The nocturnal desert was an ocean of silence, interrupted only by the occasional whisper of wind between the dunes. Richard remained hidden in the small cave he had found after his frantic flight from the Society of the Veil's facility. His breathing, now more measured, created small clouds of vapor in the cold desert air.
About two hours had passed since he abandoned the stolen motorcycle and continued on foot, venturing into a maze of rock formations to evade his pursuers. The adrenaline from his escape using the "Wind Steps" had given way to total exhaustion, both physical and energetic.
[**Status: Recovery**]
[**Mana: 1/13 (slow regeneration)**]
[**Warning: Prolonged exposure to low temperatures may affect mana regeneration**]
Richard observed the system message with frustration. He needed to recover his strength quickly, but the cold of the desert night wasn't helping. Emily's message still glowed on his phone screen:
**Emily:** *Stay hidden. I'm on my way with Jake and Elliot. My grandmother wasn't just "superstitious" as I led you to believe. She was a Guardian. And I think you are one too.*
"A Guardian," he muttered to himself, remembering Nathaniel Reed's words about the guardians of the bridge between worlds. How did Emily fit into all this? And how would they find him in this endless desert?
The chest he had recovered from the temple rested beside him, occasionally vibrating as if responding to unspoken thoughts. Richard had tried to open it without success, recalling the system message indicating he needed to reach Level 2 to access its secrets.
"Too many questions and too few answers," he sighed, leaning back against the cold cave wall.
He decided to try meditating to recover some mana more quickly. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, visualizing the flow of energy as he had learned. Emily's amulet, still hanging around his neck, emitted a faint glow that provided some warmth in the freezing darkness.
[**Meditation initiated**]
[**Accelerated mana regeneration: +1/hour**]
[**Current mana: 2/13**]
The silence of the cave was suddenly interrupted by the sound of pebbles falling at the entrance. Richard's eyes snapped open, interrupting his meditation. Someone or something was approaching.
With cautious movements, he concealed the chest in his backpack and slid into the deeper shadows of the cave. He didn't have enough mana to activate the Wind Steps again, and his body was still recovering from the superhuman effort. If they were agents of the Society of the Veil, he was at a clear disadvantage.
A silhouette appeared at the cave entrance, blocking the faint starlight. Richard held his breath. The figure wore a dark cloak that gently waved in the night breeze, as if made of solidified shadows. Their face remained hidden under a hood, but Richard could sense an intense gaze studying the cave interior.
"I know you're there," said the figure, with a voice that sounded strangely familiar yet impossible to identify with certainty. "You don't need to hide. I'm not your enemy."
"That's exactly what an enemy would say," Richard responded without moving from his hiding place.
A soft laugh echoed in the cave.
"True. But it's also what someone who just prevented the Society of the Veil from capturing you again would say. They're less than three kilometers from here, tracking your footprints with dogs and thermal drones."
Richard felt the amulet vibrating against his chest, but not in an alarming way. It was more like an acknowledgment, a silent greeting.
"Who are you?" he finally asked, still not revealing his position.
"Someone who has been watching you since before you found the Sumerian tablet," replied the figure, taking a step into the cave. "Someone who also carries the lineage."
The mention of lineage made Richard pay more attention. It was the same term that had appeared in the temple inscriptions and in his visions.
"If you know so much, tell me something only I would know," Richard challenged.
"The system gave you your first mission in the hospital, after the accident. 'You have acquired the Ancient Magic System.' Exact words, aren't they?"
Richard remained motionless, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the desert cold. Nobody could know that. Nobody.
"How...?"
"Because I went through the same thing," interrupted the figure. "Longer ago than you could imagine."
With a slow movement, the figure lowered their hood, revealing a face partially covered by a mask that showed only eyes that seemed to change color under the starlight.
"I can't show you my true identity yet. It's... complicated. But I can help you escape from here before the Society of the Veil finds you."
The distant sound of vehicles and barking dogs seemed to give weight to their words.
Richard quickly evaluated his options. On one hand, he had no reason to trust this stranger. On the other, his intuition and the behavior of the amulet suggested that this person was somehow connected to the mystery he was unraveling.
"How do I know you won't take me directly to them?"
"You don't," the figure answered honestly. "But considering you're already cornered, do you really have another option?"
Richard knew they were right. With his mana almost depleted and in unfamiliar terrain, his chances of escape were minimal.
"Fine," he finally agreed, emerging from the shadows. "But if you try anything..."
"I know, I know," the figure raised their hands in a conciliatory gesture. "You'll make me regret it."
As he approached the figure, Richard noticed they wore something around their neck, partially hidden by the cloak: an amulet similar to Emily's, but with variations in the engraved symbols.
The figure extended a gloved hand toward him.
"I need you to give me the chest," they said with a firm but non-threatening tone. "Just temporarily. There's something I must verify."
