Levy POV

We passed by new guards that arrived to fill in their shifts as we walked with our class. The sun was gaining, illuminating the top of the old half destroyed castle that sat in the east, not to far off from where we were.

I ignored my suddenly speeding heartbeat as we neared the tomb, the others right behind me. Long hours of studying and extra credit for this trip were about to pay off. Professor Gildart's had been clear that only the BEST of his students were going on this trip, and to be the best at something when it came to Gildart's spoke volumes. So, not to toot our own horns or anything but, it turns out that Erza, Lucy, Juvia, and I just happen to be the some of the best. (But I guess the extra credit did help some too)

We grinned at each other excitedly as the tour guide gave an elaborate description of what was inside the tombs. 'Ugh, who cares just let us in already!' I thought while shifting from foot to foot in anticipation.

This was a college archaeological trip, aside from getting to travel and getting to see amazing never before seen artwork of the past, an experience like this looked really good on a resume, it shows diversity. Plus, Lucy, Erza, and Juvia were all excited to go as well and there was no way I'd pass on an opportunity to travel with my best friends.

After what felt like centuries of endless talking- the guy really likes the sound of his own voice- he finally began to lead us in. Eagerly, I step forward, only to be tugged back sharply by Erza. "Come." She commands while dragging me away. (As if I have a choice -.-)

"B-but the tomb!" I exclaim."We worked so hard to come on this trip to see the tombs and ancient artifacts! They only recently found this tomb a month ago! We're the first of the public to see it! "

"Lucy found a something better."

"Better?! It usually takes more than a year for these people to clear the tombs for the public!! Do you have any idea how many strings Gildart's had to pull for this trip to even happen?! How could there be anything better?!" I practically shrieked.

Erza's grip on me loosened and she stopped dragging me long enough for me to reclaim my arm. She turns and flashes me a wicked grin that screams trouble.

"How about an undiscovered, never before opened tomb."

Lucy POV

Pausing for a moment at the entrance of the tunnel, I took a deep breath, bent down, and crawled through the well hidden, practically invisible, entrance. "Glad I decided wear jeans today." I muttered as I dusted myself off. There was a dim light that illuminated the tomb from above, giving the place an almost angelic glow to it.

"Whoa..." Juvia said wide-eyed crawling in after me.

Yeah, 'Woah' was right. The guide had gone on and on about the other site our classmates were currently in, but there was no way it could rival this tomb. The colors were magnificent, some of the best we'd seen, if not THE best. Bright. And so many of them…. Men and women, black stick figures depicted feasts, hunts, battles.

I stared along one wall and then another, mouth agape, as Levy, the last and most reluctant of us came through the tunnel.

Juvia POV

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Levy said, trailing off as she fully stands and takes in all the artwork.

Awestruck we stare the tomb and its priceless artifacts in silence, circling slowly. I'm careful not to brush against the wall or artifacts as I gaze around. A certain image almost immediately catches my attention. It was a portrait of four fierce warriors. One with ice shooting out of his hand, beside that one was one with fire pouring out of his mouth, below him there was one that seemed to be eating...metal? And the last one had meteors and stars around him. Each warrior had a sophisticated and intricate circle around them, each its own color. I gaped at it for a long time, mind whirling.

'Could it be... But that's impossible!'

"Juvia has found something!" I whisper while pointing at the image. Lucy gasps loudly, visibly shaken by what she saw.

"W-what the?!" Levy stammered as she quietly approached the image, completely shocked.

"W-What is this?!" Erza uttered, her face completely blanche.

"What that over there?"

Tearing our eyes away from the image we look to the far right of the warriors to where Lucy was pointing, where there was an illustration of some sort, and dents in the walls. Approaching the corner we realize the illustrations are a star, a water droplet, a book, and armor and those dents beside each illustration were actually handprints.

Entranced, I unconsciously lifted my hand to the water print, from the corner of my eye I could see Erza doing the same with the armor image. It seemed familiar, somehow. Like I'd seen it before, even though I knew I hadn't. I vaguely hear Levy's sudden intake of breath.

"We could get in serious trouble for touching that!" Lucy hissed, striking me out of my daze. I immediately pull my hand back from handprint as if it burned me. The higher up's would kill us if they found out that we were touching anything in here! The oils from our skin and ancient paintings were never to meet; it was a cardinal rule at the sites. I knew this. We all knew this. But still, I couldn't resist.

"Erza!" Levy exclaimed, "Stop touching it! We worked too hard to be qualified go on this trip for it to be taken away from something this silly!"

But Erza seemed dazed and confused as she reluctantly removed her hand from the wall. She stared at her hand and then back at the wall while murmuring "It's a perfect match... and the wall... it's warm."

Levy's hazel eyes changed from that of anger to confusion. "Stone can't be warm. Especially not here."

"Maybe there's a hot spring on the other side." Lucy suggested.

"Thought of that. But I doesn't smell any sulfur, do you?" We all took a big whiff of the air. No, just your standard everyday tomb- with odors of water evaporated on old stone. "And it's just the handprint that's warm. This handprint that fits mine."

"Juvia agrees!" I say while nodding eagerly. "When Juvia touched her handprint it was also warm!"

I step back and look again to the prints on the wall again. The upper left one fit my hand and the one beside it fit Erza's, but the ones below it were a bit smaller. I reach over and touch then. They were normal temperature, the cool stone that you'd expect in places like this. "Hey, Lucy, Levy. Come here. These top prints fit Juvia's and Erza's hand, but the ones below them are too small." I glanced from the print to them. "You try it."

Lucy glanced at me and then toward the tomb entrance to my right. Lucy chewed on her lip nervously. "We came in here only to see and explore, not to contaminate ancient artifacts."

"Besides," Levy anxiously states. "What if we get caught?!"

"They don't even know about this place! Go on, try it. It's so weird, touching a handprint from someone who's been dead for a couple of thousand years." Erza reassured them, while reaching out to touch her print again.

I knew before their fingers were settled within the lines that it would fit as surely as the other print had fit mine.

"I thought you said this one was cold," Lucy said.

"Juvia did."

"It's-it's warm," Levy said in wonder.

"Your's too?" I frowned and leaned to put my hand on the print that fit mine again. "When Juvia touched it-"

My voice broke off because something odd was happening. The room was circling, slowly, on its own. The paintings on the wall stretching and distorting. The wall was getting warmer. I tried to tug my hand away, but it wouldn't budge.

We all cried out each others names in terror as the stone beneath our hands got hotter.

I looked up, to where the light was leaking through, but its was slowly dimming and brightening.

There was no sound. I couldn't even hear our yells any longer.

My mind raced. Handprints that fit our own. Heat where there should be cold. A room spinning, faster and faster about us. A tomb built three or four hundred years before Christ came to earth. Are we…

I glance up again. The light was brightening and dimming faster than ever before. We had to stop it.

I looked up again just as Erza did, making eye contact with her, silently telling her to get ready, since we couldn't speak. She nodded at me telling me she understood. I had to put my foot on the wall and yank with all my strength. I feel something snap as I break the connection, but I don't let that distract me as I wrap both arms around Lucy, Erza doing the same with Levy, yanking them back as we fall, but as my shoulder collides with the floor, I knew I didn't have her. My arms were empty. And so were Erza's.