Prologue: The Box Will Not Stay Closed
Arther Indiana Croft sits on a transport plane heading out of Egypt. The golden box is strapped to the seat beside him with five belts and one bungee cord. He stares at it the same way a cat watches a vacuum cleaner.
Jamie leans over from the next seat."We should have left that thing in the desert."
"We tried," Arther mutters. "It followed me. It literally rolled uphill."
The box vibrates.Both men stare.
Jamie whispers. "I hate your life."
Arther whispers back. "Me too."
The box stops vibrating.
They both exhale.
Then the box whispers.
"Free me."
Arther kicks it."NO. We are not doing this again."
The whisper answers.
"We are already doing it."
The lights on the plane flicker.
Jamie groans. "Oh no."
Arther groans louder. "Oh yes."
The box cracks open by itself.
Everything goes white.
Chapter One: The Sky That Should Not Be
Arther wakes up face first in hot sand.
He spits out a mouthful of grit."I want a normal job. Something safe. Like lion taming."
Jamie stands nearby, brushing sand off his uniform."Where are we?"
Arther looks around. The sky is wrong. It is purple and green, swirling like a giant oil spill. The desert dunes stretch on forever, but the horizon curves strangely inward, as if they are standing inside a giant bowl.
They are not in Egypt. They are not anywhere on Earth.
Jamie points behind Arther."Please tell me that is a mirage."
Arther turns.
The golden box floats above the sand, glowing like a miniature sun.
Words swirl around it. Symbols. Shapes. Faces that fade in and out.
Arther steps back."That box is grounded. For life."
Jamie squints."Look. Footprints."
Arther kneels and touches the prints. They are deep, heavy, and shaped like giant human feet. Far too big to belong to any soldier.
"Someone else is here," Arther says.
The box speaks.
"You released the gate. The Pharaoh of Storms and the Winged Skeleton were only the beginning."
Arther yells at it."Stop talking! Every time you talk, something terrible happens!"
The box glows brighter.
"Then prepare."
The sand at their feet begins to tremble.
Jamie grabs Arther."Run."
They run.
The sand explodes upward behind them.
Something huge is awakening.
Chapter Two: The Giant Beneath the Sand
A massive hand bursts from the sand, then another. The ground erupts as a colossal figure climbs out, shaking off dunes that fall like waterfalls.
It is a giant made of cracked stone and molten gold. Its eyes are blue fires burning inside deep sockets.
Arther screams."Why do they all have glowing eyes? Why is that always the theme?"
Jamie shouts."Ask the box!"
The stone giant turns its head toward them. Its voice rolls like thunder.
"I have waited for the Keeper. Bring me the box."
Arther freezes."Jamie. It knows my job title."
Jamie shoves him."Your job title should be Unemployed."
The giant steps forward, each step leaving a crater."Give me the box, Keeper."
Arther yells. "No. Last time I opened it we got a storm god and a skeleton dragon!"
The giant kneels, lowering its cracked face to Arther.
"Then you must open it again."
"No."
"You must."
"No."
Jamie pulls Arther backward."We are leaving. Goodbye, giant."
But the giant slams a hand down, blocking their path.
The golden box floats to Arther's hands. He tries to drop it. It does not drop. He shakes it. It sticks to his palms like glue.
"Jamie."
"Yes."
"I am in danger."
"Yes."
The box clicks open.
Chapter Three: The Echoes Awaken
A blast of light erupts from the box, swirling upward into the sky. The purple and green clouds twist like a funnel.
Arther shields his eyes."Why do ancient artifacts hate me personally?"
Jamie crosses his arms."I have theories."
The stone giant kneels.
"They wake. The Echoes wake."
Arther frowns."Who wakes?"
The ground begins to vibrate. Endless shapes rise from the sand. Not skeletons, not humans. They are statues with masks of gold and bodies of shadow. Hundreds of them. Then thousands.
Jamie stares in horror."Those are not friendly."
Arther shakes the box."Close. Close. Close. Please close."
The box slams shut.
But the shadows keep rising.
The stone giant stands tall.
"They are the Echoes of the First Kingdom. You have freed them. They will hunt all life until silence covers the worlds."
Arther shouts."Why was I allowed near this box?"
Jamie yells back."Because your screening process was terrible."
The army of shadow statues marches toward them.
Arther panics."What do we do?"
Jamie points at the giant."Ask the big guy. He is the only one not trying to kill us."
The giant turns its burning blue eyes toward Arther again.
"Keeper. You must command the box."
Arther blinks."The box hates me."
The giant shakes the ground as it kneels again.
"The box chooses its Keeper. It chose you. Command it or worlds will fall."
Arther looks at the box.