Richard hesitated, instinctively pressing the backpack against his chest.
"Why should I...?"
"Because you won't be able to open it without my help," interrupted the figure. "And because if the Society of the Veil obtains it, the consequences would be... catastrophic."
Reluctantly, Richard extracted the chest from his backpack. The figure took it with reverence, holding it at eye level. The symbols engraved on its surface seemed to react to their presence, glowing faintly.
"As I suspected," they murmured. "It's synchronized with you. Your blood has already been recognized, but the seal remains partially intact."
The figure took something from the folds of their cloak: a small circular object that made Richard hold his breath. It was the disk with the spiral surrounded by eyes that he had briefly seen in the Society of the Veil's laboratory.
"How did you get that?"
"I recovered it before they could fully analyze it," answered the figure, placing the disk next to the chest. "It's yours by right. A part of the legacy you must claim."
The noise of vehicles intensified. The Society of the Veil was getting closer.
"There's no time for explanations now," urged the figure, returning the chest to Richard and also giving him the disk. "We must move."
"I can't," confessed Richard. "My mana is almost depleted and I can barely stand."
The figure nodded, as if they had expected this answer.
"I know. The first time you use Wind Steps is always... intense."
Without warning, the figure knelt beside him and placed a gloved hand on his forehead. Richard felt a weak current of energy flowing into him, enough to keep him conscious but not to fully recover his strength.
"This will help you temporarily," said the figure. "But you're still not in condition to flee on your own."
Richard tried to stand up, but his legs gave way under his weight. The figure caught him before he fell.
"The lineage is stronger in you than I expected," murmured the figure, almost to themselves. "But you're not ready yet. Not completely."
The dogs' barking was now dangerously close. The figure looked toward the cave entrance and then back at Richard.
"Your friends will come to your aid. The guardian will guide them," they said urgently. "The Society of the Veil is not your only enemy, Richard Wonder. There are more ancient and dangerous forces awake now. And you've caught their attention."
The figure placed the disk, the chest, and the amulet forming a perfect triangle on Richard's chest. The three objects pulsed with a faint light, momentarily synchronizing.
The system projected a faint message:
[**Ancient objects configuration recognized**]
[**Harmonization initiated**]
[**Accelerated mana regeneration**]
"Who... are you?" asked Richard, feeling how new energy slowly began to flow inside him.
The figure tilted their head slightly.
"Someone who has been watching you since before you found the Sumerian tablet," they replied. "Someone who also carries the lineage."
The lights of flashlights reflected on the cave walls. The figure looked alarmed toward the entrance.
"They're coming. I must take you to a safe place until your friends find you."
Without saying more, the mysterious person picked up Richard and disappeared into the night, leaving only the echo of the wind as witness to what had occurred.
---
Richard woke up hours later, alone, in a different and deeper cave. This one had ancient inscriptions on the walls that glowed faintly with their own light, symbols that he could now partially recognize thanks to his skills.
The chest, the amulet, and the disk were carefully placed next to him, forming the same perfect triangle. The system informed him:
[**Mana: 8/13**]
[**Estimated complete regeneration: 3 hours**]
[**New object acquired: Harmonization Disk**]
Next to the artifacts, he found a note written on ancient paper with changing ink:
*"The Guardians of the Veil are not all your enemies. Some seek to protect, not contain. Emily knows more than she appears to. Her grandmother was one of us. The message you received from her is true—she's coming with your friends. Trust her, but be cautious about who else you share your secrets with. The truth of the Book of Ur-Kigal is more dangerous than you imagine."*
His phone vibrated with a notification. A new message from Emily:
**Emily:** *We've located you. The amulet guides us. Jake, Elliot, and I are a few hours away. Are you safe? The Veil agents are still in the area, but they seem disoriented.*
Richard looked at the three artifacts, then at the glowing inscriptions on the walls, and finally at Emily's message. The puzzle was beginning to take shape, although crucial pieces were still missing.
The system projected a final message:
[**New mission available**]
[**Objective: Discover the truth about your lineage and the Book of Ur-Kigal**]
[**Reward: Advancement to Level 2**]
[**Warning: The Society of the Veil is not the only group searching for you now**]
Richard leaned against the cave wall, contemplating everything that had happened since that first message in the hospital. His life as a simple archaeology student had definitely ended.
He sent a response to Emily:
**Richard:** *I'm safe, for now. Someone helped me escape. I have many questions, Emily. About your grandmother. About the Guardians. About all of this.*
The response came quickly:
**Emily:** *I'll answer them all when we arrive. Rest in the meantime. My family's history is about to become yours as well.*
Richard contemplated these last words, feeling they contained a deeper meaning than he could understand at that moment. He closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment of calm in the midst of the approaching storm.
The desert wind howled outside the cave, like an ancient guardian keeping watch until the arrival of dawn.