The next day, Reno woke up to the sound of muffled voices and the heavy rumble of machinery outside his tent. He blinked wearily and rubbed his eyes before standing and stretching his limbs. It was around 6 a.m., a time Reno had become intimately familiar with during his grueling years at med school. Early mornings like these were no longer foreign to him, and as much as the setting had changed, the rhythm of his routine felt the same.
With a slight yawn, Reno unzipped the front of his tent, bracing himself as the crisp desert air rushed in. The cold nipped at his skin, surprising him for a moment, but it was nothing compared to the midday heat he knew would soon make the ground beneath him feel like a furnace. He lingered at the entrance, gazing out at the organized chaos of the excavation camp. Dr. Dieb had wasted no time getting everyone on their feet at this early hour, and Reno couldn't help but smile. Dieb's enthusiasm for the work was almost contagious.
'He’s even more excited than I am,’ Reno thought to himself. ‘And this is my first real excavation.' He could understand Dieb’s fervor, though. A generous benefactor like Reno’s adoptive father didn’t come around every day to fund ambitious excavation projects like this one.
Reno’s mind wandered for a moment as he took in the early morning view. The sky was tinged with the faint light of dawn, and the hum of activity filled the air. The scene was peaceful in its own way, even with the machinery and voices buzzing around him. It was moments like these that made Reno reflect on how drastically his life had changed since being adopted. From the crowded, sterile halls of the orphanage, he now found himself standing in the middle of a desert, on a privately financed archaeological expedition, living in a tent that was more akin to a small apartment, complete with a mini-fridge and luxuries he could never have imagined back then. His tuition for med school was fully covered, and his residency was practically guaranteed thanks to the influence and wealth of his adoptive parents. It all still felt surreal to him, but every bit of it was real.
At least Reno knew he had earned his place through hard work. He hadn’t taken any of this for granted. It was a combination of luck and perseverance that had brought him to this point, and he was determined to prove himself, not just in medicine but in everything he pursued.
After finishing his breakfast, Reno changed into the same clothes he had worn the previous day and stepped out of his tent, his mind focused on the day's goal: the excavation site. The rising sun bathed the desert in a warm glow as Reno made his way over the sand dunes. When he reached the top of the tallest dune, he found himself standing at nearly the same spot where he and Dr. Dieb had stood just the night before. However, seeing the valley below in daylight was a completely different experience.
Far beneath him, the flat expanse of sand had been disturbed to reveal a series of tents and a large area marked by stakes where several meters of sand had been cleared away, exposing the remnants of what appeared to be ancient sandstone structures. Reno was no archaeologist but definetely an enthusiast and that was enough for him to be able to decipher that these ruins had withstood the test of time better than most.
As Reno watched, more workers poured into the valley, carrying bags of tools and operating various pieces of machinery. Tents were being set up around the perimeter, and Reno noticed one of the trucks maneuvering closer to the site, a small crane mounted atop its deck. He squinted, trying to discern the crane’s purpose, but shook his head and continued his descent toward the excavation.
With all this activity he almost forgot about yesterday evening's weird experience - the offsetting feeling he had felt ...
Reno pushed the thought away again. No time for dark feelings. He was here to enjoy a vacation - well somewhat, because it was hotter than he had expected.
When Reno arrived at the site, he quickly found someone who could fill him in on the progress. Dr. Dieb had already told him some things but let out all the details. From the conversations he had overheard, the reamaining information gathered in his head.
The ruins were believed to be around 3,000 years old, dating back to the Early and Middle Bronze Age. While the age of the structures was remarkable in itself, it wasn’t what fascinated Reno the most. What truly captivated him—and everyone else on the site—was the vast, mysterious cave discovered beneath the ancient city.
According to the initial scans, the cave was located several hundred meters underground, and while its general structure was clear, the contents remained a mystery. The scans had been unable to penetrate the rocky ceiling and walls of the cave, leaving its purpose and history unclear. Some believed the cave was naturally formed, while others speculated that it might have been created artificially by the same civilization that had built the city above it. The truth remained elusive ...