"Hey. Box. Stop letting monsters out."
The box glows.
Then whispers.
"I cannot stop them. But I can give you power."
Jamie steps between Arther and the box."No. Absolutely not. The last time something gave you power you opened a cursed tomb because the sign said do not open."
Arther sighs."I was curious."
Jamie grabs him."We need a plan that is not suicide."
Arther nods slowly.
"Then we run."
Chapter Four: The Desert Maze
They sprint across the dunes with the army of Echoes following in perfect formation. Their footsteps sound like grinding stone. Their eyes glow like dying stars.
The stone giant fights them, smashing several into shards, but more rise from the sand beneath its feet.
Arther and Jamie race toward a cluster of black stone pillars that rise from the desert like teeth.
Jamie pants."Arther. There is no way out of this world. You know that, right?"
Arther clutches the box."Then we find one."
They reach the pillars. The air between them hums with energy. It feels like stepping between the ribs of some giant creature.
Jamie glances around."This is either a sanctuary or a death trap."
Arther answers."Only one way to know."
He steps inside.
The world flickers.
The sky changes color.
The pillars rearrange themselves like sliding puzzle pieces.
Jamie looks behind them.
The Echoes cannot enter. They hit an invisible wall and stop, silent and unnaturally still.
Jamie exhales."Well. Good news. We found a barrier."
Arther looks ahead.
"Bad news. The maze is moving."
The stone corridor shifts. Walls slide. Floors rise. Stairs appear where there were none before.
Arther mutters."This place was designed by someone who hates humans."
Jamie smirks."So basically every ancient king."
They walk deeper into the maze.
Chapter Five: The Heart of the Maze
After hours inside the shifting labyrinth, they reach a wide chamber. In the center stands a circular pedestal with a stone tablet floating above it.
The symbols on the tablet match the ones on the golden box.
Arther steps closer.
"Jamie. I think this tells us how the box works."
Jamie groans."Finally."
Arther places the box beside the tablet. The tablet glows and projects images into the air. Strange memories. Ancient battles. A kingdom of giants. A war between the Pharaoh of Storms and the Winged Skeleton. Then a third figure, taller than both, wrapped in gold flames.
Arther whispers."Who is that?"
The tablet answers with a voice that shakes the chamber.
"The First Ruler. Creator of the Echoes. Bringer of Silence."
Jamie stares."Oh great. There is an even worse villain."
Arther points at the final image."Look. The First Ruler is sealed inside the box. And the box is cracking."
Jamie grabs Arther by the shoulders."We need to close it. Seal it. Bury it. Drop it into the sun."
Arther nods."Agreed. But this tablet says only a Keeper can seal the First Ruler."
Jamie stares."Arther. You are the Keeper."
Arther sighs."Why am I always the chosen one for horrible things?"
The tablet glows again.
"The Keeper must give something. A memory. A fear. A part of the self. Only then will the seal hold."
Arther gulps."What kind of part?"
The tablet cracks. The maze begins to collapse.
Jamie yells."We can ask later. Grab the box and run."
Chapter Six: The Price
They race through the collapsing chamber. The maze shifts violently, forcing them through twisting paths.
The Echoes begin entering from distant openings.
Jamie shouts."They found a way in. Move!"
Arther holds the box close.
The box whispers."To seal him, you must give me something important."
Arther pants."What do you want? My wallet? My first edition comics? Take my savings. It is nine dollars."
The box replies."I want a memory. One you cannot live without."
Arther stops running.
Jamie skids to a halt."Arther. No. Do not listen to it."
Arther looks at his friend."If I do not, the First Ruler escapes."
Jamie shakes his head."We will find another way."
"There is no time."
The Echoes close in.
Arther holds the box to his chest.
"Take my fear. The thing that holds me back."
The box glows.
"You offer bravely. I accept."
A rush of warmth floods through Arther.
His fear is gone.
Every mistake he ever worried about. Every doubt. Every hesitation.
Gone.
Jamie grabs his arm."Arther... are you ok?"
Arther smiles faintly."I feel lighter."
The box locks itself with a click.
The Echoes crumble into dust.
The maze stops collapsing.
Jamie lets out a long breath."You did it."
Arther nods."But I think the box took more than fear."
Jamie frowns."What else?"
Arther stares at him.
"I do not remember how we became friends."
Jamie freezes.
"Arther. No. No no no."
Arther looks at him sadly."It is ok. I know I can trust you. Even if I do not remember why."
Jamie steps forward and puts a hand on his shoulder."Then we will make new memories."
Arther smiles."Good. Because I think we are going to need them."
The box rattles softly.
Arther sighs.
"And I think there will be a Book Four."