The Lost Sapphire of the Sands🔊

Once, in the dusty depths of the Arabian desert, there was an ancient city called Al-Mazina. A city of extraordinary richness, Al-Mazina was once the heart of an empire, ablaze with the brilliance of a thousand jewels, dancing girls with the grace of summer breezes, and warriors with strength unmatched. But above all, Al-Mazina was renowned for the legendary gemstone, the Sapphire of the Sands.

The Sapphire of the Sands — a wondrous gem, bluer than the deepest sea, and larger than a man's fist. It was told to carry immense powers and could be used to predict the future. However, the gemstone vanished mysteriously when the city was defeated by a vicious warlord, Ravan.

Fast-forward to the year 1918. In a small, unsuspecting town in England, a boy named William was born. William lived an ordinary life but with an extraordinary fascination for archaeology, inspired by tales of distant lands and ancient civilizations left behind by his grandfather.

Decades later, armed with a Ph.D. in Archaeology from Oxford and an unending thirst for adventure, William set sail to the Middle East, determined to unearth the buried mysteries of Al-Mazina. He believed that finding the Sapphire of the Sands could bring prosperity not just to his country but to the world.

Three grueling years of relentless excavation, decoding ancient inscriptions, and numerous sandstorms later, in a secret chamber hidden deep within the city's crumbling walls, William stumbled onto an extraordinary sight - a large palm-sized, azure gem, glowing in the dim candle light. It was the Sapphire of the Sands.

However, as the gem was taken from its resting place, the walls began to shake. Al-Mazina did not appreciate being disturbed and protected her treasures fiercely. The roof began to crumble and fall. William, clutching the Sapphire, managed to narrowly escape the city as it sank back to the earth, taking all its remaining secrets with it.

Back in England, the gemstone took place of pride in the National Museum. However, William was not satisfied. He wanted to unlock the vital secret that lay hidden in the Sapphire. After countless hours in the library and late-night pondering, he discovered, quite shockingly, that the stone did not predict the future; rather, it had the power to change it.

With each full moon, the Sapphire lighted up if one merely willed a sincere wish upon it. But with every wish, the user had to give up a memory dear to him/her. It was a tool meant for the selfless, not the greedy. William decided to use the gem sparingly, only for the betterment of mankind.

Centuries later, the Sapphire of the Sands still sits in the museum, its powers mostly forgotten. But sometimes, on a full moon night, it glows enigmatically, as if calling those worthy of its power. And if one looks carefully, they might catch a glimpse of an old man nearby, smiling wistfully, his eyes twinkling as bright as the Sapphire itself.