The wind coming from the Aegean Sea carried a strange scent of salt and ancient dust. It whistled through broken stone pillars and half-buried statues scattered across the island like ghosts of a forgotten era.
Kaito Fujimori adjusted the strap of his backpack and looked across the ruins.
"This place… feels wrong somehow," he muttered.
Behind him, a cheerful voice answered.
"You say that about every ruin, Kaito."
Kaito turned around to see Professor Andreas Nikolaou walking toward him with a clipboard tucked under his arm.
Professor Nikolaou was the head of the excavation team from the Helios Archaeological Institute, the group Kaito had joined after arriving in Greece.
"I'm serious, Professor," Kaito said. "These stone patterns… they don't match anything from known Mediterranean civilizations."
The professor smiled.
"That's exactly why we're here."
Kaito looked down at the ancient floor beneath his boots. The symbols carved into the stone were unfamiliar—circular patterns mixed with lines that looked almost like stars.
He had studied ancient civilizations for years. His father had been an archaeologist too.
A legendary one.
But he was gone now.
Kaito exhaled slowly.
"Dad would have loved this place."
The professor nodded quietly.
"Yes… Dr. Fujimori spent his life searching for lost civilizations."
Kaito didn't reply.
His father had disappeared during an expedition years ago.
No body.
No explanation.
Just silence.
"Kaito," the professor continued, pointing toward a hill covered in olive trees, "the ground scan showed something unusual beneath that ridge."
Kaito blinked.
"A structure?"
"Possibly a temple."
Kaito's heart skipped.
"A temple… on an island that isn't even on most historical maps?"
The professor's smile widened.
"Exactly."
—
Two hours later, the excavation team had cleared enough rubble to reveal a massive stone entrance carved directly into the hillside.
Torches flickered as shadows danced along the ancient walls.
Kaito crouched near the doorway, running his fingers across the carved symbols.
"These inscriptions… I've never seen anything like them."
One of the researchers nearby whispered nervously.
"It feels like the place is watching us."
Kaito stood up.
"Ancient temples often feel that way. Humans are good at building dramatic architecture."
But even he couldn't ignore the strange tension in the air.
Professor Nikolaou stepped forward.
"Kaito, you're the one who noticed the patterns first. You should enter first."
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds like a trap."
The professor laughed.
"Think of it as a promotion."
Kaito sighed.
"Fine."
He grabbed a flashlight and stepped through the stone doorway.
The inside of the temple was enormous.
Columns stretched upward into darkness.
The walls were covered with murals depicting ships, warriors, and a woman wearing a crown made of golden leaves.
Kaito slowly walked deeper inside.
"Professor… you need to see this."
Footsteps echoed behind him as the team followed.
One of the assistants gasped.
"Is that… a queen?"
Kaito nodded.
"Looks like it."
The mural showed the crowned woman standing above an entire city.
Ships filled the sea around the island.
Above them all was a symbol shaped like a spiral sun.
Professor Nikolaou whispered in disbelief.
"This civilization… it shouldn't exist."
Kaito turned.
"What do you mean?"
"There are no historical records of a kingdom like this."
Kaito looked back at the mural.
"Maybe history forgot."
He walked farther into the temple until something caught his eye.
In the center of the chamber stood a circular stone altar.
On top of it rested a small metallic object.
It looked ancient… yet strangely untouched by time.
Kaito approached it slowly.
"Professor… there's some kind of artifact here."
The professor stepped closer.
"Careful."
Kaito picked up the object.
It was shaped like a ring surrounding a small crystal.
The crystal glowed faintly.
"That's impossible," Kaito whispered.
The assistant asked nervously, "What is it?"
Kaito examined the artifact.
"I don't know."
Then the crystal suddenly pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
The temple floor began to vibrate.
"Kaito!" the professor shouted. "Put it down!"
But the artifact had already reacted.
The carvings on the altar lit up with golden light.
Symbols across the entire chamber began glowing.
"What did you do?!" someone yelled.
"I didn't do anything!" Kaito shouted back.
The crystal burst with blinding light.
Wind roared through the temple like a storm.
Kaito felt the ground vanish beneath his feet.
The last thing he heard was the professor screaming his name.
"Kaito!"
Then everything went silent.
—
Warm sunlight touched Kaito's face.
He groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was the sky.
Bright.
Blue.
And filled with the sound of distant waves.
Kaito sat up suddenly.
"What… happened?"
The temple was gone.
Instead, he was standing in the middle of a massive stone courtyard.
Around him stood tall white buildings decorated with banners.
People dressed in ancient clothing walked through the streets carrying baskets and tools.
Ships floated in a massive harbor beyond the city walls.
Kaito stared in disbelief.
"No way…"
A voice behind him spoke sharply.
"Who are you?"
Kaito turned.
Several soldiers stood there holding spears.
At their center stood a young woman wearing a royal cloak and a golden crown shaped like a ring of leaves.
Her emerald eyes studied him carefully.
Kaito's heart nearly stopped.
The mural.
It was her.
The queen from the temple painting.
The woman stepped forward.
"You are not from this land."
Kaito tried to respond.
But his mind was racing.
Ancient city.
Ancient soldiers.
Ancient queen.
His voice barely came out.
"My name… is Kaito Fujimori."
The soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons.
The queen tilted her head slightly.
"Fujimori?"
Her voice softened just a little.
"You speak strangely."
Kaito swallowed.
"Because I think…"
He looked around the city again.
"…I'm not supposed to be here."
The queen studied him for a long moment.
Then she said quietly—
"Welcome to Brigenorea."