The twenty-minute ride felt like an eternity to Kemal. As he finally pulled into the university gates, a strange mix of tension and comfort settled over him. He parked his car and made his way inside with determined steps. Without hesitation, he approached the information desk. Behind it sat a woman, peering over her glasses at a glowing screen. "Hello," Kemal said, calm but assertive. "Yelda Kaya… research assistant. Could you tell me which room she works in?"
The woman typed for a moment, scanning the screen. "Third floor, left corridor. Room 317." She returned her eyes to the monitor. Kemal nodded his thanks and began climbing the stairs. With every step, the knot in his stomach tightened. The corridor was dim. He stopped at Room 317 and reached for the handle—locked. His jaw clenched. He hadn't expected this.
"I have nothing to lose," he muttered to himself. He glanced around—silent. No footsteps, no voices. He took a deep breath and raised his arm. His elbow smashed through the frosted glass panel with a loud crack. Shards rained onto the carpet below.
He reached in carefully, unlocked the door, and slipped inside.The air inside was stale, still. Curtains nearly shut, no sign of movement. Everything looked as it should, yet something felt… off.
The room was too clean. Too perfect. Kemal had grown used to clutter—scattered notes, layered documents, chaotic desks. This room was sterile. Like it had been staged. His eyes drifted to the bookshelf behind the desk. One book stuck out—slightly misaligned. Black, unmarked, worn at the edges. He hesitated. Then reached out. As his fingers closed around the book, the door swung open.
A woman stood at the threshold. Shoulders straight under a khaki blazer, files clutched in one hand, her voice cold: "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Kemal froze, but didn't drop the book.The woman pushed her glasses up, scanning him sharply.
This was Begüm Sivri, Yelda's academic advisor. "I... I'm looking for Yelda," Kemal said, voice shaky but sincere. "I'm a close friend. She's been unreachable for days. I'm worried." Begüm paused. Her gaze flicked to the book in his hand. The edge in her expression faded. Her voice dropped to a whisper: "I haven't heard from Yelda in two days either."
Kemal's heart tightened. "She never leaves her phone off… I even went to her place. No one answered. This isn't like her." She fell silent, distant. Then spoke again, as if to herself:"There was also…" She hesitated, then placed a small note on the desk. Her fingers trembled.
Kemal took a step forward. "What does it say?"
Her voice broke: "Stay out of this. This is your first and only warning." The words struck Kemal like a cold blade. He'd received an identical note. "I got the same message," he said. "Two days ago, at the café where Yelda and I were supposed to meet. Did she mention anything unusual before she disappeared?"
"We talked the night she vanished," Begüm replied. "She was… paranoid. She kept saying someone was watching her. She mentioned symbols—figures of a lion and a deer. She said she had to return to the university and dig deeper."
Kemal's thoughts raced. "Did you speak again?" "No. I didn't sleep that night. I called her over and over… no answer. I came here in the morning. Her room was empty. The window was open. I looked outside… but it was just silence." "Do you think something's happened to her?" Begüm whispered. "Or... did the people behind that note… do something to her?"
Kemal looked down, silent for a moment. Then nodded. "I fear the same."
Begüm sighed deeply. "I thought of going to the police," she admitted. "But after reading the note over and over… I got scared. What if they hurt my family?"
"You did the right thing," Kemal said gently. "Don't endanger yourself. Not yet. Not until we understand what this is." He reached into his coat and pulled out the black notebook."I found this… in the bookshelf. It was hidden, like someone didn't want it to be discovered." They opened it together. Page after page was filled with scribbled writing in what appeared to be Akkadian. Sketches of lions, deer—some partially burned, others water-damaged. One page stood out. Edges charred, the center stained with what looked like dried blood.At the center, written in bold, uppercase :
"The Eighth Gate Opens, the Lion Awakens.The Deer Dies, the Goddess Is Born.The Cycle Completes."
Begüm leaned closer, her face pale. "What does it mean?" she asked. Kemal stared at the words, as if waiting for them to shift or reveal a secret. He finally spoke, steady but unsure: "I don't know yet… But we may have found our first real clue." He closed the notebook and tucked it back inside his coat. "Tell no one about this. Not your colleagues. Not your family. For now, it's just you and me."
Begüm nodded nervously. "I'll study these symbols, these texts," Kemal said, heading for the door. "If I find anything, I'll let you know."
As he left, one line kept echoing in his mind:"When the eighth gate opens…"