Kael realized one thing:the entire surfaces of the hall were covered with bas-reliefs,symbols,sculptures,and engravings.Some told short scenes,others simple phrases,or entire stories.There was everything.
— Adam, don't you notice a repetitive pattern in the way these frescoes are organized?Kael asked, visibly worried,a drop of sweat running down his temple.
— Huh? What do you mean? Explain a bit, because right now, I have no idea where you're going with this,Adam replied, a little lost.
— Let's step back a bit, you'll understand better,Kael said, turning away,his tone calmer but still tense.
— Yeah… I hope this isn't just another excuse for me to slack off, huh?Adam shot back, a little offended.
From above, the hall formed a cross.Kael returned to the entrance they had come from,then pointed to the first fresco.
— Adam. Tell me what you see here.
— Uh… a fresco?he answered hesitantly,waiting to see Kael's reaction.
Kael ran a hand over his face,nodding with a sigh.
— Adam… I don't know if you're doing this on purpose or if it's natural…
— Huh? No, I…
— Never mind,Kael cut him off.Either way, it's going to annoy me.So make an effort, or I might really forget to deactivate some traps in the future.
Adam gave a sheepish smile,half amused, half nervous.
— Sorry, Kael. Start over, please. I promise I'll pay attention this time.Just explain a little slower… Not everyone has a brain that runs like yours!
Kael hesitated for a moment.He wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or a jab.
— Adam, first of all, do you understand the frescoes here at the entrance?Kael asked, calmly and attentively.
— Mmmmmh, overall, to be honest, I get the general idea, but I'm completely stuck on the details,Adam affirmed confidently.
Kael looked at the frescoand thought about Adam's answer.
— Very well! I see what's wrong.Although we have similar foundations in modern and ancient linguistics, I didn't understand why you were confused,but now, I have a big-picture idea,Kael replied, cheerfully.
Adam, quite troubled, frowned.He understood what Kael was explaining…but why put so much importance on such an obscure detail?
Kael — You don't get it yet, do you?Do you remember what you told me about your mission in Egypt?
Adam, squinting — Hmm… Ah! Yes! The tomb south of Saqqarah.I thought I was in a typical necropolis, and then… I stumbled upon this ruined temple.The strangest part was there was Mesopotamian cuneiform inside.Completely out of place for the Egyptians. And this kind of writing predates hieroglyphs by far.
Kael slowly nodded.
— That's exactly where I was going with this.
He straightened upand pointed to the four arms of the cross formed by the hall.
— This hall isn't just a strange architecture…It's a map.Each arm is engraved in a different ancient language:here, Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform;there, a modified quipu — a kind of Incan pictogram;further along, archaic Latin.And the last arm, the one facing us, is… different.
Adam, focused, followed with his eyes each direction pointed to.
— Wait… If each language points to a region of origin…That means these arms indicate the location of other temples, right?
Kael nodded.
— The Sumerian points us to Mesopotamia.The quipu to Peru.The Latin to Europe.And the last one…
Adam, frowning — But… we're already inside one of the four temples, right?So this arm… doesn't point anywhere?
Kael crossed his arms,a tense smile at the corner of his lips.
— Exactly.That's what bothered me.Then I had an idea.
He stepped toward the central arm of the cross,where the engravings seemed more faded,almost hidden by time.
— What if this last arm isn't indicating another temple…but something hidden right here?A chamber.A central heart.A deeper fragment of truth.
Silence fell between them.
Adam swallowed.
Kael, placing his hand on the central fresco, whispered:
— If I'm right…then what we're going to discover beneath might not be meant for the living.
Kael moved to the center point,where the four arms converged.He brushed the stone.A shiver ran up his arm.A pale symbol,barely visible to the naked eye,began to faintly glow beneath his hand.He squinted.It looked like… a drop of blood carved into the rock.
Adam approached.
— You saw it too, right?
Kael nodded,his expression grave.
Without a word,he ran his hand over the engraving.Nothing happened.
But as soon as his blood welled from the cut on his palm —a reminder of the traps earlier —a dull click echoed in the depths of the hall.A fragment of the slab began to vibrate…And the floor started to open.