Although Arsh was not sure how convincing he would be if Professor Reiner asked how he knew all oabout this symbols, he was going to pin everything on Will again somehow.
"I saw those symbols in the burial chamber I told you about. Will mentioned that similar ones were used as protective symbols in burial chambers. I simply applied something I thought was possible in theory, and it worked... luckily," Arsh said.
The professor thought in silence for a while. Arsh wasn't exactly lying to them. But a voice inside was keep telling him that he should remain silent about the sarcophagus.
"Hmm... okay. Can you draw the symbols for me again?" dedi profesor bir süre sonra.
"Of course," Arsh said, pulling a piece of paper and began to draw the shapes from memory.
"Will said that symbols concentric circles usually have a protective effect. These symbols were in the burial chamber I mentioned," he said, explaining as he drew.
After Arsh finished drawing the symbols and handed over the paper, no one asked anything more about them. For a while, Professor Reiner looked at the symbols in silence with Mes, then turned to the others.
"Now we have another topic to talk about, which also concerns you Arsh. Bera spent the past week researching Professor Millway and Will Jones. Tell us what you found, Bera."
Arsh felt himself tense up at the mention of Millway's name. It had been a week since he arrived, but he hadn't expected them to go after them so soon. Neither Bera nor Mes had mentioned that they had started investigating Millway.
"It wasn't difficult to find information about Millway. He works in the archaeology department at Symran National University. He has many publications and has been involved in numerous excavations in Kurshan. His work is supported by various funds; in fact, there is no one else whose funding is approved this frequently. However, there are some questions among his colleagues about how he manages to get so much funding. From what I understand, some professors at the university are quite bothered by this. Until two days ago, he was in Tirsit, and he left for Hals the other day. But I haven't been able to find anything yet about his excavation in Kurshan."
"As for Will Jones, his health hasn't been very good since returning from Kurshan. He is still being treated in the hospital. The organization mentioned in his notebook is likely connected to Millway, but we still don't know who else is involved or what kind of organization it is. It's probably something related to these funds as well. I'll be looking into those this week... As for the guards accompanying Professor Millway, we don't have any information yet. Arsh, you don't know their names, do you?"
"No, I don't know. I never heard them call each other by their full names. They always called the one in charge 'Captain,' and the others only addressed each other by their first names."
"Okay, then we'll find them together. You remember their faces, right?"
"I remember," Arsh said.
"Of course I remember." There was no way he could forget those faces. When he thought about seeing them again, he felt a strange emotion rising in his chest. It was as if a fire that was already burning inside him was now being fueled by these thoughts.
But his thoughts were interrupted by Bera.
"Now, Arsh... let me tell you about my siuni."
"You can... turn into a panther, right?" Arsh asked, not understanding why he was bringing up the topic out of the blue.
"Not just that. I can also read people's emotions—in a way, I can understand what you're feeling, what's going through your mind..."
"..."
"So, Arsh... I know what you're feeling right now. And I understand the reason. But you won't approach them without me knowing," Bera said.
After a moment of silence, Professor Reiner ended the conversation.
"Rest for a few days and regain your strength. Then, together with Bera, find those men. Arsh, don't let them see your face and keep yourself under control. We're telling you this to prevent you from making a move on your own. I don't want you putting yourself in danger," he said.
...
Everyone left the library while Arsh remained there in silence. He began reviewing everything since his first encounter with Bera—thinking about what he had done, what he had thought, and what he had said whenever Bera was around.
Bera had probably realized that he was hiding something from them. That must have been why he hadn't revealed his ability until now; he wanted to observe him first. But then, why did he suddenly choose to say it now? Was it a warning for him not to act on his own, or was it Bera's way of saying he knew Arsh was keeping secrets?
'Why am I worrying? Did I do something bad or wrong? No!' Still, I couldn't help but feel... kind of naked. To be around someone who could sense your emotions and thoughts—it isn't a nice feeling at all.'
As he was lost in these thoughts, he heard a voice from behind.
"Are you still here?" Mes asked, returning with a few books in her hands.
"Oh, yeah. I was just thinking about a few things. Are you going to keep working?"
"Yes. I'm going to look around and see if I can find anything related to those simtus you just drew. Actually, it's good that you're here. Could you give me some details about the burial chamber? Was it an ancient Kurshan-style burial chamber?" Mes asked.
Arsh could share a few details, but what Mes said caught his attention.
"Simtu… what does that mean?"
"Ah, right… let me explain.You know we use the word siuni to describe the symbols that grant us supernatural abilities. Actually, that word comes from the Nicaean language. Siu means 'touch' and ni means 'god.' So, it literally translates to 'God's Touch.' This is the name given in ancient records to the symbols used by humans. For instance, people who possess a siuni are called siuniran, meaning 'those who bear a siuni."
"The word simtu, on the other hand, is understood to be a combination of the words for 'soul' and 'object.' Unlike humans, objects don't have souls. So, when an object is carved with a simtu, it doesn't provide a channel between a soul and energy. Instead, it simply allows the object to draw energy from its surroundings to fulfill its purpose."
Arsh knew nothing about Nicaean language. It was the most ancient language known to man, yet the meanings of many of its symbols remained a mystery.
As Mes explained these things, Arsh felt his instincts warning him not to share too much. Still, he felt he had to share some details about the burial chamber.
"Actually, there was a writing on the door of the burial chamber. It was Nicaean" he said, taking a piece of paper and writing down the words he had seen on the gate.
Mes took the paper and looked at it intently.
"I... I don't know how to read Nicaean, except for a few words. But I'll try to translate it. If this is truly Nicaean, then the burial chamber must belong to the Nicaean people... But why would something like that be in Kurshan? I need to research this as well. It's fascinating."
Mes seemed completely lost in thought.
"I'll help you. Let's find out together," Arsh said.
"Let's do that. Let's see what kind of secrets history holds."