kind of energy that allowed him to use the skills granted by the system. Each use consumed a specific amount, and apparently his current capacity was limited, just 10 units in total.
He tried to remember how the skills had felt when activated. Inscription Analysis had allowed him to understand texts incomprehensible to others. Echo Vision had shown him scenes from the past linked to specific places. And this new skill? Arcane Reading seemed to allow him not only to understand but also interact with certain power symbols.
While reflecting on these new capabilities, he noticed that his phone had several notifications. Emily had sent several messages:
**Emily:** *How's everything going? Have you found anything interesting?*
**Emily:** *Has the amulet been useful to you? It belonged to my grandmother. She never explained exactly why it was important, just said that someday it might help someone "remember the forgotten."*
**Emily:** *Richard, I know you're busy, but please respond when you can. I'm... worried.*
The last line caused a pang of guilt. Richard wondered how much Emily really knew. The amulet was clearly not a simple object of superstitious protection; it had properties that resonated with the ancient artifacts and the system itself. Was Emily aware of this? Had her grandmother been connected somehow to the mystery of Ur-Kigal?
He decided to respond cautiously:
**Richard:** *Everything's fine. The site is fascinating. We found a temple today, or something like it. And yes, the amulet... has proven interesting. I'll tell you more when I return.*
Just as he sent the message, another appeared on his screen, but not from Emily:
[**New mission available**]
[**Objective: Open the sealed door in the Guardian's Chamber**]
[**Time limit: 48 hours**]
[**Reward: Mana Expansion (+5 maximum capacity)**]
The system seemed to be guiding him step by step toward something. Each completed mission not only granted him new skills but also a greater understanding of the mystery surrounding him. But Richard couldn't help wondering who or what was really behind these "missions." Was the system itself a conscious entity? Or was he being manipulated by some external force?
While contemplating these possibilities, he felt Emily's amulet vibrating slightly on the table. He took it in his hand and noticed it seemed warmer than normal, as if responding to his thoughts.
The system appeared more complex than he had imagined, and each answer only brought more questions. What would happen if mana reached zero? Would the system deactivate? And what was behind the sealed door in the chamber?
As he looked at the screen, he couldn't help feeling that his view of the world was changing. Everything he had believed about history, logic, and reality itself was crumbling, replaced by something he was only beginning to understand.
Outside, the desert wind howled again, as if the past itself was trying to speak to him, whispering secrets that had remained hidden for millennia.