Alex's eyes seemed to be pulled by invisible chains, and he stared at the old yellow map, and his heart beat like a war drum in his chest, more and more rapid. This is not just a piece of paper, a piece of paper carrying the dust of the past, it is more like a secret letter from ancient times, every symbol, every zigzag line, are silently telling the unknown secret, luring him, step by step towards the unknown abyss.
"This is... What power is this?" Alex whispered, with a tremor in his voice that he didn't even realize. His fingers ran unconsciously over every inch of the map, every touch of which seemed to trigger some forbidden switch that shook the air around him.
"Whew..." He took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind, but the desire that the map had stirred was like a wildfire and could not be contained. It was as if he could hear, far away and mysterious, a voice calling softly, a voice that penetrated the chains of time and space and struck deep into his soul.
"Go, Alex, to lift the last veil, to witness the truth that history has buried." The voice was both a whisper in his heart and a silent invitation from the ancient map.
He knows there is no turning back, and this map is like a turning point in his fate, leading him on a journey full of unknown and dangerous things. But instead of fear, Alex's eyes shone like never before, a desire for the unknown, but also the excitement of the challenge.
"Well, let me see what lies behind it!" His fists clenched and his eyes fixed, as if he were ready for any challenge. At this moment, Alex is no longer the ordinary self, but is about to unveil the veil of history of the warrior, embarked on a journey to the unknown.
He knew he needed more information to solve the puzzle. Alex decided to start studying the notes his parents had left behind. They had once been dull academic materials to him, but now they seemed to be an unsolved code waiting for him to crack.
The Carters' study is like a small museum, full of historical heaviness. Alex found a pile of his parents' old notes and sat down at his desk, the light casting a dim shadow behind him. He leafed through these notes, which recorded their investigation and analysis of various relics, and even some hand-painted ancient symbols.
"These symbols... It bears a resemblance to the symbols on the map." Alex is increasingly convinced that his parents' disappearance is no accident, and that perhaps they have discovered an important secret about Earth's history that is connected to his family's mission to protect it.
As the night wore on, Alex became more and more confused as he looked. The notes mention important archaeological finds, including a few specially marked sites that appear crucial but whose locations are obscured on the map. He tried to compare, but the more he studied, the more confused he became.
Just as he was getting stuck, one word in his notes caught his attention - Zereta.
Alex suddenly remembered the mysterious alien visitors. They had quietly helped mankind out of the apocalypse, but in his parents' notes, they seemed to be linked to more secrets. The notes mention that these Zeretas are not only the purveyors of technology, they are also secretly guarding some extremely important relics. Among these remains are the mysterious powers left over from ancient civilizations.
Alex began to feel a strong sense of responsibility. He gradually realizes that his parents' disappearance may be connected to the secret mission of these aliens, and that he may be the key to solving the mystery.
The next morning, Alex woke up tired from the night before, his mind still reverberating with the night's discovery. Suddenly, the bell of the door broke his mind. Alex opened the door and there stood a stranger in a black robe. He had never seen the man before, and his expression was cold, with a sharpness in his eyes.
'Alex Carter? The man spoke in a low voice.
"I am. May I ask who ?"
Emma Brooks, a woman with a story in her name, stood before me with eyes as firm as rock, as if they could Pierce the mists of time. "I, Emma Brooks, was not only your parents' best friend, but their most trusted communication link in those days." Her voice is not high, but it has a force that cannot be ignored, spreading slowly in the air.
"I know that their disappearance has darkened your world like a dark cloud for some time now. But please be assured that the purpose of my visit is not to open old wounds, but to close the unfinished regrets and solve the mysteries that remain." There is a subtle gentleness and determination in her words, as if they are a commitment and a self-flagellation.
I stared at her, trying to find more clues or comfort in her eyes. And she just stood there quietly, like a lighthouse, guiding me in the vast sea, making me believe that even if the road ahead is unknown, there is always light to find.
At this moment, the air seemed to freeze and time slowed down. Emma Brooks, this sudden visitor, with her appearance, cast a stone for my originally silent life, aroused layers of ripples, but also planted the seeds of exploration and hope in my heart.
Alex had never heard of his parents having such a friend. "What are you doing here?" he asked warily. I've never heard of you."
Emma was silent, running her fingers gently over her sleeve, as if searching for some precious treasure. A moment later, she slowly pulled out of her sleeve a quaint old book, the edges of the pages yellowed, revealing the traces of age, and Alex had stayed up all night to read the notes were surprisingly similar.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Alex's eyes were instantly attracted, as if being pulled by an invisible force, and he rushed closer to see that on the cover of the book, densely engraved with mysterious symbols, each one like a key to the unknown world, flashing seductive light. His heart beat faster because the symbols were all too familiar to him -- the very same patterns that had tangled and pointed the way on the map the night before!
"This..." Alex's voice trembled slightly, his eyes glinted with disbelief. He looked up at Emma, as if to find the answer in her eyes, but Emma only smiled, a smile with so much unsaid that it was hard to understand.
"It seems that our fates are already bound together by these ancient words." Emma spoke softly, with a mixture of relief and anticipation, as if she had lifted the fog that had been hanging over her for so long, and as if she were about to embark on an unknown adventure.
