Artifacts from Earth

The air inside the cave felt different. Not just damp and dusty like most ancient ruins, but as if a faint pulse of life flowed through every crack in its walls. The torch Caelan held illuminated old carvings—not the typical runes of Eirenthal, but strange letters that even he barely recognized.

"I'm sure... this isn't High Elf script, nor is it a Demonic magic symbol," Caelan muttered, tracing the carvings on the wall.

Lyselle stood beside him, looking on with suspicion. "That writing... it looks foreign. But why does something... feel familiar?"

Caelan turned, his eyes glinting with enthusiasm. "Because this... isn't from our world."

His words made everyone who had come to investigate the ruins exchange glances. Alaric, with a grim expression, lit a second torch and approached. "Don't play games, Caelan. What do you mean not from this world?"

Caelan didn't answer with words. He walked slowly to the center of the cave, where a metal chest, half-buried in sand, stood waiting. Its form was simple, but it was clearly not the work of any blacksmith in Eirenthal. The lines were too precise, too neat.

Carefully, he brushed the dust from the surface of the chest. A symbol appeared—a circle with three intersecting lines. Lyselle froze instantly. "That... that's a corporate symbol... from Ayaka's world."

All eyes immediately turned to her. Lyselle bit her lip, realizing she had accidentally let a secret slip. But Caelan only smiled faintly, as if he had been waiting for that confirmation.

"Exactly. I've suspected it for a long time. And now the proof is right in front of us." He pressed the side of the chest, searching for a mechanism. With a quiet click, the metal chest opened, revealing a small artifact—a glass box with a thin, rectangular object inside.

Ayaka, who had been silent at the back, finally stepped forward. Her hands trembled when she saw the contents of the chest. "That's... impossible..."

Caelan looked at her directly. "You recognize it?"

"...That's... a smartphone. From... Earth."

A long silence enveloped the cave. Only the sound of water dripping from the stone walls could be heard.

Alaric blinked several times, confused. "A phone... what?"

Ayaka clenched her hands, pressing against her chest to keep her emotions in check. "It's an object from my world. A device for communication... storing data, images, knowledge. But why... is it here?"

Caelan knelt down, examining the artifact closely. "That's what I want to know. In the ancient records I found in the Ardellon library, there were clues about a 'fallen star'—a foreign object that struck Eirenthal centuries ago. I followed its trail... and ended up here."

Lyselle swallowed. "So, this artifact... fell from the sky?"

"It didn't just fall," Caelan added, his voice low. "It was... brought. Deliberately. Someone... or something... moved this object from your world here. And not just one."

Ayaka gasped. "You mean... there are other artifacts?"

Caelan nodded firmly. "Yes. And I'm sure... these objects are the key to understanding who truly created the 'line of destiny' between our worlds."

The rustle of the wind continued to echo inside the ruins. The cracked stone walls released fine dust every time Caelan shifted his footing. But his eyes never left the object he now held tightly.

The object was small, square, with a rusted metal surface that still showed traces of strange letters.

Caelan frowned. "...This isn't an ancient Eirenthal script. In fact, it's not a language I've ever learned."

He gently wiped the weathered part. Beneath the thin rust, a symbol appeared that was not unfamiliar to someone from Earth—a half-erased logo, resembling a curved letter S.

"For some reason... I feel like I've seen this before." His voice was low, almost a murmur to himself.

From behind his shoulder, Lyselle—who had just descended the ruined stairs—looked on in surprise. "What did you find?"

Caelan didn't answer immediately. He just held the object up, showing it. "Look. Can you read this writing?"

Lyselle approached, her silver hair shimmering faintly under the crystal light. She squinted, trying to interpret it. "No. Not an elven language, nor an ancient Ardellon script. It's like... letters created without a magical flow."

Caelan took a deep breath. "I know this is strange, but... I'm sure it's from another world."

Lyselle turned quickly, her gaze surprised. "Another world? Do you mean... Earth, your home?"

A moment of silence hung between them. The sound of dry wind seeping through the stone cracks was much louder.

Caelan gripped the artifact more tightly. "Yes. This writing is Latin script. The language of my home world. This... it's impossible for it to be here."

Lyselle stared at him intently, as if trying to read the truth in his eyes. "If that's true, then someone before you has already come from that world. Or..." she paused, her voice softening with doubt, "...another hand deliberately planted this artifact here."

Caelan swallowed. The words stung. Someone... before him? Or was there a party orchestrating the presence of this artifact?

"If so... who?" Caelan murmured.

He slowly sat on a crumbled stone, staring at the artifact as if looking at a ghost from the past. Suddenly, a faint memory surfaced—silhouettes of tall buildings, the sound of machines, the scent of a bustling city.

"This thing... is a portable radio."

Lyselle frowned. "A radio...?"

"Yes." Caelan sighed, then explained, "In my world, it's a device for catching sound waves. People can hear music, news, even voices from thousands of miles away... just by turning a dial."

