A Meal Between Theories

The ruins are too quiet when we leave them.

Even as the sun hangs high, its golden light casting long shadows over the worn stone and broken statues, the weight of our discoveries lingers.

Elias and I follow Edan back to camp, the hum of the past still whispering at the edges of my mind.

And as we step into the small field encampment that the archaeological team has set up, the sound of clanking pots and sizzling meat finally reminds me—

I am hungry.

——

The campfire is lively, surrounded by a mix of mercenaries, scholars, and passing traders stopping for food before continuing their travels.

Seated around the fire, discussing trade and old myths, I recognise a few names from Velia and Heidel—

Orwen (Scout and Intelligence Officer, Kalis Parliament) —a sharp-eyed woman with dark auburn hair tied into a low braid, speaking in hushed tones to one of the guards. She had come with a caravan passing through, but even in casual conversation, she has the air of someone who listens more than she speaks.

Lafi Bedmountain (Scholar and Alchemist, Ancient Relic Researcher) —one of Edan's colleagues, though his presence is rare. A man whose curiosity outweighs his caution, he is currently too busy mixing something mildly concerning in a flask to care about the ongoing discussion.

Bahar (Trade Manager, Velia) —yes, the same Bahar who runs one of Velia's trade offices. He is here on business, of course, eating while loudly complaining about market fluctuations and how much he hates smuggling fees.

I set down my pack, glancing toward Elias, who is already piling his plate with food like he has not eaten in days.

Edan joins us, though his expression is distracted, his mind clearly still inside the ruins.

For a while, conversation is casual.

Stories are exchanged, food is eaten, and trade gossip fills the air.

But eventually, inevitably—

The topic returns to what we found.

——

"I've been thinking," Edan says, stirring his drink idly. "The carvings we found… something isn't sitting right with me."

Elias raises an eyebrow, swallowing a mouthful of bread. "Oh? You sounded pretty convinced back in the ruins."

Edan sighs. "Yes, well. The more I consider it, the more I realise I may have… jumped to conclusions."

I tilt my head. "You don't think the Black Spirits are involved anymore?"

Edan shakes his head. "No, I still believe the inscriptions reference them in some way. But…"

He hesitates, fingers tapping against the wooden table.

"The language used—it doesn't match the usual phrasing of Ancient records. The wording is too… modern. Too fragmented. Almost as if whoever wrote it wasn't from their time at all."

Elias pauses mid-bite, eyes flicking toward me.

I keep my expression neutral.

Because I know what he is thinking.

Because I am thinking it too.

——

Lafi, who has been listening while mixing something mildly explosive, finally chimes in.

"You know," he muses, "there were always rumours about a certain Mad King among the Ancient rulers."

Orwen, sipping her drink, raises an eyebrow. "You mean Haishan?"

Lafi nods enthusiastically. "Yes! He was said to have vanished without a trace after claiming he had 'seen beyond the veil of the world' or some nonsense like that."

Bahar snorts. "You lot take too many old stories seriously."

Edan, however, looks thoughtful.

"You think the inscriptions were left by him?" he asks.

Lafi shrugs. "Who knows? He went mad, didn't he? And madmen say all sorts of strange things."

I press my lips together. "But if that's true, it would mean…"

Edan nods grimly. "It would mean these ruins are far younger than we thought."

The implications settle over us like dust in a crypt.

If this wasn't written by the Ancients…

Then who—or what—left this warning behind?

And why?

——

Edan leans back, rubbing his temple. "The more I piece this together, the less sense it makes."

Elias smirks. "Welcome to our world."

Edan ignores him, refocusing.

"The phrasing in the carvings, the way they describe the world as 'mirrored, fractured, broken'—it reminds me of the old records regarding the Black Sun."

I blink. "Black Sun?"

Orwen shifts in her seat. "That's an old myth. Some say it represents the fall of the Ancient civilization, others claim it's just a metaphor for war."

Lafi nods eagerly. "Or! It could be a literal event—some catastrophic celestial phenomenon that caused a disruption in energy across the land."

Edan sighs. "Regardless of what it actually was, the Black Sun is always linked to the destruction of knowledge. Almost as if something erased history itself."

I feel a chill creep down my spine.

Elias, beside me, is unnervingly quiet.

Edan continues, voice measured. "If these inscriptions are real—if they really are warnings—then we may be dealing with something that goes beyond simple ruins."

He looks between us.

"It could mean the world itself is changing."

A pause.

Then Elias, ever casual, ever grinning, picks up his drink.

"Well," he muses, "I sure hope we're not too late to stop it."

Edan snorts. "You talk as if we even know what 'it' is."

Elias simply smirks, taking a slow sip of his drink.

And I wonder—

Does he?

Does he already know more than he lets on?

——

The night deepens, but the conversation does not end.

Theories swirl, history is debated, and for the first time—

I realise that we are no longer just surviving in this world.

We are unravelling it.

Piece by piece.

Truth by truth.

And the more we uncover, the more dangerous it becomes.