At this moment, the air seemed to freeze, and the breathing of both men seemed particularly clear. The old book transmits an inexplicable power between the two people, tying their fates together, and a journey of exploration, courage and secrets quietly begins.
"Alex, your parents, though they have gone far, have left behind a trail of unsolved mysteries, like the brightest stars in the night sky, attracting both imagination and pursuit." Emma's voice was soft but with unmistakable power, and she slowly reached out her hand, clutching the ancient book that seemed to hold a million secrets, and gently handed it to Alex.
"This is not just a book, it is the key to the past, the light that unlocks the doubts in your heart." Let me, side by side with you, uncover those dusty secrets, how about that?" Emma's eyes shone with firmness and tenderness, as if to say that no matter how rough the road ahead, she would be his most solid backing.
Alex's hand trembled slightly as he took the book as if he had taken the weight of the world. His heart is filled with complex emotions, there are doubts, there are expectations, but also a kind of understanding of the warmth. He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer alone, because someone was willing to accompany him on this unknown journey.
Between the two people, there is no need to say much, a look, an action, has been enough to convey the deep understanding and trust. There was a sense of nervousness and excitement about starting a new chapter, as if the whole world was waiting with bated breath for their decision.
Alex hesitated, took the book, ran his finger across the symbol engraved on the cover, and suddenly flashed the image of his parents in his mind. "What did they tell you?" 'Alex asked.
Emma's eyes were locked on his body, and a complicated smile formed on her lips as she nodded gently. "They, those who have stood firm in the wind and rain, have entrusted a heavy expectation to you." What you carry on your shoulders is not only your personal destiny, but also the guardian duty of your family from generation to generation, and that glory and responsibility have flowed in your blood and have been enduring for generations."
"And you, as the last link in this long chain, are the only one who holds the key to open the door to the future." This mission is both a test and a great honor. It requires you not only to face the storm outside, but also to look directly at your inner fear and confusion, and use firm faith and fearless courage to write your own legendary chapter."
Her words, like the morning bell and the evening drum, rang in his heart, causing layers of ripples. He is well aware that this is not only a simple entrust, but also the family's high hopes for him, which is the recognition and trust of his ability. At this moment, he seemed to feel the ancestors' eyes crossing the barrier of time and space, meeting with him, giving him endless strength and courage.
"The key?" Alex's voice rose, and his eyes flashed with puzzlement and interest, as if he had suddenly been caught up in a mysterious reverie.
Emma is not in a hurry to reveal the mystery, but slowly from the deep pocket out of a silver glittering badge, its engraved symbols in the weak light more mysterious. Alex's eyes froze momentarily, and the pattern on the badge was strikingly similar to something in his memory of his parents' belongings, and a strange sense of familiarity came over him.
"This is the key." Emma's voice was deep and magnetic, and every word felt like it was hitting Alex directly on the lake of his heart, creating ripples. "It can lead us through a door, and on the other side of that door lies a secret that has been in your family for generations and that no one knows about."
Alex's hand trembled uncontrollably, as if the badge were not just an object, but a bridge between the past and the future, the key to unlocking the mystery of his birth. He took a deep breath, tried to calm his agitation, and stared at Emma as if to say, "Tell me more, I want to know the truth about all this."
Alex stared at the badge with a mixture of excitement and fear. He had always thought he was leading an ordinary life, but suddenly found himself standing in front of a huge secret. The badge, the map, and Emma's arrival seemed to push him into another path of fate.
He took a deep breath and his eyes grew firm and bright. "I see, Emma. This mission, I will be duty-bound to undertake. No matter how difficult the road may be, I will go forward, with my hands, to protect the honor of my family, to complete the unfinished tasks."
That night, the moon shone like silver in Alex's study. He held the old badge in his hand, next to a yellowed map, and his eyes twinkled with a firmness he had never seen before. The badge, as if it were the key to his fate, led him into the abyss of the unknown, to uncover the mystery that had haunted him for years.
"I've decided it's you, the hidden place on the map." Alex whispered, a note of unmistakable determination in his voice. His fingertips moved slowly over the map, finally settling on a corner marked with a strange symbol - the forgotten edge of the city of hope, a forbidden place that even he himself had never set foot in.
"What will the clues left by my parents lead me to find? A lost relic, or an even more powerful secret?" Alex's heart is filled with layers of waves, this mixture of curiosity and unease, so that he can no longer be satisfied with the status quo. He knew that from the moment he decided to embark on this path, the course of his life would change forever.
In the dead of night, only the occasional insect song from the window kept him company. Alex clutched the badge as if he could draw endless power from it. Emma's words reverberate in his mind, every word weighing a thousand, reminding him of the challenges he is about to face that are not only personal, but may touch the fate of the entire world.
"No matter how dangerous the road may be, I must walk it." He swore to himself with an unyielding light in his eyes. This journey is not destined to be ordinary, it will be a contest about courage, wisdom and fate. Alex, on the other hand, is ready to face an unknown and dangerous future.
With the deepening of the night, the light in the study seems to be more and more bright, reflecting his resolute face, indicating that a legend is about to start.