Adrian’s eyes adjusted to the pitch-black tunnel, the only light coming from the weak beam of Alex’s flashlight. All he could make out was Alex’s creepy smile and glowing red eyes.

  The scene was giving him the creeps.

  Without thinking, he reached out, took the bag from Alex’s hand, and pulled the flashlight free. Flicking it on, the steady beam cut through the darkness.

  He slung the bag over his back and faced Alex, who still had the creepy smile.

  "So what now?" Adrian muttered, yanking the strap tighter.

  His smile just grew wider. “Lead the way.” Alex’s voice dipped, almost playful. He paused, studying Adrian’s shocked expression. “I’ll follow.” He grinned wider.

  "Hell no." Adrian shook his head.

  Adrian stood frozen, hoping it was all just a joke. One minute passed, then two, still nothing. Alex remained standing there. He made a deliberate gesture with his hand: move.

  Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Fuck.”

  “What was that? Didn’t catch it,” he said with a mocking tone.

  Adrian took the bag from his shoulder, unzipped it, and reached inside to grab the map, unfolding it carefully. His eyes scanned the faded lines and markings once more, trying to steady his nerves.

  Adrian’s eyes flicked back up from the map, and with a bitter edge, he muttered, “What could go wrong?”

  He glanced left and right, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

  “Which way’s the entrance?” he asked, voice low but steady.

  Alex just stared at him for a few moments. "Behind us." Alex didn’t even blink.

  Adrian started moving forward with Alex following close behind.

  Walking ahead, Adrian kept mumbling to himself,

  “Two left, two right, then left.....two left, two right, left”

  Hearing him, Alex just shook his head, amused.

  Walking ahead, Adrian scanned the tunnel walls and floor, his eyes darting in the flashlight’s beam as he continued mumbling.

  The tunnels had no natural light; it was eerily dark. The air was stale, and it was odd to breathe. There were some mushrooms along the walls, even on the ceiling. Black with some white spots.

  Adrian didn’t know much about mushrooms, but he instinctively avoided them. After all, he was trapped in a dark tunnel with nothing but debris, strange fungi growing from the cracked walls, and Alex.

  And also… yeah, they just looked wrong.

  He thought. It was creepy enough.

  In some spots, patches of grey caught in the light.

  Adrian stepped closer to one of the larger patches, curiosity pulling him forward. Just as his hand reached out to touch it, Alex’s voice shattered the silence—

  “NO!”

  He froze the moment he heard it. He slowly turned his head towards Alex. Alex looked at him, and he just started laughing, clutching his stomach.

  Adrian’s heart was pounding louder than it ever had before. His hand, still reaching for the grey metal, trembled.

  What followed was a lot of swearing and avoiding stones getting hurled in your direction. Then they continued on, Alex clutching his shoulder and grimacing with each step, his face twisted in pain.

  Adrian had checked the grey surface earlier, and it was definitely some kind of metal. It passed the smack test with a dull, solid thud.

  Then they arrived in the first chamber, which was huge, easily the size of a small theater. In the center stood a stone casket. Or at least, it looked like one. Strange symbols were etched into the walls, forming lines of a language Adrian didn’t recognize.

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  The portions of the walls that remained intact were unexpectedly beautiful. There was an otherworldly edge to them, something almost… sacred. He couldn’t quite put it into words.

  Adrian didn’t know why he felt that way. The thought just surfaced, uninvited.

  He moved along the walls, his flashlight cutting through the gloom as he traced the intricate carvings with his eyes. His sense of adventure sparked, sharper than ever.

  Alex looked at him like he’d been expecting this all along. Still, he didn’t interrupt. He let Adrian explore at his own pace. The job wasn’t urgent.

  After circling the entire chamber, Adrian finally moved toward its center, his eyes sparkling with excitement. The stone casket was massive, larger than a car. It was almost gray, coated thickly with dust that had settled over the years. He slowly approached, taking in every detail with cautious eyes.

  He stood before it, hand reaching out to touch the stone casket. But he hesitated, holding his hand in midair. Slowly, he turned his head toward Alex, who still stood near the chamber entrance, watching him with keen interest.

  He didn’t even need to ask the question running through his mind. Alex understood it and simply nodded, silently permitting him to touch it.

