Chapter 3

Two Years Ago

After sealing Seth back inside his prison and entombing him once again, Lara urgently raced through the gate, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She sprinted up the stairs and skillfully navigated around the sliding blocks, even leaping over them at times. Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the earth beneath her feet, and she heard rocks tumbling down around her. With a sense of urgency, she knew that she had to escape before it was too late.

"I need to get out of here before everything collapses," Lara thought to herself as she quickly surveyed the area.

With the gap in front of her, Lara didn't hesitate and leaped over it, her heart racing as she landed safely on the other side. As she continued through the tunnel, another tremor shook the ground, causing a tile to fall right in front of her feet. She glanced upwards and noticed that some of the tiles were decorated with skulls impaled through their craniums.

Lara knew that she had to move carefully if she wanted to avoid getting smashed by the tiles. With a burst of speed, she raced through the tunnel, jumping over missing stones and carefully avoiding the tiles that she didn't want to step on. Finally, she made it to the other side of the skulled tiles, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.

"I made it," Lara breathed out in relief.

Without wasting any time, Lara dashed through the corners and raced to the left, leaping over a gap on the right. But just as she made it over the gap, a boulder came crashing down towards her. With quick reflexes, Lara grabbed onto the ledge, pulling herself up quickly before rolling out of the way just in time to avoid the boulder.

As she continued forward, she came to a fork in the path, but she knew that she didn't have time to choose the right path. With her heart racing, she quickly made her way to the right, the light of the tunnel's exit finally in sight.

"Now or never," Lara muttered to herself.

But just as she made her way towards the exit, she suddenly fell into a pit, her leg bleeding from the fall. With all her strength, she grabbed onto the edge of the pit, pulling herself up as she gasped for air. She took a moment to catch her breath, leaning against the wall for support.

"I'm out of breath, and my leg is bleeding. This is bad," Lara thought to herself.

But despite the pain and exhaustion, Lara knew that she had to keep going. With determination in her heart, she started to walk towards the exit, leaning on the wall for support.

As Lara hurried toward Werner, she noticed a shadow pass over the doorway. She stopped in her tracks and looked up, only to see Von Croy standing there. Memories of the last time she had seen him flooded her mind, when he was possessed by Seth.

"Quickly, girl!" Werner urged, waving for Lara to hurry.

But before she could make it to him, a powerful tremor shook the ground beneath her feet, throwing her off balance.

"You're back? No more Seth?" Lara asked, pulling herself up.

Werner nodded, but then his expression changed as a gap split the earth, creating a dangerous chasm.

"Your hand, Lara!" Werner cried out, holding out his hand to help her.

Lara knew that this was her chance to escape the crumbling ruins. With no time to waste, she leaped for the opening, barely managing to grab onto a nearby ledge.

"Good to see you again, Werner," Lara said, relieved to have made it to safety.

"I couldn't leave you!" Werner replied, turning away and disappearing from sight.

But as Lara looked around, she realized that she had been left alone once again. Von Croy was gone too, leaving her to face the darkness of the abyss on her own.

Feeling a mix of emotions, Lara closed her eyes and let herself fall into the unknown depths below.

Putai and her father rode their horses to the Great Tomb of the Ancient King, which the Westerners referred to as the "pyramid." Upon reaching their destination, they climbed a hill and concealed themselves behind a dune. From their vantage point, they observed a group of archaeologists toiling diligently to excavate a long tunnel by removing the earth from the fallen rocks of the pyramid. Some were shoveling and picking up heavy boulders, while others loaded crates of various sizes onto trucks and jeeps. It appeared that they had finished their work and were now preparing to leave.

An older-looking man with a limp, dressed in taupe grey, was leading the team of archaeologists. He walked with a jackal stick and was pointing at some of the workers while shouting orders. "Look at those thieves plundering the holy places again," Putai remarked disapprovingly.

"No, this time they're trying to find a missing explorer," the old leader explained, pointing to the man in taupe grey. "That's Werner Von Croy. He's trying to rescue Lara Croft."

Putai spat on the ground to ward off evil spirits. "She freed Seth!"

"For those people, there's nothing sacred," her father remarked.

"Then let her remain buried! She must pay the price!" Putai exclaimed vehemently.

"Seems that's what they're doing. Look at that," her father said, pointing at the drivers closing the back of the truck.

Werner stood in front of the pyramid, bowing his head. He held a dusty backpack in his hands, tears streaking sand down his cheeks. "They left her for dead," Putai's father said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Let those Westerners take care of their affairs."

Putai, a Bedouin woman, returned to the Great Pyramid that night to rescue Lara Croft. Guided by her innate Bedouin senses, she ventured into the dark underground tunnels of the pyramid. As she reached the end of the tunnel set by Von Croy's team, she found that the stones blocking the way had caused her robes to rip and her arms to be injured. Despite this, Putai did not give up and continued to clear the tunnel until she was covered in dust and sweat.

As Putai finally made her way through the tunnel, she found Lara lying on the ground, motionless and covered in dust and blood. Lara's arms and legs were twisted in impossible angles, and her face and lips were covered in cuts and scrapes. Grey vines were creeping up her neck, indicating that she was close to death.

