Soe Gyi lay slumped in the corner of the secret room.
His entire body was battered—deep cuts raked across his arms, blood soaked through his torn clothes, and bruises
swelled against his ribs.
His breathing was labored, every inhale sharp with pain. The axe in his hand felt heavier than ever, its handle slick with his own blood.
For a long moment, he stayed still as the silence of the hidden chamber pressed down on him.
Only the faint, rhythmic drip of blood from his elbow broke the stillness.
Finally, he pushed himself up, groaning as his wounds protested.
His back slid against the cold stone wall until he sat upright.
He raised his head, scanning the room.
"...No traps," he muttered under his breath, relief mixing with exhaustion.
His eyes narrowed as the flickering torchlight danced over three ancient coffins resting side by side.
The sight of them stunned him.
His breath caught when he noticed one was already open. Thick dust coated the lids, yet the carvings remained visible—faint patterns depicting the faces of forgotten kings, warriors, or gods.
Soe Gyi wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.
"Three coffins in a hidden room… why are they here? For how long? And whose are they?"
His voice was low, a mere growl.
Pain stabbed his shoulder, forcing him to clutch it. He let out a bitter laugh, his thoughts drifting to the Kyar Ye.
"If that beast had swung one more time… I'd be in a coffin myself."
He leaned his head back against the wall, eyes fixed on the ancient stone, his mind racing. Rest first… then decide. If there's a chance, I'll take it.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, every movement weighed down by agony. His eyes swept the room again, searching for another entrance.
There was nothing. The walls were sealed stone, unbroken. The path he had arrived by had vanished.
"What is this place…?" he muttered, tightening his grip on his axe.
He stepped closer, his torch casting long shadows across the lids.
Dust blanketed them in a layer untouched for centuries, yet the open one made the air feel strangely heavy.
Soe Gyi leaned forward, peering inside. His jaw tightened.
A skeleton lay within, draped in tattered robes that looked like the garments of an old woman. Thin, brittle bones and frail hands were folded across the chest.
He could almost imagine her alive, watching him from the darkness.
"A woman…" he whispered.
"How long have you been here? Were you this tomb's master or his wife? Know that I have no ill intent toward you. I fell down here by accident."
His voice echoed faintly in the sealed chamber. The silence pressed harder, making the air feel heavy in his lungs.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes never leaving the empty sockets of the skull.
"Why is your coffin open?" he asked,
his voice dropping with suspicion, as if expecting an answer.
The skeleton, of course, remained silent. But the longer he stared, the colder the room felt, as though unseen eyes were fixed on him.
Soe Gyi's knuckles whitened on the handle of his axe. Something isn't right. Did someone open it? Or… did she open it herself?
He crouched slightly, studying the first coffin again before moving to the second.
The second coffin was smaller than the first.
He paused, kneeling to brush dust off the lid.
"Maybe… this was for her child,"
he thought quietly. He hesitated, his hand hovering over the edge.
"Should I open it… or not?"
He stood up and paced back a few steps, deep in thought, fingers tapping lightly on his axe handle. After a long moment, he shook his head.
"No… better not."
Soe Gyi turned toward the third coffin. He leaned closer, inspecting it carefully.
"You must be the father… forgive my rudeness," he whispered.
He placed his hands on the lid. With a firm push, he slid it open. Dust rose in a thin cloud as the heavy stone shifted. He stepped back, eyes narrowing, torch held steady.
Inside, there was no skeleton. Instead, an old wooden axe lay covered in cobwebs.
He muttered in disbelief,
"Why… why would someone put a wooden axe in an ancient coffin?" He shook his head and stepped back.
"This is ridiculous. In a tomb that should be full of treasures… someone placed a wooden axe as the prize?"
He crouched to inspect the weapon, turning it slowly in his hands. Dust fell from the handle as spider webs clung to its edge.
He sighed, disappointment heavy in his chest.
After a long pause, he straightened.
"I'll check the second one. Maybe there's more here."
He stepped toward the second coffin and placed his hands on the dusty cover. He pushed slowly, lifting the heavy lid. It creaked loudly. He stepped back, torch ready.
Inside, there was no skeleton. Only empty space.
But then, his eyes caught something. A stone stairway led deeper into the tomb.
"So… this is the entrance," he breathed,
a mix of curiosity and caution washing over him. He stared at the stairs for a long time.
"Maybe there's something I don't understand… a skeleton, a wooden axe, a hidden pathway… they must have a purpose."
He crouched to brush dust off the stone edge of the stairs, scanning the darkness below.
Finally, he reached down and lifted the old wooden axe from the third coffin. Its handle was cold and rough against his fingers.
He straightened, glanced once more at the female skeleton, and carefully closed her lid. The sound of the stone sliding shut echoed softly through the chamber.
Soe Gyi tightened his grip on both his carpenter's axe and the mysterious wooden axe. He leaned forward and stepped toward the stairs.