HORNS AND DRUMS played music in the background. A wide smile spread across Eldwin's face as he stepped into the Egyptian exhibit. Mr. Del Masro followed a tour guide as they walked through the different artifacts, explaining what they were and how they were used in everyday life. The teacher couldn't help but insert some facts on the subject.

Excitement rushed through him as he took in the sight. Egypt was his favorite subject and country over any others. Coming to a halt, a golden spark caught him in the corner of his eye. He glanced to his right, trying to get a better look.

"Eldwin," a voice called out. Shivers shot down his spine as he glanced around for the caller. The teacher was gone, and the class disappeared into oblivion. He was alone. Darkness began moving in around him. The air was cold and hung thick.

"Eldwin," the voice called once more. Eldwin swallowed a lump in his throat. The voice was low and haunting. Some people would even call it demonic. Air rushed past him as his body jerked forward from an invisible force. A pillar made of light appeared in the distance. It flattened as two carved obelisks from the Egyptian Era rose beside it.

Raising his hand, Eldwin braced for impact as he drew closer. He never made contact. Lowering his arm, the pull stopped, dropping him on the floor before the door. Eldwin topped his head back, taking in the sight before him. The door was golden, with two men standing on either side with their arms raised towards the sky with a sun above them. They appeared to be worshiping the sun god, Ra.

Stretching his arm towards the door, the voice called out to him once more. "Eldwin." This time, it was closer, as if hiding behind the door. Shaking, he glanced around, trying to stall. There was no telling what awaited him on the other side, but it looked like he had no choice but to continue.

 Taking a deep breath, Eldwin walked through the opening. As he entered the room, fire illuminated it. He stood at the edge of a circular room with hieroglyphics painted on the top half of the wall, with the bottom half remaining blank. He couldn't help but chuckle at how well the museum curators had tried turning the room into a tomb.

Five pillars stood at attention at least six feet apart if he had guessed. Each section told a different part of Pharaoh's life between them. In the first section stood a blue dragon on its haunches before a man in black. In the next, the same dragon stood triumphantly over a fallen kingdom.

Pausing, he turned towards the center of the room. The floor was covered in cobblestone, with a sun in the center. A golden platform rested in the sun's middle, and a golden sarcophagus stood at attention. Eldwin's eyes widened as he drew closer. A face on the burial cover resembled that of a Pharaoh. The image bore a crown with blue and golden strips slung over his shoulders and an asp shooting out from the top, signifying power.

The Pharaoh was wrapped in a blanket of regal colors, his hands crossed at his chest. In his left hand, a sickle, long and straight. On his right, a hooked Ankh with blue strips wrapped around the handle. Further down on his neck rested a circular necklace with a bluish-green gem resting in its center. The gem glowed as he moved and drew nearer. 'Eldwin,' the voice continued. It sent chills down his spine, yet he continued. He couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful craftsmanship of the ancient coffin.

Cold air blew past him as if a ghost had run behind him. Inhaling sharply, Eldwin let out a cry of surprise as he jumped backward, watching the darkness melt the wall around him until he was surrounded by nothing again. Questions swirled in his mind as he turned his back to the coffin. Everything was gone except for a small section of flooring on which he and the sarcophagus stood.

Raising his hand, a bright light shone above him. He trained his eyes on the coffin, hoping some light would fade away. However, the light made the sarcophagus beam like a beacon that guided the way of lost travelers. Taking a step backward, his heel dropped downwards at the edge of the flooring.

Eldwin flailed his arms, trying to regain his balance. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he tightened his back. His heart thumped against his chest as he stepped away from the edge. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he made his way closer to the coffin. Eldwin reached out his hand and placed it on the Pharaoh's face. It was smooth to the touch. A smile spread across his face as the genius behind the smooth craftsmanship took in the regal colors and gold leaf paint.

"Nice to see you again, my Lord," a masculine voice echoed within the dark chamber. Eldwin pulled his hand away and took a step back. The Pharaoh within had long passed. His eyes widened as he glanced around the room, searching for another person. He was alone.

A light began shining from the left side of the sarcophagus, followed by a creaking noise that drew his attention. The side was sliding open. He continued stepping back until his feet hit the edge once more. Fear gripped his heart as the lid moved further, allowing a green mist to roll on the floor and rush towards him.

Eldwin stood glued to the spot. There was no place to run except. He dropped his gaze downwards into the dark abyss. Before he could prepare to jump, the light had attached itself to his shoes before traveling upwards and engulfing his body. Eldwin took deep breaths as his heart beat hard against his chest. The light had no weight, but no telling what it was doing to him.

Sparkles began falling from above him and attaching to his neck. They glowed brighter as they fell over his chest, forming a solid, round object. Raising his hand, the glow shone brighter. Finally, the light dissipated, leaving a medallion around his neck. Eldwin winced as the weight of the object pulled down on his neck.

His hands trembled as he held the necklace and pulled it closer for a better look. The medallion was circular and made from gold. On its face, an onyx dragon stood tall on its haunches, facing the left. The dragon bore a sapphire eye. He watched as the sapphire began glowing. Biting his bottom lip, he gripped the medallion and yanked on the chain. The medallion refused to budge. Panic overtook him as he glanced around, searching for help. He couldn't understand what was going on.

With each passing moment, the gem glowed brighter. Eldwin trembled. There was something odd about this necklace. He couldn't figure out what made it so extraordinary. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for the glow to end. He popped one eye and watched the white light turn red before fading to black. Opening both eyes, he noticed the room had become shrouded in darkness again.

