The desert wind howled fiercely, dragging sand against the camp's tents. Richard, sitting at his small desk inside the tent, was reviewing the notes he had taken during the day. The tablet he had found remained an enigma, and although the system had granted him abilities like "Inscription Analysis" and "Echo Vision," he still didn't fully understand how to use them.
Outside, the wind intensified and soon turned into a deafening roar. Richard stepped out of the tent to see what was happening. A sandstorm had erupted, 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 scarf and tried to help, but something caught his attention. In the middle of the storm, a section of the ruins began to clear, as if the sand was being swept away by an invisible force. Under the dim light of the sunset, the entrance to an ancient temple emerged, with carved columns and symbols that seemed to faintly glow.
"Marcus!" Richard shouted, pointing toward the ruins. "Look at that!"
Marcus turned, and his face shifted from surprise to astonishment.
"This… this wasn't here before," he murmured, cautiously approaching.
As the storm began to subside, Richard and Marcus moved closer to 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 the corner of Richard's eye made him stop. He quickly turned his head, but there was nothing there.
"Did you see that?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"See what?" Marcus replied, looking around.
Before Richard could answer, 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 pounding.
"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 tricks on your mind."
But Richard knew what he had seen. And he wasn't alone. Other archaeological workers began murmuring 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 eventually agreed.
The temple's entrance led to a dark hallway, with walls covered in inscriptions and reliefs that seemed to tell a story. Richard activated the system's "Inscription Analysis" ability, and to his surprise, the symbols began to faintly glow, as if responding to his presence.
[Ability activated: Inscription Analysis]
The system translated the symbols in real time, projecting the words in front of his eyes:
*"Here lies the knowledge of Ur-Kigal, the bridge between worlds. Only the worthy may walk between shadows and light."*
Richard felt a chill. This wasn't just a temple; it was a place of transition, a point of connection between the world of the living and something beyond.
At the end of the hallway, the group reached a large chamber with an altar at its center. The altar was made of black stone, with inscriptions that glowed faintly under the light of their lanterns. Richard felt a strange pull toward it, as if something was calling him.
As he approached, the pendant Emily had given him began to vibrate softly in his pocket. Richard took it out, surprised, and noticed it was glowing with a faint light, similar to the inscriptions on the altar.
"What's that?" Marcus asked, looking at the pendant curiously.
"It's… a gift from a friend," Richard replied, still trying to understand what was happening.
When he placed the pendant on the altar, a wave of energy rippled through the room. The inscriptions on the walls began to glow more intensely, and Richard had another vision:
A group of hooded figures surrounded the altar, performing a ritual. At the center, an object similar to the pendant floated, emitting a bright light. The figures murmured words in an ancient language, and Richard was able to understand some of them 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 up.
"I don't know… but I think this place is connected to something much bigger than we imagined."
That night, while reviewing his notes in the tent, the system activated again. This time, in addition to the abilities, a new section appeared:
[Status: Apprentice]
[Mana: 2/10]
Richard frowned. Mana? What did that mean? He remembered how he had used the system's abilities during the day: "Inscription Analysis" and "Echo Vision." Could it be that each use consumed this energy?
The system seemed more complex than he had imagined, and every answer only brought more questions. What would happen if the mana reached zero? Would the system deactivate?
As he stared at the screen, he couldn't help but feel 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 comprehend.
Outside, the desert wind howled again, as if the past itself was trying to speak to him.
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