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“I find myself standing in a battlefield, the air thick with the acrid scent of smoke and the metallic taste of blood. Swords slashing. Screams resonating through my being. I can feel my heart rate rising, my lungs suffocating as hopelessness clouds my vision. Then, In the middle of all the chaos, I see a tiny light far away, like a sign of hope. I feel like I have to reach it, so I start walking, my feet sinking into the ground stained with blood. Suddenly a figure tainted with black emerges from the horizon, scattering the light. Darkness reigns in the atmosphere. And then … I wake up..”

“And this dream of yours happens every night?”

“Every goddamn night for the past week”

“You gotta take it easy with the drinking, Noah. It’s starting to really affect you. Are you sure you can still work? “

I could swear that I heard him giggle. This bastard is making fun of me after begging me to open up to him.

“If your goal was to joke around, let me break it to you. You're wasting your time.. Now just pass me that shovel, would ya?” I said with pursed lips.

“Woah you got angry from that?” Exclaimed Chris as he handed it to me.

I reached out to grab it from him, but he tightened his grip so that I couldn’t take it.

“Leave it! we don’t have all day”

Chris replied, his mouth downturned, “Always getting worked up over small jokes. No wonder nobody wants to work with you.” He then returned to his task, muttering, “What a letdown for such a talented explorer”

I couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. And what if nobody wants to be with me? Thirty-five years of solitude. Who needs companionship anyway? The only thing I care about is my work.

That’s how it has always been, and that’s how it’s always going to be.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with the history of the world. How it all fits together, like pieces of a puzzle. But there's always been this nagging feeling, like there's a missing piece, something that ties it all together, something we're not seeing.

And if someone doesn’t want to share my passion, well, to hell with them.

Anyways… that's pretty much what led me to where I am now, down in the depths of this ancient “ziggurat,” scraping dirt off walls that haven't seen sunlight in who knows how long.

It was dark down here, like really dark. The only light we got was from these tiny cracks in the walls, and let me tell you, it wasn’t much. And yeah, the thought that this whole place could collapse on us any second? Terrifying, but also kinda thrilling, you know?

Suddenly, my headlamp began to flicker. I reached out to my backpack to pull out the batteries before it turned off. I rummaged through the outer compartment, moving my hand left and right, but I couldn't find any battery-shaped items. I guess I must’ve run out.

How could an archaeologist and explorer with fifteen years of experience make such a rookie mistake, you ask?

Beats me!

I turned to Chris, his face illuminated by a faint light.

“Could you pass me some batteries?”

“Ugh..” he exhaled as he handed me two battery pills.

DID HE JUST SIGH AT ME?

I quickly snatched the pills off his hands and inserted them into my headlamp. As I did, Chris waved his hands as if he had been injured by my swift action. Despite his dramatics, he fixed me with a questioning gaze. “Mind if I ask you something?”

“Why the sudden politeness?”

“Sigh…About what you said in the latest archaeology seminar, something about the power of writing history lies in the hands of those in power. Aren’t you afraid of the backlash of such a bold statement?”

"What’s wrong with telling the truth?”

I gave my headlamp a few whacks until it finally lit up. Dealing with old gear feels like wrestling with relics sometimes!

I turned to Chris as I leaned down to check a hole in the wall that let out a chilling breeze of wind.

“Think about Machu Picchu, man. History paints it as this amazing place built by the Incas, but we often forget the hardship the builders went through. Their stories get lost, you know?”

“That's terrible. I had no idea”

Of course, he didn’t.

“And the Egyptian pyramids? We used to think slaves built them, but turns out it was skilled workers who were respected for their craft. The truth's been hidden under layers of myths.”

“So, what can we do about it?”

I faced the wall and peered through the hole. The wind was giving me a hard time, but my curiosity triumphed.

“Nothing! We can’t do anything.”

Certainly we could; we have to question the norms, and by digging into the contradictions, we can uncover the hidden tales of the past. But, why bother explaining it to him?

*Flick*

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Ah, what the..!”

A speck of dirt went in my eye, but what was that shape that I saw through the hole? It didn't resemble the usual cave wall pictographs; it seemed unique, perhaps even significant. Though I couldn't make out anything from it, a sense of importance lingered around it. I could smell the scent of a groundbreaking discovery!

