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The last piece of the puzzle- a magnificently complex thing with wires and delicate glass bits slid into place with a silent click that Morgan felt in their fingertips.
The massive metal doors the puzzle was set in shook and cracked open, letting out a gust of cold dry tomb air.
This was by far the most elaborate tomb Morgan had ever seen anywhere. Egyptians usually just made some false doors and chambers and called it good.
But they-ok Ohio but Morgan had stolen it right away- had found the map to this particular tomb inside a stone tablet that was actually another puzzle. It was reportedly the tomb of some pharaoh who was maybe mythical. Morgan had only half listened to Ohio ramble about it before tricking them onto the wrong flight at the airport.
He was probably in Finland by now, maybe if he was lucky he was already on another flight to Egypt.
The weirdest thing though was that all these puzzles had been two way? As Morgan pushed the heavy metal doors open this last puzzle was the same. It was almost like whoever had built the tomb had been just as worried about keeping something in as they were about keeping people out.
Morgan chuckled to themself, now was not the time to be making up spooky stories.
There was a thin sheet of linen- remarkably intact considering it's age- over the doorway. Morgan carefully brushed it aside, revealing a magnificently decorated room full of gold and precious -expensive- artifacts.
Morgan mostly ignored the frescos- though one figure on them caught Morgan's eye. You didn't usually see Egyptians depicted with hair that long. Their eyes were weird too…
But that was something Ohio could ponder when he finally arrived. Morgan turned their attention to the grave goods… and the sarcophagus.
The mummy would probably be the big ticket item- provided it was in good shape.
It took forever for Morgan to lever the heavy stone outer sarcophagus, but finally they were able to see the coffin. It looked beautiful- gold and bright enamel extremely well preserved.
That probably meant the mummy was in good shape too… Morgan didn't need to open it.
But they could.
They'd be the first person to see this mummy in thousands of years…
...
The inner coffin opened easily, Morgan carefully sliding it fully out of the way before looking at the mummy-
It looked pristine , utterly perfect. The body still looked lifelike, more like there was a living person wrapped up in there, not just a desiccated corpse.
As Morgan was examining the wide beaded gold collar on the mummy… it twitched.
Morgan leapt back. The world seemed to slow down as they did. In the coffin the mummy raised it's arms, fingers stretching out like claws. And in one fluid, far too fast movement the mummy sat up.
It brought its bandaged hands up to its face, and to Morgan's horror began ripping the bandages away.
They caught a glimpse of glowing yellow eyes before the world went dark.
Morgan woke up not five minutes later, flat on their back on the tomb floor.
They groaned and looked around, what had… the mummy, face now fully uncovered, was leaning on the edge of the sarcophagus looking down at them, chin resting on their still wrapped arms.
This must have been some kind of elaborate prank, Morgan thought. The 'mummy' was just some pretty asshole in a costume.
They certainly looked the part, Morgan would admit. Warm brown skin, black hair- ok the glowing yellow eyes were weird…
The mummy said something in a raspy voice, then coughed and repeated it in a much more melodious tone.
"I have no idea what you just said." Morgan told them.
The mummy sighed and disappeared from Morgan's view for a moment before Morgan got a ground floor view of them climbing out of their coffin.
Their bandages were slowly coming unraveled, revealing more brown skin and a white wrap around their waist.
Morgan sat up. "You aren't a prank are you? This is some magic shit."
The mummy crouched beside them and cocked their head.
Then they reached out and snagged Morgan's hat off the ground and put it on their head.
"...Well at least you aren't trying to eat me."
The mummy hummed and then reached out and pressed their first two fingers to Morgan's forehead. Their fingers were warm.
"What-"
The mummy pulled their fingers away, a long translucent wisp clung to them. A wisp that had come out of Morgan's brain?? The mummy pressed their fingers to their own forehead next. The wisp disappearing into their skin.
"Did you just steal my English language knowledge or something?" Morgan asked.
"If I stole it you wouldn't still be able to speak would you?" the mummy said. "I copied it."
Then they made a face. "This language feels gross. I hate it." they added.
"Me too buddy." Morgan said. "So um, how old are you?"
"What year is it?" they asked.
"...I have no idea what the year is in Ancient Egyptian." Morgan admitted.
" Ancient Egyptian?" the mummy frowned. "Sounds like I overslept…"
"This is all fascinating but I don't know enough information about Egypt to help you out… I'm gonna have to call Ohio." Morgan realized.
They probably weren't going to be selling any of these artifacts either. Not with their apparently magical owner still hanging around.
"Ohio?" the mummy asked.
"Yeah he's my nemesis… but he's more knowledgeable about this shit than I am." Morgan stood. The mummy was taller than them.
"By the way, I'm Morgan. Do you have a name?"
The mummy blinked. "Yes."
"...And what is it?" Morgan prodded
"I definitely remember." the mummy lied. Like obviously lied. Morgan had never seen anyone over the age of six lie so badly.
"...Well, do you want to wait here or back at my hotel with me?" Morgan asked. They could just be 'the mummy' a little longer.
"When would your nemesis be here?" they asked. “I’ve been in this room for too long.”
“Hotel it is.” Morgan said. "Right this way your Mummyness."