The air inside Argon Heritage was colder than usual.
Ethan hadn't noticed it before, but today, standing in the Artifact Verification & Preservation Wing, the silence felt different—not just the quiet of a library, but sothing heavier.
Maybe it was because of the unmarked case from yesterday, still burned into his thoughts. Maybe it was the conversation with Li Wei last night, warning him not to dig too deep. Or maybe it was just paranoia.
Either way, sothing had changed.
And he wasn't sure he liked it.
---
A New Assignnt
Ethan walked into the research wing, expecting to report to Professor Aldrich as usual. But when he checked his tablet, a new notification popped up.
> Assignnt Update: Report to Dr. Lillian Graves (Senior Preservationist)
Task: Artifact Docuntation & Analysis
Ethan frowned. Dr. Graves was well-known in the historical research world—sharp, thodical, and rumored to have no patience for incompetence.
So interns had joked that she hadn't smiled in two decades.
Ethan wasn't sure what to make of the reassignnt. Did Aldrich push him out, or was there another reason?
Either way, he had no choice but to follow orders.
---
Dr. Graves & The First Lesson
Dr. Lillian Graves didn't waste ti with pleasantries.
"Sit," she said the mont Ethan walked into her office. Her desk was covered in ancient docunts, half-translated scripts, and preservation logs.
Ethan sat.
"You were with Aldrich yesterday," she said, flipping a page in an old ledger. "Do you know why you're here now?"
Ethan hesitated. "No one told ."
Dr. Graves nodded as if she expected that answer. "Aldrich is careful. He believes in controlling information—only revealing knowledge when he deems it necessary."
Ethan frowned. "And you don't?"
A flicker of amusent crossed her face. "I believe in understanding first—then deciding what's too dangerous to know."
Ethan considered that. It was a subtle difference, but it mattered.
Dr. Graves leaned back. "Let ask you sothing, Carter. Would you rather be told what's important, or would you rather decide for yourself?"
Ethan didn't hesitate. "Decide for myself."
Dr. Graves smiled for the first ti. "Good. Then let's begin."
---
The Dagger with No Past
Dr. Graves led Ethan into the artifact preservation lab, a space filled with climate-controlled cases, scanning equipnt, and rows of ancient relics under careful examination.
"Your job today is simple," she said, stopping at a sealed glass display. "Docunt the condition of this artifact and verify its record history."
Ethan leaned closer.
Inside the case was a bronze dagger, its blade covered in intricate carvings of a forgotten script.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Recovered from a private collection in Eastern Europe," Dr. Graves said. "Originally thought to be ceremonial. But analysis suggests otherwise."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
She tapped a microscopic scan result on a nearby monitor. "Traces of blood dating back over a thousand years. This wasn't decoration—it was used."
Ethan studied the carvings on the blade. "What do they an?"
Dr. Graves sighed. "That's the problem. The script doesn't match any known language from that region."
Ethan's interest sharpened.
"So either the dagger is far older than we thought," she continued, "or history is missing a piece of the puzzle."
Ethan exhaled slowly. How many more artifacts like this existed? How many stories had been rewritten?
He shook his head. "And what happens if we figure it out?"
Dr. Graves gave him a pointed look. "That depends on whether you're ready to know the answer."
---
A Cryptic ssage
Ethan was taking notes when his phone vibrated in his pocket.
A ssage from Aryan.
> Aryan: How's life at the world's most exclusive library?
Ethan smirked.
> Ethan: Less reading, more deciphering ancient weapons.
> Aryan: You say that like it's NOT a secret cult.
> Ethan: It's a museum.
> Aryan: Yeah? And I bet they DON'T have hidden vaults filled with lost artifacts?
Ethan hesitated.
Aryan was joking.
But after yesterday's unmarked case, it didn't feel like a joke anymore.
Before he could reply, another notification appeared.
Nadia was typing…
Then she erased the ssage.
Ethan frowned.
> Ethan: You okay?
> Nadia: Just be careful.
> Ethan: Of what?
She didn't answer.
---
The Missing Record
By the afternoon, Ethan was nearly finished with his assignnts.
Dr. Graves had stepped away, leaving him alone in the lab. He used the ti to double-check artifact records, ensuring everything matched official docuntation.
Most did.
But when he pulled up the dagger's historical entry, sothing was missing.
The "Known Origin" section was blank.
Frowning, Ethan searched for older versions of the report.
That's when he saw it.
A previous entry—from five years ago—listed the dagger differently.
It had originally been categorized under a different classification:
> "Artifact of Unknown Significance – Vault Storage Recomnded."
But at so point, soone had deleted that classification.
The dagger had been relabeled and moved to general storage.
Ethan leaned back, a cold feeling settling in his chest.
This wasn't just a missing translation or a cataloging error.
Soone had deliberately erased part of its history.
And if that was the case…
What else had been rewritten?
---
A Late-Night Call
That night, Ethan sat at his desk, staring at the dagger's file on his tablet.
His phone rang.
He didn't even check the caller ID before answering.
Li Wei's voice ca through. "You're up late."