Every part of me tingled with excitement, urging me to explore further.

“I’m going to check something out, you stay here and keep clearing the dirt, Chris”

“Shall I tag along? It might be risky alone,”

“I’ll call for you if I find anything.”

Squeezing through the tunnel, I rushed to the room with the symbol, my curiosity reaching new heights.

As I entered the chamber, my eyes scanned the surroundings. It was like any other room, except for the symbol; a circle intersecting three smaller circles. It reminded me of those Venn diagrams from school, a subject I loved.

Each space held a different symbol, but it was the Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, inside the central intersection that caught my eye. Without thinking, I reached out and touched it.

*Crack* *Rumbling*

“What the fuck?”

The walls crumbled, sending debris flying. Suddenly, the ground split open, and I fell into the darkness below…

Am I really falling to my death right now?

I never imagined my story would end like this, plunged into darkness, leaving behind a world filled with unanswered questions.

Closing my eyes, I let fate take over. At that moment, A bright blue light enveloped me.

"Is this heaven?"

*Bang*

“Ouch!”

A fluffy sensation wrapped around me. I would've thought I had reached Eden if not for the strange, humid scent in the air.

Slowly opening my eyes, I felt a slight dizziness, trying to figure out where I was. That's when I noticed I was lying on a pile of moss scattered all around.

“So much for celestial hospitality, I guess.”

But hey, I couldn't complain too much. Surviving that fall was already a miracle.

My body ached, but I shook off the shock and took in my surroundings, eager to understand where I was.

Before me stretched a vast dungeon, its walls decorated with ancient writings and drawings emitting a soft, bluish glow illuminating the area.

"Amazing!"

A narrow, crystal-clear river wound its way through the landscape, leading my gaze toward a structure at its center.

“It looks like a statue from here,” I muttered to myself.

With cautious steps, I navigated through the damp moss, crossing rune-shaped rocks and hopping across stones to reach the statue.

The sculpture, shaped like a woman, was stunningly detailed. The precision and smoothness of the sculpted robe held me captivated. Her face bore the likeness of a beautiful angelic deity, with eyes that seemed to hold a spark of life. But it was the elongated, pointed ears beneath a crown bearing a noble insignia that truly caught my eye.

“Beautiful!”

The statue held a large bowl filled with arctic-hued water, a sight both unusual and alluring, inviting me to indulge my senses in its divine purity. Beneath the bowl lay a rectangular stone, engraved with distinct carvings.

[ Cleanse the mind, yield the primal call, for the truth resides before it all ]

What puzzled me was that it was written in our language, completely bizarre for such an ancient structure. And the design, the architecture, everything about it was different from recorded history.

“How is this possible?”

Questions swirled in my mind as I examined the engravings carefully.

“Cleanse the mind... What could it mean? 'Cleanse'... Maybe it's just saying to 'clean'? Clean the mind... How strange."

Turning to the next line, it read: [..Yield the primal call..].

“Is it asking me to follow a directive, a path, or maybe a feeling?”

Suddenly, it hit… hmm. I remembered the irresistible pull I felt towards the water in the basin.

“Cleanse the mind, Yield the primal call... Is it inviting me to immerse my face into the water?”

“Maybe that’s it. What could possibly go wrong?”

Placing my hands on the edges of the bowl, I summoned my courage, straightened my posture, and submerged my head into the water.

A strange calm enveloped me, It was as if I was floating in the air, not underwater. But then, light shined from the bowl, the water tensed, and I began to run out of breath. I tried lifting my head, but I couldn't. Weakness spread through me, and my mind went blank as the last bit of oxygen faded away.

The light intensified, filling the dungeon...

And just like that, I was floating in the void, a consciousness adrift.

“Ahhhh, I guess this is it. This is death.”

As I floated in the emptiness, I kept contemplating my life so far. Years of research, discovery and decrypting the mysteries of the world just to die like this? Well, taking my last breaths doing the things I loved could be the best ending for me. But then again, was it the best way I could've lived? Should I have listened to the others? No girlfriend, no friends… Maybe everyone was right about me… They say we only have one chance at life. I might as well have paused from my work more often… You know, live a little..

