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𝕋ℍ𝕌ℕ𝔻𝔼ℝ rumbled across the Egyptian night, the sound echoing like the wrath of the gods themselves. Under the shroud of storm clouds, the guards worked in grim silence, their torches flickering in the wind. Slowly, they lowered Ahmanis's coffin deep into the earth, the weight of their task heavy in the air.

The shaft descended far into the depths of Egypt, into a darkness so profound that no light could ever hope to reach it. The chains groaned under the strain, the sound eerily blending with the storm above. As the coffin reached its final resting place, the oppressive stillness of the tomb swallowed it whole.

With stone and sand, they sealed the chamber, trapping him in eternal shadow, where no warmth, no light, and no life would ever touch him again.

"There he would remain, condemned to eternal darkness. But death is a doorway, and the past cannot remain buried forever."

The sun blazed high over the Egyptian desert, casting its unrelenting light across Mesopotamia, the Cradle of Civilization. The once-sacred land shimmered under the golden rays, but the serenity of the scene was shattered by the harsh crack of gunfire. Below, amidst the remnants of ancient glory, lions carved in stone and a towering statue of a man on a throne bore the brunt of destruction. Bullets riddled the weathered monuments, chipping away at the legacy of millennia as shouts in Arabic echoed through the air.

On a rocky outcrop overlooking the chaos, three figures stood, draped in Arabic garb to blend with the land. Their faces were shaded by scarves and hoods, but their eyes were sharp, watching the destruction below. One of them, a man named Vail, lowered his binoculars, and shook his head in grim resignation.

"Out of luck, huh, Sarge?" he muttered, his tone laced with dry frustration.

The man beside him, Nick, squinted against the glare of the sun before accepting the binoculars from the woman standing next to them. She didn't speak immediately, her focus shifting between a map spread out on a rock and a crumpled note in her hand.

Below, the scene unfolded with unrelenting intensity. Civilians were nowhere to be seen, the streets and ruins now crawling with insurgents armed to the teeth. Trucks rumbled through the base, their engines growling as they unloaded more weapons and supplies.

Vail sighed, gesturing toward the base below. "The civilians are gone. It's just insurgents down there now. I guess we're too late."

The woman, remained silent, her fingers tightening around the note. Its edges were worn, as though it had been read and reread countless times. She smoothed it out, her eyes scanning the hastily written words once more:

Dear Jennifer,
INVESTIGATE BURIAL SITE – HARAM
35.094'N 43.555'E
With great regard,
-Henry

The sun bore down on the desert, its relentless heat radiating off the sand dunes as Nick adjusted the reins of his horse, squinting toward the horizon. He glanced at Vail, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"We can do this," Nick said confidently, his tone daring anyone to argue. With that, he sprang to his horse and fixed the saddle.  

Everlyn let out a laugh, muffled slightly by the mask covering the lower half of her face. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes glimmered with mischief as she sprang herself gracefully to her horse. "Race you there, Vail!" she teased, her voice warm and lilting.

Vail groaned in exasperation, his hand briefly covering his face. "Oh, no, no, no! We're too late as it is! Command thinks we're doing advanced recon 100 miles from here. Sarge, you're not going down there. And you too, Everlyn!"

Everlyn tilted her head as if considering his words before rubbing her horse's neck with affection. "You're right, Vail. We're not going down there." She paused for dramatic effect, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "We all are." Vail's glare was unrelenting as he threw up his hands. "At least call in an airstrike!" Nick tugged down the scarf covering his face, his sun-tanned skin flushed with defiance. "Airstrike? Bad idea."

"A little one," Vail pleaded, gesturing wildly. "Just enough to make them run off!"

Everlyn chuckled as she adjusted her headscarf. "And let command know exactly where we are?"

Vail cut her off with a sharp retort. "And we'll spend 20 years in Leavenworth for looting."

Nick's face twisted into mock offense as he leaned toward Vail. "Hey! What did I tell you? We're not looters. We're liberators of precious antiquities."

Both Vail and Everlyn chimed in with a sing-song tone, finishing the familiar line in unison. "Liberators of precious antiquities. Right."

Everlyn laughed softly, the sound almost musical, as she mounted her horse. Vail, however, wasn't done arguing. "We don't even know what's down there!" Nick pulled the worn note from Everlyn's pocket, holding it up. "Haram. That's what's down there. Treasure." Vail threw up his hands again. "No, the translator said 'haram' means 'forbidden knowledge.' Which, if you ask me, is a curse waiting to happen. I get why she wants to be here—" He jabbed a finger in Everlyn's direction.

Everlyn raised an elegant brow, her amusement undimmed. "Careful, Vail. You're one condescending remark away from being saddled with my horse."

Nick grinned and continued, "Around here, 'haram' is just another word for treasure. And this Henry guy? He wants it bad enough to send us here. Well, now he's gonna have to pay double."

He nudged his horse forward, glancing at Everlyn as she followed. "Mount up!"

"I'm not going," Vail snapped, stepping stubbornly in front of his horse.

Nick turned to him, feigning disbelief. "What?"

"I said I'm not going!" Vail crossed his arms.

Everlyn and Nick exchanged a look, both nodding in silent agreement. With a flick of his wrist, Nick pulled out his knife and, without hesitation, slashed a water bag strapped to Vail's horse. Water gushed out in a steady stream, drenching the sand below.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Vail yelped, rushing to the bag in a desperate attempt to salvage what was left. "You crazy bastard!" Everlyn doubled over in laughter, her voice ringing out as Vail glared at her. "It's a full day's ride to the nearest water!" Everlyn smirked, her tone teasing as she leaned slightly in her saddle. "The nearest water is right down in that village. Come on, Vail. Where's your sense of adventure?"

