The campus buzzed with its usual morning activity. Students rushed between classes, but Xi sat at the corner of a busy courtyard, his eyes glued to his astrobiology textbook. Yet, his mind drifted far from the words on the page. His pen tapped the edge of the book as he glanced down at his notebook, where crude sketches of ancient temples and runes filled the margins. He couldn't shake his obsession with the mysteries of the past, even while studying something as forward-looking as astrobiology.
Petra. The thought flickered in his mind again. A few weeks ago, Kaelan had invited him on this trip, and ever since, the ancient city had consumed his thoughts. Petra was more than a tourist attraction—it was an archaeological wonder, with secrets still buried beneath its sandstone cliffs. The idea of walking through the very ruins where ancient civilizations once thrived had felt like a dream. No doubts, no bad feelings—just excitement.
And it wasn't just about Petra. It was Kaelan's dream. Xi's best friend wanted to follow in the footsteps of his parents, who were renowned archaeologists. But Kaelan wasn't content with following; he wanted to surpass them. He often spoke about making a discovery that would catapult him to fame, cementing his name in history alongside the greats. And Xi was happy to help him get there.
---
At the airport, Xi's family stood with him near the departure gate. His mother pulled him into a tight hug, her eyes brimming with both pride and concern. "Be safe, Xi. And don't forget to call."
He smiled, trying to ease her worry. "I'll be fine, Mom. It's just a field trip. Besides, Kaelan's family will be there. You know how safe they are."
His younger sister, Yuki, grabbed his hand, her eyes wide with excitement. "You'll tell me all about the ruins when you get back, right? You promise?"
"Promise," Xi said, ruffling her hair before turning to his father, who gave him a quick nod of approval.
The final boarding call sounded over the loudspeaker. With one last wave, Xi turned and headed for the gate. His heart raced, not out of fear, but out of pure anticipation. He had no bad feeling about this—only the thrill of adventure.
---
Jordan was everything Xi had imagined and more. The warm air hit him as soon as he stepped off the plane, carrying with it a sense of ancient history. Kaelan was waiting just outside the terminal, waving wildly as Xi approached.
"You made it!" Kaelan grinned, pulling Xi into a quick hug. "I've been dying to get started. This place is incredible. You'll see."
Xi chuckled, feeling the energy radiating off his friend. Kaelan had always been passionate about archaeology, but this was different. His drive seemed sharper, more focused.
As they loaded into a jeep and began their drive toward Petra, Kaelan's excitement spilled over. "This is it, Xi. This is my chance to make a name for myself. My parents have already had their moment in the spotlight, but this—" Kaelan gestured out the window, toward the sandstone cliffs in the distance, "—this is my time. I'm going to find something here that'll make me famous."
Xi glanced at his friend, admiring his ambition, but couldn't help feeling that Kaelan's drive to succeed had become an obsession. "Fame isn't everything, you know," Xi said, keeping his voice light.
Kaelan shrugged. "Maybe not for you. But for me? This is what I was born for."
---
By the time they reached the entrance to Petra, the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city's towering rock walls. The Siq—the narrow canyon that led into the heart of the city—was breathtaking, its high cliffs framing their path as they walked deeper into the ancient ruins.
Xi marveled at the beauty surrounding him, the intricacies of the carved stone, the sheer magnitude of the place. "This is unreal," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kaelan smiled, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "Just wait until we get inside. There's so much more to see. My parents have been going on and on about how parts of the city haven't even been touched. If we find something..."
Xi nodded but didn't say much. The deeper they went into Petra, the heavier the air felt. His initial excitement was starting to wane, replaced by an odd tension in his chest. It wasn't fear, exactly, but something close to it—a nagging sense that they were venturing into unknown territory.
---
The following day, the real exploration began. Kaelan's parents led the group through more remote parts of the ruins, where fewer tourists ventured. The air was dry, the sandstone cool beneath Xi's fingertips as he brushed his hand along the ancient walls.
But something was gnawing at him. As they moved deeper into the ruins, the sense of unease grew. He glanced at Kaelan, who seemed oblivious, focused entirely on the task ahead.
"Kaelan," Xi whispered, stopping in his tracks. "Maybe we should head back. This place... I don't know. It feels unstable."
Kaelan shook his head, flashing Xi an impatient look. "Are you serious? We've barely scratched the surface! My parents said there are tunnels and chambers beneath this place that no one has explored yet."
Xi's gut twisted, but he didn't argue. Not yet.
---
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shuddered violently. Xi grabbed onto the wall as the tremor intensified, dust raining down from above. "Earthquake!" someone shouted, and chaos erupted as people scrambled for cover.
Xi's heart raced. He turned to Kaelan, who was frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock. "We have to get out of here!" Xi shouted over the noise.
But Kaelan's gaze shifted. Just behind them, the ground had cracked open, revealing a narrow passageway carved into the rock. It was dark, untouched by light, and it seemed to stretch deep into the heart of Petra.