Putai was faced with a dilemma - should she leave Lara to die, or should she try to save her? While the second option seemed better, it was still a difficult decision to make, considering Lara's actions in bringing evil to Egypt by freeing Seth.

As Putai approached the seemingly lifeless Lara, she noticed that she was still breathing. She pulled back Lara's hair, revealing her swollen eyes, and tried to give her water. Lara was barely conscious, but she managed to communicate that she had fixed her mistake and locked Seth up again.

Putai knew that Lara's wounds were serious, but not fatal. She had the wisdom and experience to heal Lara and save her life. She made the decision to rescue Lara, hefting her over her shoulder and carrying her to the camel.

Despite the risks involved in rescuing Lara, Putai's innate sense of compassion and sense of duty to her fellow human being led her to make the difficult decision to save Lara's life.

As time passed, Lara's injuries gradually healed. She was amazed at the healing wisdom of the Bedouin tribe and their primitive ways. Even though some Western doctors had doubted the effectiveness of their methods, Lara fully recovered from her terrible injuries under their care.

With her mobility returning, Lara began to explore the desert on horseback with Putai as her guide. Putai, who had initially been wary of the westerner, started to develop a fondness for Lara as they rode together. Lara was fascinated by the ancient ruins that they came across, but she couldn't shake off her worries.

During one of their rides, Lara asked Putai about the day she had been rescued. She wanted to know why Putai had saved her.

Putai explained that the spirits had spoken to her, and she couldn't ignore their call. Although she had initially wanted to refuse, the spirits had kept pestering her until she did what they asked.

Lara learned a lot from the Bedouin tribe. She immersed herself in their wisdom and traditions, learning how to heal broken bones and survive in the desert without needing food for weeks. They slept on the dunes and stayed away from modern civilization.

Despite her gratitude for their care, Lara still harbored a deep-seated hatred for von Croy. She shared her experiences with the world, but whenever she talked about von Croy, her voice was filled with contempt. Lara taught Putai how to speak French since it was the second official language of Egypt.

After a year and a half had passed, Lara realized that she needed to return to England. Her people still believed she was dead, and she couldn't stay away any longer.

But when Putai mentioned von Croy, Lara's face contorted with rage. "That crippled old man," Putai said.

Lara sneered in response, "Once he was my teacher and mentor...now he's my worst enemy. He abandoned me."

Putai wanted to tell her the truth, but she knew it wouldn't make any difference. Werner had been forced to leave Lara for dead, but he hadn't abandoned her. Lara's hatred towards him was too deep, and she would never forgive him.

In the early hours of the morning, Kurtis lay in his New York apartment, hidden away from his worst enemy, the Cabal. Having narrowly escaped from Gunderson and his men in Europe, Kurtis had sought refuge in the dark and quiet confines of his old residence. As he slept, a knock jolted him from his slumber, the sound growing increasingly insistent.

Groggily, Kurtis opened his eyes and yawned, his mind still foggy with sleep. He pondered who could be knocking at this ungodly hour before casting a glance at the wall clock, which illuminated the room with its soft glow: 4:32 AM.

Determined to investigate the disturbance, Kurtis rose from his bed, donning a pair of pants as he made his way towards the door. With his gun clasped tightly by his side, he opened the door, wary of the unknown visitor. Yet, upon seeing the benign presence before him, Kurtis relaxed, placing his weapon casually on the nearby table.

"Steph?" Kurtis looked up as he heard a knock on his door.

"It's okay, Kurtis. I know it's late," Steph apologized as he welcomed her in and checked the hallway before closing the door behind her.

"Steph, you never bother me," he reassured her, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch. "What brings you here?"

Steph hasn't changed a bit since the last time he saw her.

"Your mother sent me," she began. "She's asking if you would go with her to England."

Kurtis raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Somebody she knew died, and she has no one to go with her," Steph explained. "Your father is planning to ambush the Cabal, and your brother is still in Egypt."

Kurtis sighed. "What's new with my father? Why is William in Egypt?"

Steph shook her head. "Your father wants the Cabal gone, as we all do. As for William, he helped the person who died in Egypt in locating an artifact, but things went awry, and she got buried alive."

Kurtis turned to look out the window, wondering why Steph was really there.

"Yes, let's just say this person and William had been best friends back in their last year of high school," Steph said, trying to diffuse the tension.

Kurtis nodded slowly. "Let my mother know I will meet her there, but she must also know I won't stay long. The Cabal is on my tail."

Steph looked concerned.

"That's a long story for another day," Kurtis answered before she could ask.

"I understand, Kurtis," Steph replied as she stood up and touched his arm. "Just know I'm always a call away if you need to talk."

Steph kissed him on the cheek and left a note in his hand before walking out and closing the door behind her.

Kurtis stared at the paper, reading the words. England, Surrey - Croft Manor - Memorial Service for Lady Lara Croft - Friday afternoon.

"Lara Croft, now where have I heard that name before," Kurtis muttered as he put the paper in his backpack and went to make coffee. He was already awake, so there was no point in going back to sleep.

This trip to England would have to be quick. As he sipped his coffee, Kurtis couldn't help but think that he should have asked Steph to stay a bit longer.