Vail pointed a finger at her, his face red with indignation. "You, quiet!" He turned back to Nick, practically fuming. "Well, that's just great, Nick. That's just great!"

Nick shrugged, his smug grin unshaken. "Come on, slip in, slip out, just like we always do."

𓋹𓂀

Gunfire erupted, sharp and deafening, as Nick, Everlyn, and Vail dove for cover, sliding across the dusty floor to press against a crumbling wall. Bullets sprayed around them, chipping stone, and sending debris flying. "Oh, my God! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Vail shouted, his voice cracking with panic as the three struggled to their feet.

Nick grabbed Vail by the collar and yanked him upright. "Move! Move!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos as they sprinted for their lives.

Behind them, Everlyn fired her gun in quick bursts, trying to suppress their pursuers. "Go, go, go!" she yelled, the adrenaline making her voice sharp.

They skidded to a halt in front of a massive, rusted door. Vail threw his shoulder against it, groaning as it refused to budge. "You've gotta be kidding me!" he exclaimed, desperation in his voice.

Nick and Everlyn didn't hesitate. Together, they shoved Vail into the door, their combined weight forcing it open with a loud crash. The impact sent all three sprawling onto the ground inside.

"Slip in, slip out, huh?" Vail shouted, mocking Nick's earlier assurance as they scrambled to their feet.

Before they could regroup, an explosion lit up the room ahead, fire roaring as more gunfire erupted. Everlyn yelped, instinctively ducking, and firing back.

"This is not like we always do!" Vail screamed, his voice almost drowned out by the chaos.

"Stairs! Just run! Go!" Nick commanded, pointing toward a spiralling staircase. They bolted for the stairs, their boots pounding against the stone steps as men shouted in Arabic behind them. Bullets whizzed past, narrowly missing them as they climbed. Reaching the roof, Nick pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it down the stairwell.

"Grenade!" he shouted, diving for cover.

The explosion shook the building, sending dust and rubble flying. Without waiting to assess the damage, the three leaped to the neighbouring rooftop, landing in a tangled heap. Vail groaned, rolling onto his back as he glared at Nick. "I hate you! I hate you so much! I never even wanted to come to this country!" Nick ignored him, his mind racing. "Let me think. Just let me think!"

Vail fumbled for his walkie-talkie and shouted into it. "If anyone's listening, this is L-26, urgent, hot! Request dynamic precision strike at our mark!"

Both Nick and Everlyn turned to him, eyes wide.

"You did not just call in an airstrike!" Everlyn yelled, her voice incredulous.

"Oh, yes, I did!" Vail shot back, defiant.

Before she could respond, another explosion rattled the rooftop, forcing all three to duck. Everlyn didn't waste time. She jumped to her feet and leaped to the next roof. "Where are you going?" Nick and Vail shouted in unison, scrambling to follow. The next roof was littered with colourful carpets, and Vail threw up his hands in frustration as more gunfire erupted. "Where do they keep coming from?" They darted across the rooftops, narrowly avoiding a barrage of bullets and explosions. Everlyn glanced down, her heart sinking as she realized they were surrounded. She crouched low, signalling for the others to do the same.

"There's nowhere to go!" Vail exclaimed, his voice breaking. "Oh, man! We're gonna die!"

Everlyn grabbed his arm, her dark eyes fierce. "Vail! We're not going to die!"

Nick, still trying to think, snapped, "Just give me a second!"

Vail threw his hands up in exasperation. "Think about what? Think about what?"

Everlyn looked between the two and smiled grimly. "You know what I think? I think we're probably gonna die here." Vail's jaw dropped. "I knew it! I knew it!" He punched the ground, repeating his lament. Before anyone could respond, a massive explosion shook the air, the sound deafening. The airstrike had arrived, obliterating the area below. The Arabic men screamed and scattered, fleeing in all directions.

As the dust settled, the trio slowly lifted their heads. Everlyn crawled to the edge of the roof, peering over. Below, the village was in ruins, a gaping hole where their enemies had once stood.

She exhaled sharply, glancing back at the others. "Well... that works."

Vail laughed in relief, his voice echoing over the wreckage. "I'm still alive!" he shouted triumphantly, throwing his arms into the air.

But his victory was short-lived. A low rumbling vibrated through the ground beneath them, growing louder by the second. The unstable building began to crumble and collapse, shaking violently. The three screamed as the rooftop gave way beneath them, sending them tumbling to the ground below. Dust and debris filled the air as they hit the dirt hard.

Before they could regain their footing, the earth beneath them shifted. The sand began to slide, dragging Vail toward a dark, gaping hole.

"Everlyn! Everlyn!" Vail screamed, clawing at the ground as Nick scrambled to grab hold of him.

Everlyn stood, shaken but unharmed, and her attention was immediately drawn to something in the sand. Her breath hitched as her eyes locked onto the massive carved face half-buried in the shifting dunes. It was ancient, solemn, and imposing.

Nick and Vail struggled to climb up from the shifting sands, their frantic movements filling the air with more dust. But Everlyn didn't move. Her gaze was fixed on the face, unable to tear her eyes away.

It wasn't just curiosity—something deeper heldher, as though an unseen force tethered her to the stone visage. Her dark eyesreflected both awe and unease

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By: SilverMist707

I hope this is alright <3