A masterpiece from the past

Amnay was really surprised. He had always believed his father was dead—that's what his mother had told him. And now, during an adventure with his friends, he was confronted by a man who claimed otherwise.

"Wait, what are you trying to tell me?" Amnay asked the man who bore an uncanny resemblance to his father.

"I am your father, Amnay—your father, Amayk," said the man, his voice firm yet emotional.

"But I thought my father was… dead. That's what my mother told me," Amnay replied, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"Yes, she had to tell you that," said Amayk gently. "She believed it was the best choice. I disappeared twenty years ago, and she wasn't sure whether I was alive or dead. She couldn't bear to let you live with false hope, so she made the painful decision to protect you from uncertainty."

"But my mother never lies to me!" Amnay protested, his voice rising.

"This was for your own good, my son," Amayk explained patiently. "Imagine living with the constant hope that one day your father might return—or worse, fearing that he lost his life in some unknown place. She wanted to spare you that anguish."

Amnay couldn't believe what he was hearing. The surprise on his face refused to fade, and his friends tried to calm him down. The sheer shock of this revelation was overwhelming. What started as a visit to the national museum had spiraled into a whirlwind of events: the mission given by Aguilas, the visions of his crimes, the death of Assirm, and their time travel to 2005.

"Calm down, Amnay! We can't believe this man just because he looks like your father," Erna said, her voice steady. "Father, what brought you here? Can you explain what this man is saying?"

"No, he is absolutely right, my son," Erna's father, Gart, said solemnly.

"But how is this possible?" Arinas asked, her voice tinged with doubt.

"I will explain everything to you," Amayk said. "But first, let's leave this place. There's a comfortable room upstairs where you can rest. Travel has been hard on all of you."

"But what about Mr. Aguilas? I'm afraid he might still try to harm us," Titrit said nervously.

"Don't worry," Gart reassured her. "Aguilas has been arrested. He will pay for all the crimes he committed."

"Let's go," Amayk said, placing a comforting hand on Amnay's shoulder. Amnay still looked uneasy but didn't resist.

Amnay, Erna, Arinas, Titrit, Assoulil, Amayk, and Gart left the room, leaving behind a haunting, unforgettable memory. The myth of the time travel machine had become real, taking them on a journey that was both the worst moment of their lives and one of the greatest adventures they could ever experience.

They arrived at the place where they had first met Mr. Mano, but this time, they used an elevator. Seated in the room with Amayk and Gart, Assoulil couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"I still can't believe all this! How did they even arrest Mr. Aguilas? Where did they get the documents?"

Amayk turned to the group, his eyes focused on Amnay. "Listen carefully, especially you, my son," he began. Amnay, however, showed little interest.

"Twenty years ago, your mother and I were living peacefully in our home. I was working as a detective."

"A detective?!" Amnay exclaimed. "How is that possible? My mother never told me that!"

"It's understandable," Amayk replied. "She probably didn't want you dreaming of becoming a detective. If you had, you might have encountered my friends and discovered that I was investigating Aguilas' crimes."

Amnay said nothing, and Amayk continued.

"Yes, I was investigating Aguilas. He made his fortune by stealing, killing, and trafficking artifacts from around the world. One day, we received a report from someone near Aguilas' castle. They'd heard a gunshot, but none of the detectives wanted to investigate—they were all afraid for their lives. I took the risk and sneaked into Aguilas' castle, determined to uncover the truth."

Amnay recalled the artifacts he and his friends had found while searching for the time travel machine.

"For the first time, I discovered that Aguilas' wife wasn't at home. I started asking around—at hospitals, among her family—but I couldn't find anything. I began to suspect that Aguilas might have killed her."

"No! That's impossible!" Arinas and Titrit gasped.

"The criminal! Killing people must be his hobby," Assoulil muttered.

"Yes, after extensive research, I found the truth—Aguilas had indeed killed his wife. But I needed proof. I asked my friend Belk to infiltrate Aguilas' castle by pretending to be a driver looking for a job. His real mission was to gather evidence. Unfortunately, Aguilas was very clever. He'd been watching me ever since he realized someone was asking questions about his wife.

"One day, I woke up early, with no work to do. Your mother surprised me," Amayk said, looking at Amnay. "She told me she was pregnant. I can't describe my happiness—I was the happiest man alive. I hugged her and told her she'd be the most beautiful mother in the world."

"And she was," Amnay whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

Amayk paused for a moment, his eyes distant. Then he continued, "I was so overjoyed that I went to the supermarket and bought every baby item I could find. But as I left, a group of unknown men arrested me. Aguilas had me kidnapped and locked me in the same place where you later searched for the time travel machine. He threatened me, demanding that I abandon my investigation. But I knew Belk was close to finding proof. He'd discovered bloodstains in Aguilas' bedroom that matched his wife's blood type. That gave me the courage to hold on, even as Aguilas beat me until I bled."

"Wait! Are you saying the bloodstains they found in the museum belonged to you?" Erna asked.

"Yes, they belong to Amayk," Gart confirmed.

 "Aguilas confessed all his crimes to me," Amayk continued. "He was confident he'd kill me eventually or force me to give up. For him, killing people was easier than drinking water."

"And he told you why he killed his wife?" Arinas asked hesitantly.

"Yes. His wife was a good woman who fell in love with him, unaware of his crimes. But over time, she began to suspect him. She eventually discovered his artifact thefts and even saw a video of him killing one of his own men. She demanded a divorce, but Aguilas refused—not out of love, but because he feared she'd expose him. Their argument ended with him killing her."

"Are there really people like him in this world?" Arinas asked, horrified.

"Yes, unfortunately," Gart replied. "That's why punishment exists."

"But what does all this have to do with the time travel machine?" Amnay asked.

"You're right to ask," Amayk said. "After refusing to give up, Aguilas gave me a week to think it over. During that week, I was left alone, hungry and thirsty. While searching for something to eat or drink, I found something strange—a book."

"A book? What kind of book?" Titrit asked.

"It was a book describing how to find the time travel machine. But it was written as a puzzle to solve," Amayk explained.

"Wait! Like the puzzle we solved together?" Erna exclaimed.

"Yes, exactly," Amayk said with a faint smile. "And that's where my adventure—or perhaps my curse—began."