But seriously, how long was this drifting gonna last?

Suddenly, strange noises filled my ears. “Push..”

..huh?

“Oh no, he's not breathing..”

…what? What's this gibberish..

“Doctor, please help him , please..”

…what's going on?? What are these cries?

“I'm sorry Mrs Glynn..”

Slowly, the atmosphere changed. A reddish light blurred my vision, warmth enveloped me, and the crying calmed.

“A miracle.. he's alive… Congratulations, Mrs. and Mr. Glynn, your boy is breathing again.”

The voices became clearer, and even though I couldn't understand the language, I understood the situation.

Was my mind playing games, or was I just reborn as a baby? How did I even get here?

Quickly, I assessed the situation. I opened my eyelids and there I was, held gently between the arms of a beautiful woman. Her dark-violet wavy hair fell gracefully over her shoulders, complementing her wide red teary eyes. “Hello, my dear Luka,your mama is here.. “. Her face filled with love and compassion while a clear drop of sweat caressed her smooth white neck. Despite the fact that I was being held by a stranger, I felt safe and secure. This must be motherhood.

*sniff*

A smoky scent filled the room. I turned to my right and glimpsed a blurry figure of a muscular man. The light from the fireplace was too much for my infant eyes to handle, but even with slightly open eyes, I could distinguish his broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist, highlighting his powerful frame. As he threw wood logs into the fireplace, each flicker of the flame cast an amber glow on his light brown ponytail. His face radiated excitement, and with each throw, he sent a proud smile my way, warming my heart.

“Look, honey! Our little Luka is smiling” my mother said.

“He's a strong-willed boy! He's going to be a great warrior like his dad!”

I had just been born, and he was already planning my military career? My guy, that’s a red flag.

I don't know how to truly describe this feeling. Growing up in an orphanage and climbing my way up in life on my own, this feels like a strange experience, but I couldn't say I hated it.

Aside from them, no one else was here, the doctor must have left already. I wanted to continue exploring my surroundings. But with my limited physical abilities, that didn't seem possible.

In an attempt to let my mother know, I tried to speak out, but all I could manage were baby cries.

"You must be hungry, my baby"

No, no, no, that's not it! ...Hold up, now that I think about it, I am hungry.

She slowly removed her bed robe from her shoulders to reveal her right breast. Despite me, a 35-year-old man, being held in the arms of a half-naked woman, it felt natural.

I didn't feel any awkwardness or peculiar sensations. In fact, I felt tenderness and affection.

After a fulfilling meal, I regained my focus and remembered my initial goal. I took a deep breath to prepare myself to let out the loudest baby cry known to man.

"What's happening? He just ate!" Mother said.

"Maybe he's... uuh... I don't know" Father replied.

Mother held me tightly and got up from the bed. She put me on her shoulder, facing her back, and started patting my back. "Shush, my baby Luka, it's okay" she repeated as she walked around the room.

That was exactly what I aimed for.

With this chance, I continued my exploration of the area. However, with my weak eyesight, I could barely distinguish what I was seeing through my blurred vision. The room was spacious. The floor, which squeaked with each step, was covered in a handmade brownish carpet with a cool geometrical pattern.

From the look of it, they were living in a lodge. Not really my taste as I’m more of a modern type of guy but it doesn’t seem too shabby.

Nevertheless, why was the room only illuminated by candles? Was I reincarnated in the fifteen hundreds? In any case, the room was full of stuff. On one wall, there were a couple of shelves filled with different items. One shelf had a few jars on it, covered with cloth so you couldn't see what was inside. On the other shelf, there were some old books, stacked one on top of the other. And in the rest of the room, I found all kinds of items from furniture, herbal baskets to weapons..

Weapons?? I guess my father wasn't joking about me becoming a warrior.

Seriously though, the Buddhists were right? Reincarnation is real?

This is still hard to process, despite my efforts to collect my thoughts. But then again, the only thing I could do is go with the flow for now.

Basically… This is who I am now! a baby. But my spirit hasn't changed. I won’t make this chance go to waste. Let the adventure begin!

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