They spent a few hours in the tent debating and analyzing the images while the sun rose higher in the sky, the heat baring down on the tents from outside in the process.

Reno was still studying one of the depictions, a creature made up of many different ellegantly designed rings seemingly centered around a weird-shaped core with fine engravings. With a little bit of imagination, the core looked like an eye, but he wasn't entirely sure.

Next to that, there was another image on a screen. On the photographed sandstone wall, a strange oval object was placed. From it, a net of lines made its way upward until they became thicker and entangled with each other, forming into …

... a trunk? The trunk of a tree? It almost looked like it, and on top of that tree, many different circular fruits seemed to be perched.

He still felt uncomfortable if he looked too long and intensely at the engravings, so from time to time he looked away from them, trying as best as he could to control his irrational dark feelings.

The only confirmation that he wasn't just making up his feelings in his head was the strange behavior of the other experts. The only one exempt from this seemed to be Dr. Dieb, but he had also turned somewhat more reserved while studying them.

Of course this only applied if he didn't make these things up in his head. Maybe his brain played tricks on him in a attempt to find companionship and confirmation which would then if successful lead to him calming down a little.

Reno thought for a moment.

Was he slowly turning crazy? Was he maybe actually imagining all of that, including their behavior? Perhaps the heat had gotten the better of him.

Reno massaged his temples, slightly overwhelmed and not sure what to do.

It was at this moment when he suddenly heard a hum from somewhere in the distance.

At first, his brows furrowed a little, thinking maybe he was imagining this as well and had developed auditory and visual hallucinations.

But soon, the sound grew louder. The people gathered around him also stopped their conversations and looked up from their work.

Reno looked around, glad that he wasn't the only one.

Soon, the distant hum turned even louder. It was coming from high up.

That indicated he wasn't imagining it. With that, a sudden idea formed in Reno's mind.

It was confirmed when he stepped out under the tent onto the hot sand and looked up at the bright sky.

Against the backdrop of the sun, a shadow moved toward the valley.

The noise had become deafening, and he felt the urge to cover his ears with his hands or, better yet, with noise-canceling earplugs.

'Of course. It's him,' he thought with a knowing expression.

There was only one person missing from the excavation site, the one who had convinced him to spend time in this hot hell in the first place.

His eyes narrowed as he traced the helicopter with his gaze. The workers and staff on the sight did the same.

The flying vehicle circled across the valley once and soon landed near the perimeter of the now quite large excavation site. When it landed, it stirred up a big cloud of sand, the sound of its rotors slicing the air and echoing across the flat expanse.

After a few seconds had passed the motor of the metal bird was turned off. It took a short while after that for the rotors to become slower and the cloud of dust to settle.

As it did, a few figures climbed out of the doors, their heads lowered because the rotors were still spinning above them.

Reno couldn't properly discern the two people moving toward the tents from the distance, but he was sure one of them was his brother James.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The two of them had parted at the airport in the nearest city from here. He had no idea what James had been up to, but probably something business-related. After all, he was the heir to their father's legacy.

He wasn't jealous. In fact, Reno was glad he didn't have to be the one who would bear this responsibility. He knew why James had inherited his task—he was the oldest, and the only biological son their father had. It was only natural to put him in charge.

Reno, either way, was already occupied enough with his career and studies. This was enough to fulfill his desires, even beyond that. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected to have such a bright future one day.

Well, if he had actually turned crazy in the last few days for whatever reasons he probably wouldn't be able to perform his future job anymore. Reno decided he would consult a therapist as soon as possible but not right now - obviously because there was none around at the moment.

But except for that unfortunate cicrumstance, he had also only been a young kid when he had thought that he would never achieve anything even slightly impressive. Back then, he was not aware of his intellect. Maybe if he hadn't been adopted back then and left the orphanage at 18, he would still be working as a doctor in the future or something comparable.

While lost in his thoughts, the figures had moved closer so the people in the tent could make out their faces.

As Reno had expected, one of them was James's all too familiar face, but the other ...

It was another familiar face, but one that he still felt slightly intimidated by. He had not actually expected to see it here. It was his father's.

As the two of them arrived at the tent, Reno was reveling in his own thoughts.

He had theorized that his father had a specific reason to sponsor this operation but couldn't be entirely sure. Now, his father had personally decided to show up at the excavation site, which confirmed his suspicions.

There was indeed more to these ruins. He had already gathered as much in the last few days, though. His appearance only added to their importance.

The grand and mysterious cavern below the ruins, the creepy but fascinating engravings, the elegant -and for its time comparatively grand architecture.

It all was more than he had initially expected.

Slightly caught off guard, a sudden voice threw him out of his mind's labyrinth.

"You good Reno? You look a little beat ... actually, you look terrible. Has the heat gotten to you already?"

In front of him had appeared James, with a wide grin plastered onto his face. The black hair was slightly tossed by the wind of the helicopter from before, looking a little chaotic. In contrast, his sharp blue eyes seemed perfectly composed, a friendly, mischievous spark dancing within them.

He was dressed in a white designer shirt and expensive linen trousers.

Reno took a moment to compose himself as best as he could in the current situation and gave him a slight smirk which didn't really look like one.

"You know I have been wondering the same lately. Maybe I'm not made for this climate. I enjoy the climate of a study or the clinic way more."

James's grin widened, and he threw his arm around his shoulder.

"My bad, my bad. I should have known. You were never really much of an outside person."

They slowly moved through the tent.

"Always curious to explore the galleries of museums and the manor, but when it came to actually venturing outside for a little adventure .. that's when your curiosity stopped!"

They came to a stop in front of the figure of their father who was talking to one of the hired experts.

"Isn't that right, dad?"

Being addressed by his son, the man turned around. He had a similar outfit to James, but it was vastly different. It was way sharper, perfectly ironed, and fitted.

His tall back was sharp like a blade when his cold blue eyes landed on the two young men in front of him. His short white hair wasn't tossed at all like his son's and also seemed perfectly combed as if the wind from before had left it unfaced.

Reno had always found the two of them to be the same person but in different stages of life. One was still in his energetic and experience-hungry youth, the other a more reserved, almost cold, but polite and competent version.

At least, it seemed like it.

Reno had known both of them for a very long time, James even when he was still a child, but he still couldn't quite understand their whole nature. They both had something about them he had difficulty deciphering. It was a little strange, but he had never managed to grasp what it was.

But who really cared about that? They were his family, and more importantly than even that, they were his emotional support pillars and the ones who had made his current life possible.

Their dad gave them one of his all-too-familiar calculating looks, but after a moment, a little smile appeared on his face.

"Yes. I remember this personality trait well. I remember a lot about your two's childhood. You two still have remnants of your younger self showing in your character to this day."

Reno replicated James's grin at his answer, but not as wide.

Then he suddenly spoke, his curiosity and internal unease driving him to get answers to his questions.

"Father, I have a few questions."

The cold blue eyes focused on him, not showing any kind of emotion.

"Questions, you say? I see. But before I answer them, I also have a question for you, Reno."

Suddenly feeling even more tense than he already was he nodded his head.

"Sure ..."

The older man waited a moment. Then he spoke with a calm voice - but Reno still seemed to be able to make out a somewhat irritated undertone.

"Why exactly are you here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your residency training? Besides that, I didn't remember telling you about this project. I'm a little confused."

Reno's body suddenly froze, and he glanced at James, who stood relaxed beside him, his arm still wrapped around his shoulder like he had always done when they were children.