The Veil Of Ages

The second morning at Argon Heritage had a different air to it. Ethan walked through the entrance, adjusting his ID badge, feeling a quiet shift in his mindset. Yesterday had been a whirlwind of introductions, awe-inspiring exhibits, and a growing realization that this place held more than just history—it held secrets.

Today, however, was different. Today, the real work began.

The hallways were already buzzing with activity as researchers and interns moved between departments. The scent of aged parchment, polished wood, and faint metallic notes from preservation chemicals filled the air. It was the kind of atmosphere Ethan had dreamed of working in, yet something about it felt heavier now, as if the past itself weighed down these halls.

He pulled out his phone and checked his messages. A new one had arrived from Li Wei.

Li Wei: First day of real work. Try not to get fired.

Ethan smirked and replied.

Ethan: No promises. If I disappear, assume I found something I wasn’t supposed to.

The response came immediately.

Li Wei: You say that like it’s a joke.

Ethan frowned slightly before putting his phone away.

Maybe it was a joke.

Maybe it wasn’t.

---

Meeting Professor Aldrich

The Artifact Verification & Preservation Wing was one of the quieter sections of Argon Heritage. Unlike the grand exhibition halls, this place was strictly for researchers—no tours, no public access. Here, historical artifacts were tested, authenticated, and sometimes… hidden from the world.

Ethan arrived at Professor Aldrich’s study, a spacious room lined with bookshelves, maps, and neatly cataloged files. The professor, a man in his early sixties with sharp eyes and an aura of quiet authority, was flipping through a worn leather journal when Ethan stepped in.

"Carter," Aldrich said, not looking up. "You’re early. Most interns take a week before they figure out time management."

Ethan shrugged. "Didn’t want to get lost."

"Smart," Aldrich muttered, closing the journal and motioning to a stack of folders on the desk. "Let’s see if you can find something, then."

Ethan stepped closer, scanning the files. Each contained artifact verification reports. Most were standard—Roman coins, pottery, preserved texts—but others carried names that weren’t so easily dismissed.

His eyes moved across the labels:

Suspected Fake: The Dagger of Charlemagne

Unverified: Golden Tablet of an Unknown Dynasty

Confirmed Fake: The Last Crown of Alexander

Testing in Progress: Muramasa Blade (Private Collection, Japan)

His fingers hesitated over the Muramasa entry. He had seen the sword in the Grand Exhibition Hall yesterday, but seeing it here, in a classified document, made it feel different.

Aldrich followed his gaze. "That one interests you?"

"I saw it yesterday," Ethan admitted. "It looked well-preserved for something so old."

Aldrich leaned back, watching him carefully. "Artifacts are like stories, Carter. Most of them have been rewritten, altered, or completely fabricated. Your job here is to separate the truth from the myth."

Ethan nodded slowly.

"You’ll start with inventory verification today," Aldrich continued, motioning toward a set of storage lists. "It may seem tedious, but even the smallest mistake in history can alter how the world remembers it."

Ethan took the file, flipping through its pages.

Then his eyes landed on something that made him pause.

Recovered Item: Unverified Katana (Unknown Origin)

Status: Secured Holding – Restricted Access

His grip tightened slightly on the paper.

Before he could ask, Aldrich spoke again. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Carter."

Ethan forced a chuckle, setting the file down. "Just surprised to see how many artifacts are in ‘restricted access.’"

Aldrich gave him a knowing look. "Legends," he said finally, "are only dangerous when people try to prove them real."

---

A Chance Encounter in the Archives

Ethan’s next task took him into the Preservation Wing, where delicate artifacts were kept under climate-controlled conditions. He moved between storage units, cross-referencing ID numbers with inventory reports, checking for missing or mislabeled items.

Most of them were mundane—fragments of scrolls, ceremonial daggers, rusted coins—but something about this section of Argon Heritage felt different from the public exhibits. These weren’t just artifacts. These were pieces of history that the world either didn’t know about… or wasn’t meant to.

As he worked, he noticed a figure adjusting the lighting near a sealed manuscript case at the far end of the room. She was focused, carefully measuring the distance between the display’s light sources and the fragile parchment inside.

Ethan hesitated before speaking. "You’re one of the new interns too, right?"

She turned, her dark eyes assessing him before nodding. "Renji Sakamoto."

"Ah," Ethan said, recognizing the name from the intern roster. "Ethan Carter."

She glanced at the report in his hand. "Inventory verification?"

"Yeah. Exciting stuff."

