Chapter One

The sun was relentless, beating down on the excavation site with an unforgiving intensity. Heat waves shimmered above the dry earth, and the air smelled of dust and sweat. Eleanor wiped a streak of perspiration from her forehead, shifting her weight on the loose gravel. If she had to describe the glamorous life of an archaeologist, this certainly wasn't it. Sweat-drenched shirts, aching muscles, and dirt-streaked faces didn't exactly compare to the air-conditioned offices where people in suits made decisions about the artifacts she and her team unearthed.

And yet, she wouldn't trade it for anything. There was something about digging into the past, uncovering forgotten pieces of history, that made her feel more alive than anything else. Like a detective, but cooler.

Running her fingers through the loose dirt, she sifted through bits of broken pottery and rusted metal. Then something caught her eye. Small, round, and metallic—like a pocket watch, but different. Her pulse quickened.

Brushing away the remaining dirt with delicate precision, Eleanor uncovered intricate engravings on its surface. The swirling patterns weren't familiar, and as the sunlight hit them, they almost seemed to shift, playing tricks on her eyes. A thrill ran up her spine. This wasn't ordinary.

"Hey, Ellie! Found something interesting?"

Jake's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

He stomped over, his steel-toed boots kicking up dust. Tall and broad-shouldered, with a perpetual sunburn from years of fieldwork, Jake was the team's self-appointed rule enforcer. Responsible, cautious, and always reminding Eleanor not to do anything reckless—which meant he was about to have an opinion on whatever she had just found.

She held up the object. "Check this out. Doesn't it look weird?"

Jake squinted at it before reaching for it. Eleanor hesitated for a moment before placing it in his palm.

He turned it over carefully, frowning. "Yeah, weird is one way to put it. It looks… modern?"

"Exactly." Her lips curved into a grin. "But it was buried way deeper than anything modern should be. How the hell did it end up here?"

Jake's expression darkened as his eyes flicked between hers and the artifact. "Looks like a watch, doesn't it?"

His thumb ran over the engraved symbols. "It's definitely not ordinary. What do you think it is?"

Eleanor exhaled sharply. "No clue. But it's not Elizabethan, that's for sure."

Jake frowned. "That's what worries me."

He studied the object for another moment before handing it back. The second it was in Eleanor's hands again, she felt a faint warmth seep through her fingertips. She stiffened but kept her face neutral. Maybe it was just the heat messing with her.

Jake crossed his arms. "You know the drill. We bag it, tag it, and let the higher-ups deal with it."

Eleanor hesitated. She knew how this worked. The object would be cataloged, labeled as "Non-Priority," and left to gather dust in some storage room. But this wasn't just another find. She could feel it.

"Yeah… sure." She pulled out a plastic bag, scribbling down the coordinates as protocol dictated. But instead of handing it over to the site supervisor, she slid it into her backpack.

Jake narrowed his eyes. "Ellie…"

"Relax, Dad," she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder. "I just want to take a closer look at it tonight. I'll bring it back first thing tomorrow."

Jake ran a hand through his damp hair, exhaling sharply. "You know this is against protocol."

"Pfft. Protocol." Eleanor rolled her eyes. "It's just a damn watch. It's not like I'm smuggling a cursed artifact from an ancient tomb. What's the worst that could happen?"

Jake looked skyward, as if begging for patience.

"You do this shit on purpose, don't you?"

She smirked. "Absolutely."

He shook his head. "Fine. Fine. But when this comes back to bite you in the ass, I'm saying 'I told you so' for the rest of your life."

"Noted." She clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Jakey. You're the best."

"Don't call me that."

Grinning, she walked away, gripping her backpack strap a little tighter. The object pressed against her back, and for a split second, she swore she felt it pulse.

Eleanor froze.

Had she imagined that?

Swallowing hard, she forced her feet to keep moving, ignoring the unease creeping up her spine. Maybe it was just residual heat. Maybe her nerves were acting up.

But as she left the dig site, a nagging feeling settled in her gut.

She was onto something. Something big.

And she always listened to her gut.

Even when it got her into trouble.