A sigh escaped. The light was gone, but so was the coffin. Eldwin tried lowering his hand, yet it wouldn't budge. Frustrated, he used all his strength to pull his arm down. He felt his body fall backward. He tried screaming, but a thick cloth-like substance trapped his mouth from opening. Sweat beaded his forehead as his body felt stiff, and his other arm crossed over the first at his chest in an 'X' formation.

Kicking his feet upwards, he winced as his toes came into something solid. Eldwin squirmed as something bound him tight. He couldn't understand how he could have been tied so quickly without his knowledge. He shot upwards, banging his head against a long, hard surface. Stars danced in his vision.

The squeal of hinges echoed through his mind. He turned his head and watched as light began pouring towards him. The light revealed his face had a brown cloth wrapped around it. Panic overtook him as a thought clicked in his mind. The Egyptians believed that the god of death, Anubis, prepared the dead before delivering them to the god of the underworld, Osiris.

Sucking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes. Somehow, he had been buried alive with no hope of rescue. Death was imminent. His eyes fluttered open. He couldn't give up, not yet, at least. He opened his mouth, hoping to call for help, hoping that someone would hear him and save him from the god's wrath. His cries, however, escaped as a haunted man due to the cloth. He lost all hope.

A sound met his ears. It was different, and there was no way to describe it. A hollow sliding sound replaced the deafening silence that resounded around him. It was eerie as if someone was running their hand over the sarcophagus lid. The sound stopped, but only for a moment. He bit his lip and began moaning louder. He had to do whatever it took to get the person's attention. Thrusting his feet upwards, he slammed his feet against the lid hard. He bit his lip after every stick, fighting back the bang. He wanted to be free, but he couldn't do it alone.

A creaking bounced through his tomb as light flooded over him. He stilled his aching body as he watched the light grow brighter. He let off a sigh of relief and watched as a head came into view. Slender fingers caressed his cheek as they slid down underneath his chin. He cried out as sharp nails dug into his skin and curled around his face coverings. "It's okay," a soft female voice cooed, "I won't harm you, my Lord."

Eldwin gave the voice a faint smile as she pulled the cloth upwards to uncover his mouth and nose. He didn't know who this girl was nor why she called him Lord, but he didn't care. She was his saving angel. Once the cloth cleared his nose, he inhaled sharply. A sweet odor wafted in the air around him. It smelled hot like cinnamon, yet lovely like vanilla. Once she had freed his eyes, he stared into her face; a dark shadow covered it with a light shining behind her, giving her what he believed to be a halo. 

"Who are you?" He asked as he watched her slide down on the side of the coffin to undo the rest of his body. Once his arms had been freed, he raised upwards to get a better look at her. The girl giggled as she continued working. Her dress sparkled in the light as if covered in diamonds.

"You will find out soon enough," she replied. Eldwin watched as she moved closer to him and stretched out her albino hands. Blinking in the light, he accepted. Giggling, she pulled him upwards into a better sitting position. The light around him disappeared into a firelight that lit up his tomb. Hieroglyphs of a dragon towering above a young male welcomed his sight.

"If you are not careful, that dragon will consume you." The female cooed once more. "Please hurry to us. We need you." The girl cried out. Her sweet voice had turned raspy from crying. He didn't know what she wanted from him, but he did know he had to find a way to get to her. He opened his mouth to respond and tell her everything was all right, yet no words would come out. Scanning her body, he wished to find something identifiable so he knew whom he was searching for, yet no mark could be found. His eyes widened as he watched the light give her wings.

The girl flung her head back as if laughing as if she was reading his thoughts. Heat rose to his face as she bent down over the coffin again. He didn't know why he was blushing because a girl who appeared to be his age bent so close to him. He watched as she slid sandals over his bare feet. Watching her movements, he observed his state of dress. He first noticed a white kilt held in place with a golden sash swathed around his waistline.

A hard metal bit into his wrist as he moved his arms upwards to block out the light behind her. He glanced towards his wrist and noticed golden cuffs were clenched tight around them. Looking past the cuffs, he noticed he was bare-chested. A cold circular medallion lay against his skin. It was a medallion broken in half with a black dragon curved onto the surface.

Movement before him made him jerk his head back towards the girl. She had scooted closer. He leaned back on his elbows as she neared his face. The girl grasped the medallion in her hand as if it were a precious gem. Fire danced around her fingers and slowly began turning blue. Before he could react, the flames vanished. Eldwin picked his head up, allowing their eyes to meet. He jerked backward. Her eyes were similar to his teacher's. Except, where his eyes were gold, hers were amber.

After the girl pulled away from her, he glanced back down at the amulet. It had been fully repaired with a white dragon with a ruby eye engraved on the top. He picked his head back up and let his eyes rest on her. She now sat on the edge, staring down at him. "Am I dead?" He asked at last. The girl sat in silence. He feared her answer, but he wouldn't have to deal with Kirk anymore if he were.

"No, you are alive, " she responded at last. He opened his mouth to answer; however, she pushed a porcelain-like finger over his lips. "Shh, do not worry, young master. Everything will be explained in due time." With those last words, she rose from the coffin and backed into the light behind her, allowing it to engulf her and pull her from sight.

Jolting upwards, an alarm blared somewhere in his bedroom. Sweat beaded his forward as he took in the familiar setting. It was a dream. He slammed his hand hard against his alarm, silencing it before looking at the time. Its red numbers blinked at six o'clock—time to get up. Weariness overwhelmed him as she placed his feet on the cold hardwood floor and wandered into his bathroom—time to get ready for school.