"This is it!" Kaelan yelled, his fear replaced by raw excitement. "This is what we were looking for!"
"No!" Xi grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back. "It's too dangerous! We need to get out of here before the ground gives way."
But Kaelan shrugged him off, already moving toward the passage. "I can't leave now, Xi! This could be my discovery. My chance."
"Kaelan, please! It's not worth dying over."
But Kaelan was relentless, slipping into the passage despite Xi's protests. Gritting his teeth, Xi followed, unwilling to let his friend go alone.
---
The air inside the passage was cooler, damp, and thick with silence. Xi could barely make out the faint glow of runes etched into the stone walls, their soft light barely illuminating the path ahead. His stomach churned with unease.
"Kaelan, we have to go back," Xi pleaded, his voice tense. "This place isn't stable."
But Kaelan wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on the runes, his breath quickening with excitement. "Do you see this? This is it, Xi. This is the discovery that'll make me the best. I'm not leaving until I find it."
As they moved deeper into the tunnel, the ground trembled again. A sharp crack echoed through the passage as the floor beneath Kaelan gave way.
"Kaelan!" Xi lunged forward, grabbing Kaelan's arm just as he fell. Kaelan dangled over the edge, his fingers gripping Xi's forearm.
For a moment, Xi thought he had him. He strained, pulling Kaelan upward inch by inch. But as Kaelan's feet neared solid ground, something in his expression changed.
Before Xi could react, Kaelan jerked his arm, yanking Xi downward with him. Xi's feet slipped, and with a desperate shout, he lost his grip, falling hard into the dark chasm below.
Kaelan hesitated, his chest heaving with effort as he pulled himself up. A pang of guilt surged through him, but it was quickly drowned out by a far stronger emotion—desperation.
This is my chance, Kaelan thought, his heart pounding in his chest. I've spent my whole life in their shadow—my parents, their discoveries, their fame. No one even knows who I am, but they will after this. They'll know my name.
Kaelan's jaw tightened. Xi had never understood what this meant to him. He didn't have to. Kaelan knew there could only be one name tied to this discovery, one person who would get the credit, and it had to be him.
The guilt flared again, but he shoved it aside, his gaze hardening. He had come too far to turn back now.
"I'm sorry, Xi," Kaelan whispered, barely loud enough for his friend to hear. "But this is my discovery. My time."
---
Pain shot through Xi's body as he hit the ground, his vision blurring from the impact. His head spun as he tried to piece together what had just happened. Kaelan had betrayed him—thrown him down so he could claim the discovery for himself.
Xi's breath came in ragged gasps, the weight of the betrayal crushing him as much as the fall had. "He left me to die."
"How could he do this?" Xi's mind raced, struggling to grasp the enormity of what had just happened. "Kaelan… my friend… he's willing to sacrifice everything. For what? Fame?" The thought burned, stoking a fire of anger and disbelief inside him.
But even as his thoughts churned, Xi's body betrayed him, growing heavier with each passing second. His limbs refused to move, and his vision dimmed. The pain and exhaustion took hold, dragging him into the blackness. "I can't… not yet…" But it was too late. Darkness claimed him.
When Xi awoke, everything around him was still. His body ached, each muscle screaming in protest as he pushed himself upright. His head pounded as he pieced together where he was—deep underground, abandoned, betrayed. For a moment, he lay there, staring at the cold stone beneath him.
"Kaelan… he left me here. All for a discovery. How could he?"
But then, something caught his eye—the faint glow of runes, pulsing softly in the dim light. The symbols seemed to breathe with life, as if they had been waiting for him all along.
He staggered to his feet, eyes fixed on the glowing symbols. "What is this place?" The air felt thick, charged with something ancient. With each step forward, the runes brightened, their energy growing stronger. His fingers brushed the cool stone, and the runes flared to life, casting a warm, golden light across the chamber.
Xi's heart pounded, but not from fear. "This… this is more than I imagined. Could this be the answer? The key to everything I've been searching for?"
As he moved deeper into the chamber, the light from the runes illuminated something ahead—a relic, its surface covered in intricate symbols that hummed with power. His breath caught in his throat. "This is it… this is what's been hidden for so long."
But as Xi reached out, his hand hovering over the relic, the ground beneath him suddenly trembled. The runes flared brighter, their glow blinding for a moment as the walls groaned under the strain.
Xi stumbled back, his pulse racing. "What's happening?" The relic pulsed once, twice, and then everything shifted. Darkness seeped into the chamber, creeping from the edges of the walls, swallowing the light.
A chill ran down Xi's spine. He could feel it now—a presence. Something ancient, something alive, watching him. "What is this?" The thought flashed through his mind, sharp and insistent.
His breath quickened, panic clawing at the edges of his mind. "This isn't just a discovery… this is something else. Something far more dangerous than I ever imagined."
And in that moment, Xi knew.
This wasn't just a discovery.
This was something far more dangerous.