The ibis

The image to left is of an ibis, a sacred bird in Ancient Egypt. This ibis is in flight, its wings and curved beak outlined by stars. Its feathers are dusted with nebulae that seem to shimmer as you look at them. The ibis' eye is a red star that twinkles, as if it's winking at you. The star ibis flies towards you, growing larger and larger until it takes up your whole field of view. Its red eye grows too until you are blinded and have to fall back.

A gentle hand lifts you up from the ground and deposits you on your feet. You look at the person who helped you and your head cranes back as you stare up at the giant of a man. At first, it seems like his head is that of the ibis you saw, his eyes glinting red in the light, but when you blink, you realise that he has a human head with iridescent black hair that seems to shine with blue glow. The man has dark skin and dark eyes, and is dressed in traditional Ancient Egyptian style – bare-chested except for a bejewelled neck collar. In his right hand, the man carries a sceptre.

"Wh-who are you?" you ask him.

"I am Thoth, god of the moon and wisdom", he replies. "There's no need to introduce yourself – I know who you are, Marcus Fairburn."

"Can you get me out of here?" you continue hopefully.

Thoth shakes his head.

"Not in the way that you would like", he explains. "You have chosen your path and must complete it. But", Thoth adds with a wry smile, "I will help you on your journey. I am allowed that one leniency."

Thoth taps the stone at his feet with the sceptre and vanishes.

The telescope begins to glow, a red light shining out from the eyepiece. Your eyes follow the beam of light to where it ends – directly where the god had been standing. Instead of bare stone, you see a lever that looks suspiciously like Thoth's sceptre. Nonetheless, you thank the god and walk over to the lever. When you push the lever, you hear a rumbling from one of the other rooms. You hope that you did the right thing.