A masterpiece from the past

He was walking through a cave when he heard a voice calling his name, encouraging him to enter despite the eerie atmosphere. The cave seemed menacing, but curiosity drove him forward. Suddenly, he froze in shock—a mountain of corpses lay before him, and atop the gruesome pile stood a figure.

"Who is this person?" he thought. The figure was dressed as a warrior, exuding an aura of power and menace. Before he could react, the figure moved toward him and spoke in cryptic words:

"You have one day left.

You have one day left..."

The ground beneath him split open, and he plunged into darkness, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Amnay jolted awake, drenched in sweat.

"Oh my God, it was just a nightmare," he muttered, breathing heavily.

He climbed out of bed, opened the window, and inhaled deeply, letting the fresh morning air calm his nerves. As he looked out at the garden, a strange feeling stirred within him—an odd mixture of enthusiasm and fear. Perhaps it was the lingering dread from his nightmare, or maybe it was something else he couldn't quite name.

A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Amnay! Wake up!" his mother called.

He smiled and said to himself, "Weird feeling or not, there's no place for it today."

"Okay, Mom, I'm already up!" he called back.

This was Amnay, a university student studying archaeology in his city. He lived with his mother in a small but cozy home. He had no siblings, and his father had died before he was born. His mother often spoke fondly of his father, sharing tales of his adventures and the deep love they had shared.

Amnay took a quick shower, got dressed, and packed his bag with essentials: a notebook, a magnifying glass, and a guide to the city's monuments—a gift from his teacher for excelling in his studies the previous year. Before leaving his room, he glanced at a picture of his father on the desk. For a moment, he felt something unusual, but he quickly shook it off.

"Amnay, hurry up! It's time!" his mother called again.

"Coming, Mom!"

He quickly combed his hair and hurried downstairs to avoid his mother's disapproval for skipping breakfast. In the dining room, he found her spreading jam on slices of bread.

"Good morning, Mom."

"Good morning, Amnay. Today's a big day! You're finally visiting the national museum—you'll see all the historical landmarks you've dreamed of!"

Amnay had earned a special visit to the national museum as one of six top-performing archaeology students. The visit was an extraordinary opportunity to study rare artifacts and even touch exhibits not available to the public.

But as he sat down, his mother noticed his distracted expression.

"Amnay, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, Mom. Just a nightmare."

"Don't let a bad dream ruin your day," she said, smiling.

"You're right. Thank you, Mom," he said, kissing her cheek. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Just then, his phone rang. "Oh, it's my friend. I've got to go."

"But your breakfast!"

"I'll just take this piece of bread. Thanks, Mom!"

"Alright, but don't make skipping breakfast a habit. Have you ever seen an archaeologist faint from hunger?" she teased.

"I promise this is the last time!"

"Good luck, Amnay! Wishing you the best!"

Amnay leaves his mother and goes to meet his friend to go together to the museum. His friend Erna lives far from Amnay's neighborhood. Amnay and Erna have been friends since primary school, and they were neighbors until Erna's family moved due to his father's work. They later reconnected at the Faculty of Archaeology, and now, both have won the opportunity to visit the museum. Erna is the only child of his parents. His father is a famous detective working at the city police station.

Amnay meets his friend Erna on the street where he was waiting for him. Erna is looking at his phone, seeming absent-minded, when Amnay calls him:

"Erna! Erna!"

When Erna sees his friend, his mood changes completely, and he greets him with a smiling face.

"Amnay, good morning!"

"Sorry for being late."

"No worries, I just arrived. I didn't wake up early today."

"Me too, my night was full of nightmares."

"You know, let's just forget all of that and focus on our visit. It's going to be a great day! We'll have the chance to see the time machine."

"I don't believe in that. Time travel is impossible."

"You know the story about the man who disappeared 20 years ago?"

"I don't believe in that myth. They only found some drops of blood and concluded, after analyzing them, that they belonged to a man. But no one knows how this man could have entered the museum or what connection he might have to the alleged time machine. Even if they didn't find certain artifacts in its place, it's all just speculation."

"Maybe you're right, but I believe in your expertise to prove it's not real and just a myth."

"Come on, I'm just a university student."

"Yes, and you're going to visit the national museum, so you're more than just a university student."