Renji smirked slightly. "You’d be surprised. Half of what gets stored here is misidentified or mislabeled."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "So you don’t believe in the authenticity of most of these artifacts?"

She crossed her arms. "I believe history is full of stories. Some are true. Some are what people want to be true."

Ethan considered that. "Then what about the stories that were hidden because they were too true?"

Renji studied him for a moment. Then, almost as if testing him, she said, "Like the katana in restricted holding?"

Ethan kept his expression neutral. "I don’t know. Maybe."

She nodded slightly. "Then I guess we’ll find out."

---

Late-Night Reflections

That night, Ethan sat in his small apartment, flipping through the inventory logs on his tablet. His mind kept circling back to the restricted artifacts.

Could they really be real?

And if they were, why were they here? Why weren’t they in national museums or private collections?

He exhaled slowly, staring at his ceiling. He had come here to study history. But something told him he was about to become a part of it instead.

And he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that.

The First Cracks in History

The Artifact Verification & Preservation Wing of Argon Heritage was quieter than the rest of the facility, but silence here wasn’t comforting. It was thick, heavy—like a library where the books held more secrets than stories.

Ethan moved through the storage aisles, adjusting his ID badge as he scanned the day’s task list on his tablet. Today’s assignment was simple but crucial: verify that every artifact in this section was accounted for and correctly documented.

The process was routine—cross-check storage IDs, update conditions, note any inconsistencies.

Except inconsistencies were exactly what had caught his attention yesterday.

As he flipped through the digital records, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

A message from Li Wei.

> Li Wei: Try not to break anything today.

Ethan smirked and typed a response.

> Ethan: Can’t break what’s already broken. Pretty sure half of these artifacts are just overpriced paperweights.

> Li Wei: Spoken like a man who’s never had to handle a 2,000-year-old scroll.

Another message popped up, this time from Aryan.

> Aryan: So when are you going to "accidentally" smuggle me a legendary sword?

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head.

> Ethan: The second you wire me a million dollars.

> Aryan: So next week? Got it.

A new notification appeared—Nadia was typing.

He waited, but her message never came.

Instead, she erased it.

Ethan frowned slightly but put his phone away. He’d ask her about it later.

---

A Routine Check… Almost

Ethan started his verification work, moving through the secured storage aisles, checking artifact conditions and cross-referencing them against his list.

Most of them were mundane historical items—coins, scroll fragments, ceremonial armor. Nothing that would cause a war between underground organizations.

But then he spotted a familiar name on the list.

Unverified Katana (Unknown Origin)

Status: Secured Holding – Restricted Access

The same one from yesterday.

Ethan hesitated, staring at the entry for a moment before sighing. It wasn’t his job to question these things. He checked its location—still locked in holding—and moved on.

---

The Unmarked Case

A half-hour later, Ethan reached the last section of today’s verification list. The vault-style storage units here were reinforced with extra security—only used for high-value or unstable artifacts.

He crouched to check an inventory tag when his gaze landed on something strange.

A single, unmarked metal case sat among the properly labeled artifacts.

Unlike the others, it had no catalog number. No reference ID. No label.

Ethan flipped through his checklist. No entry. No description. No record.

Which meant, officially, this case didn’t exist.

 @@novelbin@@

He frowned. Even restricted artifacts had documentation—some level of classification, even if the public couldn’t access it.

But this? This wasn’t even supposed to be here.

For a moment, his fingers hovered over the reinforced edge of the case.

Then his phone buzzed again.

A message from Nadia.

> Nadia: You’re staring at something you shouldn’t be, aren’t you?

Ethan’s pulse jumped slightly.

> Ethan: What makes you say that?

> Nadia: Just a feeling.

Ethan exhaled, glancing back at the case.

He wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t going to try opening it. But still…

Why was it here?

And why did it feel like someone already knew he’d find it?

---

A Late-Night Call

That night, Ethan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his apartment. His tablet sat beside him, still open to the artifact database.

He wasn’t supposed to question things.

But the unmarked case wasn’t something small. It wasn’t a misfiled document or a mislabeled coin. It was deliberate.

His phone vibrated beside him, and he grabbed it without checking the caller ID.

Li Wei’s voice came through. "You’re up late."

Ethan exhaled. "So are you."

A pause. Then, "You found something, didn’t you?"

Ethan hesitated before saying, "I don’t know what I found."

Another pause. Then, quieter, "Then maybe it’s best you leave it that way."

Ethan didn’t answer.

Because, deep down, he already knew he wouldn’t.

---

End of Chapter 2