Lyselle was silent for a moment, as if trying to imagine it. "A device without magic... that can traverse that great a distance? Your hom—no, human technology in your world, is truly terrifying."

Caelan gave a bitter smile. "Terrifying, yes. And now I've found it... in this world."

He held the radio closer, staring at it deeply. There were scratches, as if it had been used. Even the dials were still intact, though the metal was rusted.

"This can't be a coincidence," Caelan continued softly. "If an object from Earth is here, it means... there's a connecting path. Someone—or something—opened it."

Lyselle folded her arms across her chest, her gaze serious. "And that means... you are not alone. You are not the first human from Earth to set foot in Eirenthal."

Those words made Caelan's heart tremble. Curiosity mixed with fear.

"Then..." Caelan looked down, his voice almost a whisper, "...who came before me? And what was their purpose in leaving this behind?"

Just then, the wind blew harder. A faint echo sounded from the corridor of the ruins—like a whisper that didn't come from anyone's mouth.

"Seeking answers, foreign child? You will soon meet the architect."

Caelan jumped, his eyes wide. "...Did you hear that?"

Lyselle sharpened her ears, her expression changing. "Yes. A voice... but where did it come from?"

The voice slowly disappeared, leaving only a heavy silence. Caelan gripped the radio even tighter, as if afraid of losing it.

"This is not a coincidence." His gaze was cold, filled with determination. "Someone... is watching me."

The atmosphere in the underground room grew more tense. The faint light from the magic crystals embedded in the walls trembled slowly, as if also sensing the foreign aura emanating from the artifact. Caelan still stared at the object in silence, while Lyselle and Althea exchanged glances—both of them feeling something different than usual.

“Caelan… are you sure this isn’t just an ancient item from a human kingdom?” Lyselle asked in a serious voice, her tone far from its usual softness.

Caelan nodded slowly. “I'm sure. From all the texts, languages, and even ancient carvings I've ever encountered in Eirenthal, not one of them matches this. But… I can read it. I don't know why. These letters… they’re the same as the letters from Earth.”

Althea leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “From… Earth? Your home world? How is it possible for an artifact from that world to be here?”

Caelan took a deep breath, then touched the surface of the artifact. A faint hologram reappeared, showing star patterns, magic circles, and a series of words that were foreign to both Lyselle and Althea. But for Caelan, the words were so clear.

“That’s not a spell… these are instructions,” he murmured, his voice almost trembling. “Instructions to… build something. A system, a bridge between worlds.”

Lyselle felt a shiver run down her spine. “A bridge… between worlds?”

“Yes,” Caelan answered, swallowing. “On Earth, there's a theory about dimensional portals. Scientists call it a quantum gate, something that's still just a theory, never truly realized. But here… in Eirenthal, it seems someone has tried to make it real. And this artifact… is a part of it.”

Silence fell for a moment. Only the sound of their three breaths could be heard, mixed with the faint hum of the artifact.

Althea bit her lip. “If that’s the case… who brought it here? And for what purpose?”

Caelan closed his eyes for a moment, trying to piece together the logic in his head. “I have one possibility… someone from Earth has already come to Eirenthal long before me. Or… there's a force connecting these two worlds, and this artifact is tangible proof that the connection is no coincidence.”

Lyselle walked slowly closer, then looked deeply into Caelan’s eyes. “If your guess is correct, then… someone planned all of this. Your presence in this world, Ayaka’s reincarnation, even the conspiracy within the four kingdoms—it could all be part of a grand design.”

Those words made Caelan feel a heavy pressure in his chest. He had always thought his presence in Eirenthal was just a tragic coincidence—whether fate or a divine mistake. But now, with this artifact, it was highly possible that another hand was orchestrating it all.

“I don’t like where this is going,” Althea hissed, her voice full of anger. “If someone or something is toying with this world, we have to find them. We have to know who the mastermind is.”

Caelan nodded, then looked back at the artifact. “The instructions here mention a name… but it’s not a human, elf, or demon name. Something that sounds… foreign. Remiel Oris.”

As soon as the name was spoken, the room seemed to tremble. The crystals on the walls emitted a brighter light, and the artifact itself pulsed like a living heart. Lyselle was startled and instinctively grabbed Caelan's arm.

“Caelan! What are you doing?!”

“I was just… saying the name,” Caelan answered, out of breath. “But it seems the name itself has… a resonance.”

Althea took a step back, her face tense. “Remiel Oris… who is he? A god? A human? Or… something higher than that?”

Before there was an answer, the artifact’s light suddenly shone more intensely, filling the entire underground room with a blinding white flash. A heavy, echoing voice was heard, as if coming from all directions.

"You have finally found the piece… a part of the legacy I left behind. My name is… Remiel Oris. The Architect of a New World.”

The voice made Caelan's heart pound. Lyselle gripped his hand tighter, while Althea clasped her hands to her chest, ready to unleash magic at any moment.

And right at that moment, they realized—what had been just a mystery, was now beginning to show its true form.