Like this two days passed in a flurry of activity as Reno settled into the rhythm of the excavation. He spent much of his time observing the work of others, soaking in as much knowledge as he could, though his role was more that of a curious bystander than a true archaeologist. Still, he couldn’t help but be drawn into the excitement of discovery. More walls emerged from the sand with each passing day, and to his amazement, a building—nearly intact—was uncovered deep within a ten-meter pit dug by the workers.
When Reno first saw the building he thought it was stunning. Tall and elegant, constructed from perfectly cut sandstone blocks, the base of, unkown huch much of it exactly, still burried under the sand, it had withstood the millennia better than any of them had expected.
The dome that topped the structure was worn and fragile, riddled with dark, gaping holes that seemed to stare back at Reno like the hollow eyes of some ancient, long-forgotten creature.
It were exactly these holes, or more so the darkness, deep within that made Reno view past the ellegance and beauty of the ancient monument. As Reno gazed down into the pit, a shiver ran down his spine. The wind that had been whistling softly through the dunes seemed to die, as if silenced by the presence of the ancient structure or maybe ... scared to awaken what lay sleeping within it.
Even worse than that the feeling he had been repressing and ignoring since day one emerged again. This time more intense, like a bad premonition.
To Reno's silent dissmay, Dr. Dieb, ever the intrepid explorer, had decided that this particular building would be the focus of their attention today. He was eager to delve deeper into its secrets, but with no visible entrance, the only option was to lower someone through one of the holes in the dome. The crane Reno had noticed earlier had been set up for this purpose, and as he watched the preparations, Reno’s unease began to grow.
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Out of instinct his voice suddenly rang, "Isn't that a little too dangerous, Dr. Dieb?"
Reno's voice was tinged with concern.
Dieb, already fastened to the steel cable and lifted several feet off the ground, grinned down at him. "Don’t worry! I’ve done this many times before!"
Reno wasn’t reassured. In fact, as Dieb was slowly lowered into the largest of the holes, the anxiety - yes, Reno had recognized that the strange feeling was some form of anxiety - that had been simmering beneath the surface grew stronger once more. There was something about the building, about the dark, gaping holes, that unsettled him deeply. He couldn’t explain it, but the closer Dieb got to the abyss, the more Reno wanted to pull him back.
Dieb, however, was undeterred. "And if something happens, you can save me, Reno! After all, aren’t you a doctor?"
Reno wasn’t amused by the man’s casual joke, way too nervous to even react.
He shook his head and gave the old man a strange look. Forecefully trying to convince him now wouldn't hinder him from entering. In all honesty he doubted it would have even worked before that.
Still, his gaze followed the figure as it was slowly lowered into the crevice. Soon, only the steel cable lowering Dr. Dieb remained visible.
Reno felt tense, anxious - more than he rationally should have.
The feeling intensified, growing stronger with every passing moment.
Reno's brows furrowed.
A little longer and he felt his hands tremble almost unrecognizably for a bystander.
Another minute passed, and beads of sweat ran down his back. Yet they weren't caused by the desert heat.
No, he felt cold. Cold in the desert.
He took an involtary step back and tried to clench his fists, in a attempt to stabilize his now clearly shaky hands.
His hearbeat had increased rapidly.
What the hell was going on with him? Where did this tension—no, not tension, this anxiety, he had already confirmed it, suddenly come from? Why as it even there?
It had been there from the start but not this intense as it was right now.
He tried to calm himself down by thinking logically. It would be really uncomftable and emberassing to experience a panic attack in front of the wokers.
So he thought.
Dieb was experienced and tethered to a strong steel cable which could withstand tons of weight. There was no way it would break… but that wasn't what he feared.
His gaze wandered down the structures weathered and brittle but beautiful walls, looming like a dreadful omen.
No, what he feared was something worse than the cable breaking - what he feared was that something inside the structure...
Suddenly, realizing his thoughs spiraled Reno slapped his face so hard he wouldn't be surprised if he would have caused a bruise.
It hurt but it seemingly helped.
