The five of them huddle together near the row of sarcophagi, the beam from Ethan's flashlight bouncing across the chamber, glinting off the polished stone lids. Each coffin is carved with intricate hieroglyphs, more detailed than anything Marcus has seen in the museum. Symbols of gods, serpents, and the sun's eye march across the surfaces as if frozen mid-motion.
Marcus swallows hard. "We… we have to open one," he says, voice low. The others glance at him, and he can feel the weight of their fear. Yet determination threads through the silence. Noah exhales sharply. "I still don't like this." His hands tremble slightly as he grips the flashlight. "What if something comes out?"
Maya steps forward, her writing pad clutched like a shield. "We won't know if we don't try. This is the only way."
Ethan kneels first, brushing dust from the nearest lid. He traces a circular indentation carved into the stone—a symbol that matches one on the chamber's locked entrance. "This one," he says, "inside this sarcophagus?"
Lena frowns, scanning the symbols along the wall. "It's a warning," she murmurs. "Look at the carvings—figures holding weapons, poised to strike. I think these coffins are… protected."
Marcus nods grimly. "We won't know until we see. One small risk at a time."
Together, they begin the careful process of lifting the lid. Dust swirls into the flashlight beams, motes dancing like tiny stars in the confined air. The stone is heavier than expected, yet with combined effort, they shift it just enough to reveal the interior. Inside lies a sarcophagus, but not empty. Cloth-wrapped remains rest within, bones long brittle and dusted with sand. On top, surprisingly untouched by time, is a small, ornate object—a key carved from dark stone, polished to a reflective sheen. Strange glyphs spiral along its length, faintly glowing in the flashlight. Maya gasps. "That must be it."
Noah leans back instinctively, his instincts screaming caution. "Take it slowly..."
Marcus reaches forward. Fingers brush the key, cold and smooth. The moment he lifts it, a low rumble vibrates through the chamber. The dust in the air stirs violently. From the far corner of the room, one sarcophagus lid slides open with a groan, stone scraping against stone.
A figure rises. The wrappings of its mummy fall away in fragments, revealing a hollow, skeletal form, yet its eyes seem alive, glowing faintly beneath the darkness. A hiss escapes it, echoing off the walls.
Ethan steps back, flashlight shaking. "what the heck is that!?" his voice trembles.
Lena pulls Maya behind her. "Run?"
"That's a freaking mummy!! Run!!!"
Marcus clutches the key tighter, heart hammering. "No. We get the key, we unlock the door. That's the priority."
The mummy steps forward, its movements unnaturally fluid, like wind bending cloth. Stone walls vibrate as if acknowledging the disturbance. The chamber feels smaller, the shadows longer, the air thick with the promise of danger.
One of them will have to move first. One of them will have to take the risk. And in that moment, Marcus knows it will be him.
The five adventurers exchange tense glances. Behind them, the sarcophagus creaks as if whispering, waiting for the first touch of courage—or the first misstep.
Marcus swallows and steps forward.
The air inside the chamber thickens, heavy with dust and the scent of something ancient, almost metallic. Marcus holds the key tightly, fingers white against the polished stone. The mummy's hollow eyes follow every movement, unblinking and unrelenting. Its arms stretch forward slowly, the joints cracking faintly, a sound like dry wood breaking in the stillness.
Noah steps behind Marcus, shifting his weight nervously. "Move faster," he whispers. "It knows we're here."
Lena points toward the entrance door. "The lock—it's a circle. See? The key fits into this symbol. But we can't afford to be caught."
Maya grips her notebook tightly, pen still in hand. "Just… just focus on the lock. Don't think about it." Her voice trembles.
Marcus nods, heart hammering. He approaches the stone mechanism, keeping one eye on the mummy as he slides the key into the carved circular slot. The stone fits perfectly, cold and heavy. Symbols along the circle glow faintly, pulsing like the beat of a slow, deliberate heart. The mummy pauses for a fraction of a second, tilting its head unnaturally, and then begins to move again—faster now, almost gliding across the chamber floor.
"Marcus!" Ethan shouts, pointing to a second sarcophagus whose lid is starting to shift. Shadows stretch unnaturally from its edges. "More are coming!"
Marcus takes a deep breath, forcing his hands to remain steady. He turns the key slowly, aligning each glyph as Ethan instructed. The circular mechanism hums softly, vibrations running up through his fingers and into his arms. Each pulse feels alive, resonating with the chamber itself. The mummy lunges. Dust sprays into the air. Marcus jerks the key into place and pushes with all his strength. A sharp click echoes like a gunshot. The stone door groans, trembles, and then begins to swing open, revealing a tunnel of darkness beyond.
Lena grabs Marcus's arm. "Go! Now!"
They sprint toward the opening. The mummy halts at the threshold, its skeletal fingers stretching as if trying to grab them, but it does not follow. The key seems to act as a ward, holding it at bay. Behind them, the other sarcophagi shudder. The low groans of movement echo through the chamber, unceasing, relentless. Breath ragged, hearts pounding, they reach the next corridor. The darkness swallows them as the stone door shuts behind them with a reverberating finality, cutting off any possibility of retreat.
For a moment, there is silence. Only the sound of their gasping breaths fills the passage. Marcus holds the key aloft, its faint glow illuminating the walls lined with strange symbols.
"Is… is it over?" Maya whispers.
Noah shakes his head, eyes wide. "Not even close."
Ethan scans the walls, his voice tense. "We've only just entered. The pyramid isn't finished with us yet."
The tunnel stretches ahead, a dark ribbon winding downward into the unknown. Every shadow seems alive, and every step carries the weight of centuries. Somewhere deep beneath the desert, Pharaoh Khufu's secrets watch them, waiting to decide whether they are worthy—or prey. With every heartbeat, the stone around them feels less like walls and more like teeth, closing in, ready to claim those who dare trespass.