"So are you," Ethan said.
A pause. Then: "Did you find sothing?"
Ethan hesitated.
Then he said the truth. "I think I found sothing that shouldn't exist."
Another pause. Then, softer: "Then maybe it's best if you pretend you didn't."
Ethan ran a hand through his hair. "That's not really my style."
"I know," Li Wei sighed. "That's why I'm worried."
Ethan didn't respond.
Because the more he stared at the missing records, the more certain he beca—
This wasn't just a lost artifact.
It was a secret. And soone had already tried to erase it once.
The Erased Past
The next morning, Ethan arrived at Argon Heritage with a new mindset.
He had co here to study history, but now he was realizing sothing unsettling—not all history was ant to be uncovered.
The missing records on the dagger weren't just a clerical error. Soone had deliberately erased its past.
And if one artifact's truth could be rewritten, how many others had been buried the sa way?
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Another ssage from Li Wei.
> Li Wei: You're quiet today. That ans you're thinking too much.
Ethan exhaled. He typed back:
> Ethan: Just wondering how much of what we call "history" is actually real.
Li Wei's response was almost imdiate.
> Li Wei: You're asking the wrong question. You should be wondering who decides what history is.
Ethan stared at the words for a mont before tucking his phone away.
It was ti to find out for himself.
---
A Second Look at the Archives
Ethan was supposed to continue his artifact verification work that morning, but instead, he retraced his steps from yesterday.
He needed to see if the dagger was the only artifact with missing records—or just one of many.
The digital archive system in Argon Heritage was extensive, but access was controlled. Researchers could only view what their clearance level allowed.
Ethan opened his tablet and searched for other "Unverified" artifacts.
Several appeared, but one stood out:
Unmarked Bronze Plaque
Status: Reclassified – Public Archive
Previous Classification: Restricted (No Longer Applicable)
Ethan frowned. The file had been edited three years ago, just like the dagger's record.
He quickly checked another artifact.
Ancient Coin – Alleged 3rd Century Origin
Status: General Archive
Previous Classification: Potential Hoax – Further Study Recomnded
Another reclassification. Another instance of an artifact being moved from restricted access to a category that ensured it wouldn't be studied further.
It wasn't just the dagger.
Soone had systematically erased or altered the records of multiple artifacts.
---
A Strange Warning
Ethan had just started pulling more files when his phone buzzed again.
A ssage from Nadia.
> Nadia: You need to be careful.
Ethan felt a flicker of unease.
> Ethan: Careful about what?
There was a pause before she replied.
> Nadia: You're looking at things soone doesn't want you to see.
Ethan's pulse quickened.
> Ethan: How do you know what I'm looking at?
No answer.
A minute passed. Then two.
Then, finally:
> Nadia: Because I looked too.
Ethan tightened his grip on his tablet. What the hell did that an?
He started typing another question, but before he could send it, a voice interrupted him.
"You're supposed to be cataloging artifacts, not hacking the archive."
Ethan's head snapped up.
Dr. Graves stood at the doorway, arms crossed, watching him with an unreadable expression.
For the first ti, he felt like he had been caught doing sothing he wasn't supposed to.
---
A Deal with Dr. Graves
Ethan expected Dr. Graves to be furious.
Instead, she simply sighed and walked further into the room. "I assu you have questions."
Ethan hesitated. "A few."
Dr. Graves tapped on the edge of the artifact display table, studying him. "You noticed the pattern, didn't you?"
Ethan set his tablet down. "You an how multiple artifacts have had their records changed, erasing parts of their past?"
Dr. Graves nodded. "And what do you think that ans?"
Ethan didn't answer imdiately. He thought about the dagger, the unmarked bronze plaque, the missing classifications.
Finally, he said, "It ans soone is deciding what parts of history are worth rembering—and which ones aren't."
Dr. Graves' expression didn't change. "Good. You're catching on faster than I expected."
Ethan blinked. "So you already knew?"
"Of course." She folded her arms. "Did you think you were the first person to notice this?"
Ethan frowned. "Then why is it allowed?"
Dr. Graves exhaled. "Because history is a weapon as much as it is a record. The wrong knowledge, in the wrong hands, can reshape the world."
Ethan's stomach tightened. "And who decides what's 'wrong'?"
Dr. Graves didn't answer right away. Instead, she motioned toward the dagger's sealed display case.
"You wanted to know why you were transferred here, didn't you?" she asked.
Ethan nodded.
Dr. Graves held his gaze. "Because Aldrich only lets his interns see the history he approves of. I let mine decide for themselves."
Ethan didn't breathe for a mont.
Then, slowly, he asked, "Does that an I have access to the restricted archives?"
Dr. Graves gave him a small, knowing smirk. "No."
Ethan deflated.
"But," she added, "it does an I can show you things Aldrich won't."
Ethan straightened. "So you're saying—"
"I'm saying," Dr. Graves interrupted, "if you want to keep digging, I won't stop you."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, finally, Ethan nodded.
"Good," Dr. Graves said. "Then let's begin."
---
End of Chapter 3
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