  His hand extended further, slowly brushing against the stone casket. It was cold, like touching ice. He carefully wiped away the dust with his palm, revealing a jet-black surface beneath. It seemed to swallow the light around it.

  He wiped away the dust from the entire side facing him, revealing the smooth, dark surface beneath. The same symbols that lined the walls were etched onto the casket’s surface. It didn't look or even feel like a stone. It was unnervingly cold to the touch, almost like ice, and it seemed to swallow the light around it, absorbing everything, except the symbols, which reflected the faint glow, shimmering softly against the dark surface.

  He glanced back at Alex, his gaze questioning and uncertain. “So, what is all this?” he asked. His voice carried a note of excitement.

  Alex looked at him for a few silent moments.

  “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.

  Adrian looked disappointed, but before he could question further, Alex continued.

  “I’ve talked with everyone I know who frequents the underground. There are plenty of theories, but nothing’s really certain.”

  He started walking toward the center, continuing as he went.

  “They say the casket is why this place got the name ‘The Crypts.’ It’s one of the few things everyone seems to agree on.”

  He approached the casket, his hand silently caressing its surface.

  “There are quite a few of these, almost one in every chamber.” A subtle glint flickered in his eyes.

  “The funny thing is, they’re indestructible. Everything else shows signs of damage, wear from the passage of time. Only the caskets remain untouched, not a single scratch.”

  Adrian’s eyes widened as he studied the casket again, his curiosity renewed. He traced its surface with his hand, as if trying to find something to disprove the absurd theory. But there was nothing. Only smooth surface, with the symbols slightly raised.

  Alex fell silent, letting Adrian come to his own conclusion. He watched with a knowing expression, as if he had gone through the same realization when he first heard it.

  After a moment’s pause, he continued, a smile playing on his lips.

  “Try opening it.”

  Adrian glanced at Alex, then back at the casket. Slowly, he slid his hand from the top down to the seam where the two parts met, the opening.

  He placed his hand on the edge and slowly began to push. But it didn’t budge, not even a fraction. A frown crept across his face. There was no give, no movement whatsoever.

  He adjusted his grip and pushed harder. Still, not even the slightest movement. He glanced back at Alex, asking for a hand, but Alex just shrugged.

  Then he braced himself, planting his feet and pushing with everything he had. The strength of a malnourished kid from the slums. But it still didn't move.

  Alex chuckled, picking up where the conversation had left off.

  “And they say,” he let the words hang for effect, “no one’s ever managed to open one. But plenty have tried.”

  His chuckling continued, low and amused.

  Then they continued, and they passed the first two left turns. There was nothing really interesting after the first chamber. The tunnels looked much the same, some better preserved than others, but nothing really caught his eye.

  After teasing him a bit, Alex finally explained what he knew about the chamber and the underground in general. He told him multiple theories he had heard.

  Some believed it was the work of an ancient civilization long forgotten. Others swore it came from something not of this world. Others claimed it was a burial site, the caskets serving as coffins for powerful figures long forgotten by time.

  There were many intriguing theories, and Adrian found himself fascinated.

  He had always loved solving puzzles. His father used to bring him a new one almost every other week, and whenever he was home, which wasn’t often, they’d sit together and work through them. Those moments were rare, but when they happened, they were everything. Solving puzzles, watching documentaries, and helping with homework, his father always made the most of the time they had.

  A small smile appeared on his face. Those were the times he remembered most fondly. His father would always talk to him about his work, about new discoveries. He rarely understood much of it, but that didn’t matter. He loved every second of it.

  But they didn’t have much time together; the world took him far too soon. Adrian missed it all... every moment.

  The smile on his face never swayed. He’d long since come to terms with it. Whenever these rare moments came, memories of his father and mother would resurface. He did his best to savor the time they had together, refusing to let darker thoughts spoil his mood.

  One of the things that moved him most was the idea that there were more Crypts scattered around the world. At least, that’s what Alex told him. He wasn’t certain, but he’d heard it from several people.

  Information about the Crypts wasn’t exactly kept secret, but it wasn’t talked about either on the radio or on television.

  He was genuinely interested in learning more about them, but for now, he knew his resources were limited. Maybe in the future, if things improved, he’d have a better chance.

  He really hoped that would be the case.