"Get a grip, damnit," he mumbled to himself.
How was he going to perform surgeries in the near future if he couldn't control his thoughts and feelings over such a small thing?
He knew he was somewhat paranoid, but this was unlike him. It was comlpletely and utterly irrational. Reno had never experienced panic attacks before.
As he was recovering from the pain, one of the workers glanced at him, confused. "Dr. Schneeberg? Are you okay?"
Reno froze, then shifted his head slightly and gave the man a small nod, his face neutral.
"Of course. I'm just tired. It's how I keep myself awake."
The worker seemed a little stunned but accepted the explanation after a moment of hesitation.
After that, Reno's gaze refocused on the structure, his face now deathly pale.
The slap had managed to throw him out of his stupor but the unease and tension he felt had not wavered. With worry, he inspected the dome, which showed visible damage and thin cracks running along its surface. The darkness beneath was just as foreboding as before.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the crane began to hum once more, and Dieb was slowly hoisted back to the surface.
The moment Dieb’s head appeared over the edge of the dome, Reno felt a wave of relief wash over him, though he still couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong.
Dieb emerged grinning from ear to ear, clearly excited by what he had seen. Yet as he climbed out of the harness, there was something in his eyes that gave Reno pause. Was that a flicker of unease? A shadow of the same anxiety Reno had been battling? Or was he imagening it?
***
A short while later, a few people, including Reno and Dieb, gathered under a nearby tent to evaluate his findings. Dieb had taken a camera with him and was currently enthusing about the pictures he had taken of the dome and the inside walls, which were now being displayed on multiple screens.
Reno listened intently as he studied the images of the building. Most had been destroyed by the passage of time, but some remained in surprisingly good condition.
What was depicted was very intriguing. More than that, it confused the famous archaeologist as well as Reno and the other experts.
They were familiar with the local culture and its history, but the language inscribed on the walls and the strange depictions were absolutely alien to them. The characters seemed unfamiliar, and they couldn't draw any parallels to other historical languages.
"I initially thought these engravings were depictions of gods from this region, as they weren't humanoid at all and didn't resemble any known animals—but no," Dieb exclaimed.
"I have no idea what those are! It's not carved in stone, but it's possible we've found the ruins of a previously unknown civilization! A civilization with its own culture and beliefs!"
Reno studied the depictions with a solemn expression. They were surprisingly detailed and vaguely resembled grotesque creatures with wings and twisted forms. Like Dieb had said, they seemed very inhuman, but not animalistic either.
It wouldn't have been surprising if the ancient inhaitants would have depicted animals or humanoid figures as gods, as many old civilizations had done so. When humans didn't understand something well enough, they often explained it with the supernatural.
Yet these depictions were unsettling. If Reno looked at them too long, a slight shiver ran down his spine. In his current state of mind that was not very comforting.
But for once, he wasn't the only one feeling tense. Some of the people gathered around him wore somewhat dark expressions, at least he thought so.
He tried to suppress his unease still trying to recover from the experience at the excavation site. It had been too intense for him to just forget about it. He didn't really know what to make of it.
Aside from the unfamiliar language and strange depictions, there was something else as well.
Another abnormality were the ruins themselves, or more specifically, the architecture. When Dieb had been lowered into the dome, he realized how immense the structure really was. It wasn't filled with sand on the inside, and it extended farther down than expected. The archaeologist had been lowered more than 15 meters and still hadn't reached the floor.
This discovery raised the unknown civilization's technological status by quite a bit. They hadn't expected such a big structure. To be fair, they hadn't scanned that part of the valley as thoroughly as they had the center, where the initial excavation began. It had been outside the radar zone. But logically, this also meant the city stretched farther than expected.
The cave, situated much deeper underground, was obviously more impressive than this building, but it hadn't been confirmed yet if it was actually constructed by this civilization. No concrete information had been gathered on that yet. However, if it turned out to be artificial, it would be one of the greatest discoveries in decades.
Reno was intrigued but also intimidated, irrational unease running like an undercurrent through his mind.