Murat moved forward. Slowly at first. Then faster. The passage began to widen, the ceiling lifting just enough for him to stand upright. His flashlight beam bounced across the walls, revealing rough stone that didn’t look like part of his house at all. This was different. Older. Carved. The voices came again. Closer. Murat turned his head, trying to follow them.
“This doesn’t make sense…” he whispered. He took another step—and his foot struck something. A dull metallic sound echoed. He looked down. An object lay half-buried in dust. He crouched, brushing it off. A pot. Metal. Worn. Cold to the touch. Murat straightened slowly, sweeping the light around. There were more. Scattered along the edges of the passage.
Not random. Placed. Used. He took another step forward. The tunnel curved slightly. Then opened. The light stretched further now, revealing something beyond some small secret space built near his garage and it was a lot more than just a passage. Murat’s breath caught.
The voices shifted again, echoing from deeper inside. Pulling him forward. And without thinking he followed.