Chapter 1 - New Normal

The sun hung lazily in the sky as Ethan Callahan and Seth Donovan strolled back onto the college campus, their backpacks slung over their shoulders, heavy with unspoken secrets. They exchanged tired smiles, remnants of their recent adventure still etched in their minds like faded tattoos.

"Back to the grind, eh?" Seth quipped, his eyes scanning the familiar faces rushing past them.

Ethan chuckled, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Yeah, back to lectures on mitochondria and the periodic table. Who needs ancient mysteries when you can have chemistry?"

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Says the guy who practically danced around a fire pit chanting forgotten incantations just a week ago."

They laughed, but beneath the surface, a current of unease simmered. The village they had stumbled upon during their summer expedition held more than just relics and folklore—it held secrets that refused to stay buried.

As they settled into their dorm room, Ethan couldn't shake off the feeling of something missing. He glanced at his notebook, filled with scribbles and sketches from their time in the village. Among the drawings of strange symbols and half-formed theories, one symbol stood out—a twisted knot of lines that seemed to pulse with hidden meaning.

"What's that?" Seth asked, peering over Ethan's shoulder.

Ethan shrugged, tracing the symbol with his finger. "No idea. Must've doodled it during one of our late-night brainstorming sessions."

Seth's eyes narrowed. "Looks like something out of an ancient manuscript. Maybe we stumbled onto a lost civilization without even realizing it."

Ethan chuckled. "Or maybe I just need to work on my doodling skills."

But the symbol lingered in his mind, a puzzle piece waiting to be fitted into a larger picture.

Days turned into weeks, and life at college resumed its mundane rhythm. Yet, in the quiet moments between lectures and study sessions, Ethan found himself lost in memories he couldn't fully grasp—flashes of firelight, whispered chants, and the taste of mystery on his tongue.

One evening, while sorting through his notes, Ethan stumbled upon a passage he didn't remember writing—a monologue filled with cryptic riddles and hints at hidden truths.

"The past is a shadow cast by forgotten whispers. In its depths lie the keys to a kingdom lost to time. Seek not what was, but what is yet to be revealed."

Seth peered over Ethan's shoulder, his eyes widening as he read the words. "Where did that come from?"

Ethan shook his head, the hairs on his neck prickling with a sense of deja vu. "I don't know. It's like... someone else wrote it, but I can't remember when or why."

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Professor Larkin, their eccentric mentor with a penchant for ancient mysteries.

"Boys, I have a proposition for you," Professor Larkin said, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

And so, the wheels of destiny began to turn again, setting Ethan and Seth on a collision course with their forgotten past and the dark smiles that awaited them in the shadows of history.