Amnay is a hardworking student who loves reading books on all fields, especially archaeology, and is known for his intelligence.

The bus arrives and stops in front of Amnay's house. He usually takes it to go to university, but today the destination is the national museum. Amnay and Erna both board the bus, starting a new adventure, not just in their university life but also in their personal lives.

During the trip, Amnay and Erna continue discussing new research in archaeology, challenges, and the landmarks and artifacts they are going to explore in the museum.

Meanwhile, in the reception area of the museum, five university students are standing, looking impatient—two boys and two girls. They appear to be the students selected for the exceptional visit. An old man is also present, though he doesn't look that old except for his white hair and mustache. The man is speaking to the girl at the reception desk. Then, Amnay and Erna arrive. They ask the man with the mustache where they can find the supervisor in charge of the university students who won the visit. He smiles and says, "Welcome to the museum! I am Mr. Mano, and I will accompany you during your visit. So, you are Mr. Amnay and Mr. Erna."

Amnay wonders how Mr. Mano knows their names, but he doesn't ask and simply thanks him for the welcome, as does Erna.

Now, let's learn more about our students: Assoulil and Assirm, the two boys, and Arinas and Titrit, the two girls. Their expressions change when they see Amnay and Erna, especially Arinas. Mr. Mano asks them all to sit down at a round table in a room next to the reception office. They all enter one by one, with questioning looks on their faces. They sit down, and Mr. Mano enters and says:

"First of all, welcome to the museum. I am Mr. Mano, your supervisor for this visit. You did a great job winning this opportunity—it's not given to everyone. A little about me: I am a retired professor. I taught at the Faculty of Archaeology for ten years. After that, I retired." He lets out a silly laugh, which makes Assoulil laugh too, but he quickly holds it back. "Now, let's get to know each other better. Everyone, please tell us your names and dreams."

Arinas begins:

"Thank you, Mr. Mano. My name is Arinas, and my dream is to collect artifacts from my town, which is rich in history, and write all the information related to them in an encyclopedia." She says this excitedly, raising her voice:

"I want to build my own museum!"

Assoulil laughs again but quickly suppresses it. Amnay seems interested in Arinas's dream.

Mr. Mano encourages Arinas: "Follow your dream, but don't doubt yourself while others are afraid of your true potential. Think about it!"

Arinas responds: "You're right, Professor. Thank you."

Next is Assoulil:

"I'm Assoulil. I love archaeology. I enjoy touching old things and discovering new things. My dream is to solve the mystery of the Indus Valley Civilization."

Mr. Mano is surprised and says: "Nice dream, Assoulil. But here's one important thing: Knowledge is the compass that guides you toward your dreams, and reading is the ship that takes you there. My advice is to know more, read more."

Next is Assirm:

"Hi, I'm Assirm, and I didn't come here to talk about my dreams."

Assirm seems arrogant and not excited for this visit. He is an introvert. Mr. Mano comments:

"You are a star, but remember, even the most brilliant stars shine brighter when their light is shared." Assirm says nothing, showing his lack of interest.

Next is Titrit:

"Hi, my name is Titrit, and my dream is to become rich."

"And what does that have to do with archaeology?"

"It's simple: I'll return artifacts to their original homes, and it won't be free."

"Oh, good luck, but remember, true wealth is not measured by what you have, but by what you give and the legacy you leave behind."

Finally, Erna speaks:

"Hi, I'm Erna, and I'm so excited to see the famous time machine that's located in this museum."

"Interesting. Just remember, time travel exists in the choices you make today; each decision shapes the future and rewrites the past in memory. Move thoughtfully, for even small steps can ripple through eternity."

Now, it's Amnay's turn:

"Hi everyone, nice to know you. My name is Amnay, and my dream is to become a great archaeologist and change the world."

"Changing the world is a noble goal, but remember, changing the world begins with changing yourself. Be the spark that ignites a fire of transformation."

Mr. Mano smiles and says: "Now that we've gotten to know each other, let's start the countdown from ten. You all know it, right?"

Amnay, Erna, Assoulil, Assirm, Arinas, and Titrit are all surprised by the question and think it's a silly test, especially Assoulil. They all answer "yes," and Mr. Mano asks them to begin the countdown. They do:

"Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one."

Suddenly, a ground gate opens, and they all fall, screaming, except for Mr. Mano.