Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)

As the group continued deeper into the tunnel, more and more stone chambers appeared on either side. Each one had been carved out into a small room, no bigger than 45 square feet. Every one of them held a coffin inside.

The sight of those caskets sent chills down Natasha and Chantelle's spines. They stayed close behind Andrew, finding comfort in his steady presence.

Jerry, ever the professional, kept a firm position guarding Tiana's flank without missing a beat. Meanwhile, the two men Logan had brought along were not nearly as reliable.

At first, they kept pace and followed the group without issue. However, as they moved farther in, they noticed gold wares, gemmed ornaments, and ancient oak chests in the chambers.

The two started whispering, greed beginning to take root in their eyes.

"Mr. Keller, aren't we here to find treasure? Some of these items would fetch a fortune if we took them out. Instead of stumbling around in the dark, why not scoop up a few things and make this trip worth it?"

Logan frowned and snapped, "Idiots. I know the stuff here's valuable, but we're still moving. Carrying that junk will just slow us down. And besides, Andy made it clear-nobody touches anything in the side chambers. Got it?"

Reluctantly, the two backed off. However, as they went further, the artifacts only got more extravagant. Later, they passed a hand-sized gold carving and even a gemmed ornament nearly half the height of a man.

Even Andrew was quietly impressed. Whoever was buried here must have held immense status. If this was the level of wealth given to their servants in death, then what would the central tomb hold?

Tiana whispered, "Andy, are we really just gonna pass all this up?"noveldrama

Andrew shook his head. "Mrs. Rhodes, these side rooms are likely the resting places of Blood Ghouls. Sure, the valuables are easy to grab. But some of those coffins are sealed, and who knows if there's a Blood Ghoul sleeping inside? If we disturb one, we'll have a hell of a problem on our hands."

Chantelle nodded. "I agree. We should focus on finding the main tomb or treasure vault first, and then decide from there."

Tiana huffed and rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, if my wonderful son-in-law says so, I'll listen."

Andrew looked ahead and said, "Let's keep moving... the exit should be close. If this really is a royal tomb, then according to traditional burial design we should be coming up on the main gateway or the central plaza just outside the main crypt.

Everyone's heart started racing. They knew they were finally approaching the

most important part of the entire expedition.

Logan glanced over his shoulder,

planning to give his men a warning to stay sharp. He mumbled in surprise, "Wait... where are Lenny and Darius?"

Tiana turned quickly, face hardening. "Damn it. Those two are gone."

Andrew spun around, and his expression darkened immediately. "Let's turn around now!"

Chantelle scowled. "It's obvious that those two idiots definitely went digging through the burial chambers."

The group split up, working their way backward, checking one chamber at a time.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the

path, in a chamber just off the tunnel, Logan's two men, Lenny

Graham and Darius Walsh, were net

grinning from ear to ear. Their faces were flushed with excitement as they stuffed ancient burial treasures into their bags without hesitation.

"Lenny, we've hit the jackpot! We're gonna be rich!" Darius laughed.