That night, after dinner, Ryan stepped into the villa yard. His mind was still in disarray because of the accident that morning. He still felt guilty for not being able to prevent the accident from happening.
When he arrived at the sideyard, he accidentally heard whispers from the team members. They were gathered at the side of the villa, unaware that Ryan was watching them.
A local member hired by the team, Amr, leaned over to the other members and said in a voice that was almost a whisper. “I’m sure Dr. Rose’s accident was no ordinary accident. Strange things have been happening in KV5 for a long time.”
Fatma, the cook, nodded with a gloomy expression. “You know, my cousin used to work with the first team that opened the tomb. He swore that he saw ghosts near the entrance of the tomb.”
The other members were silent for a moment.
Not long after, Khalid, another local team member added, “That’s right. I’ve heard many strange things happen to the first team. The equipment went missing. Security also heard strange noises at night. Many say the spirit of Pharaoh Ramesses II guards the graves of his children.”
Ryan was stunned. Although he didn’t believe in supernatural things, what the team members said made him doubt his common sense.
Fatma’s eyes narrowed and then she crossed her arms. “Isn’t that true? My cousin wouldn’t lie. He was scared when he came home from the tomb.”
Curious, Ryan approached the gossiping team members. “Is that true?” he asked.
They were surprised to see Ryan, and then Amr whispered to Ryan. “KV5 is haunted, Mr. Ryan. We’re sure. We’re risking our lives by excavating KV5 again.” He looked around nervously as if an invisible shadow had heard him.
The atmosphere felt tense among the team members.
Fatma, with a frightened expression, said in a low voice, "There is an ancient curse. Disturbing the pharaoh's son's rest anger the gods."
Ryan's rational mind tried to fight the team members' waves of superstitious whispers. He smiled, trying to reassure them, "Thank you for sharing your concerns. We will be more careful."
He turned away from the team members who were still whispering anxiously.
Ryan felt something was wrong and a little anxious, but he couldn't explain what it was.
***
The villa in Luxor before bedtime, was quiet unlike the usual cheerful, and sometimes the sound of the team members' laughter could be heard. Soft music drifted out of Dr. Hassan's bedroom window. On the terrace, Dr. Matt and Ahmed were chatting softly.
Ryan then sat in the front yard, hands clasped in his lap, staring blankly ahead. The accident was always looming in his mind.
Someone approached Ryan and gently touched Ryan's shoulder. Ryan looked up and found Dr. Maria smiling softly. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Ryan wrestled with his thoughts, then opened his mouth hesitantly. "Do you believe that KV5 is cursed?"
Dr. Maria's eyebrows furrowed and then she sat down next to Ryan. She answered in a low, almost inaudible voice. "I do feel something there. Something disturbing."
Ryan sighed, then stood up and stretched his arms above his head. He tried to ignore the superstitions he had heard. "Let's go in and sleep, Dr. Maria. We have to wake up early tomorrow."
Dr. Maria looked at Ryan with a sympathetic look and also got up from her seat. They went into their respective rooms.
***
The next morning, Ryan stepped into the first room in KV5, namely Chamber A. The room felt calm and peaceful, lit by the light from the lamps that were installed by the other team members.
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Ryan walked along the walls of the tomb while observing each hieroglyphic symbol carved on the tomb wall. His mind was still haunted by the incident and also the conversation of the team members yesterday.
Slowly his mind began to clear and he was able to focus on the hieroglyphic symbols.
He took a deep breath. The scent of sandalwood and myrrh was felt, slightly refreshing his mind.
Several symbols caught his attention.
A house symbol ― with an enlarged "A" , followed by a stylized heart , then a crescent moon shape . Next, a simplified walking figure , a seated man with arms around his knees , and a hand holding a staff . Ending with a scribe's palette and phonetic symbols: a mouth , reed leaf , crescent moon , head , foot , loaf , basket , and vertical strokes .
Deftly, he drew the symbols on his notebook while muttering. “The heart of the Pharaoh beats inside…”
He sat on a mound of earth near the wall and began to work on deciphering the meaning of the symbols.
Time passed and no one was in Chamber A, except Ryan who was focused on translating.
Unbeknownst to Ryan, the eyes of the statues of Anubis and Ibis that stood on each side of the end of the corridor, lit up with a blue color.
Suddenly the tranquility was shattered by the sound of footsteps entering the corridor area. And the eyes of the statues of the gods that had previously shone, returned to their original form of stone carvings.
Dr. Maria and Dr. Hassan approached Ryan who was still ignoring his surroundings.
“Ryan, any progress? How far have you gone in translating these hieroglyphs?” Dr. Hassan’s voice echoed in the room.
Ryan looked up and happily showed his notebook to Dr. Hassan and Dr. Maria. “I have made significant progress, Doctor. The hieroglyphs reveal an interesting connection to the reign of Ramses II.” He pointed to the symbols depicted on the tomb wall.
Dr. Maria’s eyes widened. “That’s fantastic! Let’s take a look.” She moved closer, examining the hieroglyphs with interest.
The room, once silent, was now abuzz with their discussion. They gathered around the table, exchanging thoughts and ideas.
Dr. Hassan rubbed his hands together. “This could be a breakthrough! Ryan, your ability to decipher words is incredible.”
“This could change our understanding of Ramses II’s reign.” Dr. Maria agreed.
Ryan chuckled.
Despite the shadow of yesterday’s incident, the three found light in their shared passion. Their voices filled the room with excitement.
***
The team ventured deeper into the chambers of KV5. Ryan’s accomplishments had re-energized the team.
Dr. Maria moved carefully along the walls, tracing her fingers over the ancient carvings. She stopped, her eyes widening. “Look at these symbols! I’m sure they’ll complete Ryan’s findings!”
Dr. Hassan also focused on the ceiling of the tomb, his brow furrowed in concentration. "These inscriptions tell of Ramses II's military campaign... The Battle of Kadesh!"
Ryan just laughed at his co-workers' enthusiasm.
***
After lunch, Ryan explored deeper into the tomb. It was a large tomb, with over 120 chambers, many more yet to be discovered.
Ramses II had over 100 sons, estimated to be around 150-200. He had 4-6 sons by Nefertari, 2-4 sons by Isetnofret, 2 sons by Bintanath, and of the over 200 wives and concubines, it is estimated that he had 100+ additional sons.
'It's like a children's farm...' Ryan thought.
Ryan stepped into Chamber KV5-14, believed to be the antechamber to the sanctuary of Pharaoh Ramses II, his footsteps echoing.
The air felt heavy and thick. More intricate hieroglyphs adorned the walls. He approached the symbols, feeling a wave of awe. Gently, he brushed the thick layer of dust off the wall. “Incredible!” he whispered.
But then a wave of confusion washed over him. The unfamiliar symbols baffled him. “This dialect is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” he muttered.
He tried to decipher the symbols, but he couldn’t.
Just then, Dr. Maria burst into the room. “Ryan, we’ve found a transcription of the Hymn to Ra! Can you take a look at it first, to see what it means?”
She handed him a weathered parchment. The words on it were:
“Ra, King of the Gods, Lord of Eternity,
Whose heart beats within the sun’s disk,
Give wisdom to your servant Ramses.”
Ryan’s mind raced. He also tried to connect the transcription to the hieroglyphs on the wall that he had not yet been able to translate.
And then he exclaimed. “This could be the key!”