The sun had just begun its descent behind the mountains, casting long shadows across the university campus. Students hurried across the quad, their faces etched with the stress of impending exams. The crisp autumn air carried with it the scent of fallen leaves and the faint hum of anticipation that always accompanied the end of the semester.

Elena moved quickly through the bustling hallways of the archaeology building, her arms laden with a stack of papers she needed to grade before the week was out. The final exams were fast approaching, and she had spent the better part of the day preparing her students for their last test before winter break. It had been a whirlwind of lectures, review sessions, and one-on-one meetings with students seeking last-minute advice. As much as she loved teaching, the relentless pace was starting to wear on her.

Reaching her office on the second floor, she nudged the door open with her foot and stepped inside, setting the papers down on her cluttered desk. The room was small, but it was her sanctuary—a space where the chaos of the university could be shut out, where she could focus on the work that truly fascinated her. The shelves were crammed with books, some so old their spines were cracked and faded. Artifacts from her various digs were scattered across the room, each one holding a memory, a story from another time.

The artifact she had unearthed in Romania was locked in one of her drawers. Elena moved to her desk and set the stacks of papers down. She fished in her coat pocket and pulled out a small key to unlock the drawer, her heart beating slightly faster as it always seemed to do whenever that weathered tome was near.

The drawer creaked open, and there it was, wrapped carefully in a layer of soft cloth. Even hidden from view, the artifact seemed to radiate a subtle, almost magnetic pull, drawing her closer. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the cloth, before gently unwrapping it. The ancient symbols carved into its surface greeted her, mysterious and unreadable, yet tantalizingly familiar.

As she began to look over the symbols again, a soft knock came at her door, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as Theo stood in the doorway.

Theo had only been in her department for a month, having recently transferred from another university where he had specialized in ancient languages. Yet in that short time, he had quickly become one of her closest confidants. There was something about him that made it easy to talk to him, to share her ideas and frustrations. He had an air of calm confidence, a quiet intensity that drew people in.

Theo was tall with jet-black hair casually tousled and falling just above his deep-set, penetrating eyes. His skin was pale, almost unnaturally so, giving him an ethereal, otherworldly quality that contrasted sharply with his dark attire. Tonight, he was dressed in a tailored black coat that clung to his lean frame, paired with a crisp white shirt and dark trousers.

"Elena," Theo greeted, his voice smooth with just a hint of warmth. "Burning the midnight oil, huh?"

Elena smiled, a playful edge to her tone as she motioned for him to come in. "You're one to talk. What brings you in?"

Theo moved into the room with a quiet grace, the kind that suggested he was always in control, always aware of his surroundings. Elena couldn't help but notice how he seemed to fit perfectly into any space as if he belonged wherever he chose to be.

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He settled into the chair across from her, and Elena couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious under his gaze, especially given the thoughts that had been swirling in her mind. She had been mulling over a theory about the artifact, but it was so outlandish, so far-fetched, that she was almost embarrassed to voice it aloud.

"How's the exam prep going?" he asked, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Elena laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, you know. Just the usual. Explaining, yet again, why the essay section is necessary. Had one student on the verge of tears when I said no note cards would be allowed during finals."

Theo chuckled, flashing a smile that could have made her knees weak. "Sounds like it's going well, then."

"They're fighters, I'll give them that," Elena said, feeling some of the day's tension ease.

For a moment, their words flowed easily, but their eyes kept flicking back to the small object sitting on the desk. Despite the lightness of their conversation, the artifact's presence loomed large, drawing them both into its orbit.

Theo's tone grew more serious as he leaned forward slightly. "So... any progress on the artifact?"

Elena hesitated, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of the desk. She had been so certain of her theory, but now, with Theo sitting across from her, she wasn't sure how to broach the subject. She took a deep breath and decided to speak.

"I've been thinking," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "About the artifact's origins."

Theo nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"I know this might sound crazy, but... what if it's not from Earth at all?"

She braced herself for laughter or disbelief, but Theo's expression remained thoughtful, almost intrigued.

"You're saying it's alien?" he asked, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Should I expect little green men knocking on your door soon?"

Elena let out a nervous laugh, relieved that he hadn't immediately dismissed her idea. "Well, no maybe not aliens. But maybe something beyond our understanding—something we can't categorize with what we know right now."

Theo leaned forward, his gaze locking onto hers with a quiet intensity that made her breath catch. “It’s not as far-fetched as you might think,” he murmured, his voice soft, like he was sharing a secret meant only for her. “There are ancient texts that speak of beings not from this world. Some called them angels, others demons... What would you say if it were connected to something like that?”

Elena chuckled, a small smile pulling at her lips. “You sound just like my brother. He used to go on about stuff like that all the time—divine beings, ancient prophecies... You two would’ve gotten along.”

Her words hung in the air, the lightheartedness of the moment suddenly overshadowed by an awkward silence. Theo's smile faltered, though he made a quick recovery.

"I didn't know you had a brother," he said, his tone casual.

Elena nodded, the mention of David bringing a familiar ache to her chest. "We don't talk much anymore," she said, hoping to sound nonchalant.

"I'm sorry," Theo said softly, clearly not deceived by her attempt to brush it off.

The room fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of unspoken emotions hanging between them. Elena tried to push the thoughts of David aside, but they lingered, tugging at the corners of her mind. She fiddled with a pen on her desk, her gaze drifting back to the artifact.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, a memory surged to the forefront of her mind—vivid and insistent. She sat up straighter, her heart quickening.

"The book," she murmured, more to herself than to Theo.

Theo's focus sharpened immediately, his eyes locking onto hers. "What book?"

Elena's thoughts raced, the image of the old book her brother had been so absorbed in growing clearer. "Before David and I stopped talking, he was studying this book. He carried it everywhere, writing in it constantly. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now that I'm remembering... the cover had symbols on it. Symbols that look just like the ones on this artifact."

She turned to the artifact on her desk, her fingers hovering just above it. "That's why they seemed so familiar to me. I've seen them before—in that book."