The First Civilization

The fourth horn never came. That silence was worse.

Aren stood near the eastern side of the council hall, staring toward the narrow windows. Everyone inside had heard the last warning. Then nothing. No shouting. No footsteps. Not even the usual sounds from the settlement.

Chief Aldren was the first to move. "Close the gates."

The guards immediately rushed outside.

"All of them?"

"All."

Aldren looked toward the other chiefs. "Nobody leaves the settlement."

Chief Harok grabbed his spear. "If the eastern tower has fallen, we need warriors there."

"We don’t know what attacked it," Aldren replied.

"That’s why we need to find out."

Harok was already heading toward the door. Aren stepped in front of him.

"Wait."

Harok stopped. "What?"

Aren pointed toward Varek. "Ask him first."

---

Everyone looked at the stranger. Varek remained seated. His face had lost the calm expression he had worn earlier.

Harok tightened his grip on his spear. "You said they found you."

Varek nodded.

"Then tell us what we’re dealing with."

Varek looked around the room. "They don’t usually attack villages."

"Then why attack our tower?"

"Because you have something they want."

Aren’s hand moved toward the piece of black stone still lying on the table. Varek noticed. "Not that."

Aren frowned. "Then what?"

Varek looked directly at him. "You."

The room became completely silent. Aren stared at him. "Me?"

Varek nodded. "They’ve been searching for someone."

"Who?"

Varek’s eyes remained on Aren. "We don’t know his name." He paused. "But we know what happens when he remembers."

Aren felt a cold sensation run down his back. The system suddenly appeared.

════════════════════════════

WARNING

External Memory Resonance Detected

Unknown Individual

Connection: Unconfirmed

Memory Synchronization: 31%

════════════════════════════

Aren quickly dismissed the notification. Nobody else reacted. Good. He didn’t want them seeing it.

"What do you mean by remembers?" Aren asked.

Varek leaned back. "The ruins aren’t simply ruins."

"Then what are they?"

"A record."

Aren frowned. "Of what?"

"Of a civilization that disappeared."

That answer sounded familiar. Too familiar. Aren glanced at Doran. The scout had gone quiet.

Varek continued. "The people searching for the ruins believe the civilization left something behind."

"Treasure?" Harok asked.

Varek shook his head. "Knowledge."

Aren’s eyes narrowed. "What kind?"

Varek looked at him. "Knowledge capable of changing the world."

Nobody spoke. Even Harok seemed to be considering the words.

Aldren finally asked, "How do you know all this?"

Varek’s expression hardened. "Because my people spent generations looking for the same thing."

"Your people?"

"The people from the northern hills."

Aren looked toward the symbol on Varek’s belt. "The bird."

Varek glanced down. "Our ancestors used it."

"Why?"

"They believed it represented the old civilization."

Aren remembered the golden dragon from his visions. Two symbols. Two groups. Two different stories. Perhaps the world was larger than he had imagined.

---

A sudden crash came from outside. Everyone turned. A wooden watch platform collapsed beyond the eastern wall. Warriors shouted.

"Enemy!"

The council hall erupted into movement. Chief Harok pulled his spear free.

"Finally."

Aldren pointed toward the doors. "Get the civilians into the inner area."

Captain Reth ran outside. Doran grabbed Aren’s arm.

"Stay behind the warriors."

Aren looked at him. "I know."

"You say that every time."

"And you keep getting injured."

Doran gave him a tired smile. "Fair."

---

They stepped outside. The settlement had changed completely. Warriors were running toward the eastern wall. Women were pulling children into the central houses. The gates had been locked. Archers climbed the watch platforms. But there was no enemy in sight.

Aren looked toward the forest. Nothing. Just trees.

Then he noticed something on the ground. A dead guard. No visible wound. He was simply lying beside the broken watchtower.

Doran crouched beside him. "He’s alive."

Aren looked closer. The man’s eyes were open. But he wasn’t moving.

Doran touched his neck. "Breathing."

"Then what happened?"

Doran examined the man’s face. "Look."

A small black mark had appeared beneath the man’s ear. Aren leaned closer. It was the same symbol. Circle. Bird. His stomach tightened.

Varek had seen it too. "They marked him."

Aren turned. Varek stood several steps behind them. "Why?"

Varek shook his head. "To show the others that they’ve already been here."

Aren looked toward the forest again. "They’re testing our defenses."

Varek nodded. "They’re looking for an opening."

---

Aren studied the walls. Then he noticed something strange. The eastern watchtower wasn’t attacked from outside. The broken supports had been cut. From the inside.

Aren walked toward the damaged structure. He ran his fingers over the wood. Fresh cuts. Clean.

"Someone opened the tower from inside."

Doran’s expression hardened. "So they have someone here."

Aren stood. "No." He looked toward the crowded settlement. "Someone helped them."

---

Aren returned to the council hall. The chiefs followed. The room was now filled with suspicion. Nobody trusted anyone.

Aren placed the damaged piece of wood on the table. "The tower wasn’t destroyed by an attack from outside."

Harok frowned. "How can you be sure?"

"The cuts were made from the inside."

Captain Reth’s face darkened. "One of our own..."

"Maybe," Aren said. "Or someone entered the settlement before the gates closed."

Aldren looked toward Varek. "You."

Varek shook his head. "I entered through the gate."

"Your people?"

"They stayed outside."

Harok stepped closer. "Then one of your people could have slipped through."

Varek’s expression hardened. "No."

Aren raised his hand. "Stop."

Everyone looked at him. "If we start accusing people without evidence, we’ll destroy the council ourselves."

Harok looked annoyed. "So what do you suggest?"

Aren looked at the map. "Find out where they attacked."

"The eastern tower."

"No." He pointed toward another location. "The southern storage houses."

Doran frowned. "Why there?"

"Because if they entered the settlement—" Aren traced a line across the map, "—they wouldn’t go toward the walls." He stopped at the storage area. "They’d go somewhere with fewer guards."

Aldren immediately understood. "The food."

Aren nodded. "Or the water."

Captain Reth turned toward the door. "Send warriors to both."

Aldren gave the order. Several guards rushed out. Aren remained beside the table. For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then a shout came from outside.

"THE WATER STORE!"

Everyone froze. A second voice followed.

"Someone’s inside!"

Aren looked at Doran. The scout was already moving. They ran outside together. Behind them, Varek followed without saying a word.

---

And somewhere beyond the eastern wall, hidden between the trees, a pair of golden eyes watched the chaos inside Stone River.

A quiet voice whispered, "They found the mark."

Another voice answered from the darkness. "Then the boy is closer than we expected."

The first figure looked toward the settlement. "Good." A pause. "Let him remember."

End of Chapter 45