Sitael – POV
From the air, it didn't look like much.
At first.
Just shapes breaking the endless flow of sand—too straight, too deliberate to be natural.
Ruins.
I angled my wings slightly, descending in a slow spiral.
The closer I got, the clearer it became.
Buildings.
Or what used to be buildings.
Half-buried in sand, their walls worn smooth by years—centuries, maybe—of constant wind. Some had collapsed entirely. Others still stood, stubborn and hollow.
Abandoned.
Completely.
"…So this is what I saw."
I landed lightly at the edge of what used to be a road. My feet sank slightly into the sand, the grains shifting under my weight.
No footprints.
No movement.
No sound but the wind.
I took a few steps forward.
A door hung open on one of the nearest structures, creaking faintly as the wind pushed it back and forth.
Not broken.
Not forced.
Just… left.
"…They didn't run," I murmured. "They walked away."
Or something made them.
---
I reached out with the nanites.
They spread quietly, slipping across surfaces, into cracks, beneath the sand—mapping, scanning, listening.
Nothing biological.
No bodies.
No remains.
But—
"…There it is."
Energy.
Faint.
Deep.
Below me.
I looked down at the ground beneath my feet.
"…Of course."
---
I moved further into the town.
The layout was simple—clustered buildings, narrow pathways, a central open space that might have been a market or gathering point.
Everything was coated in sand.
But not evenly.
Some areas were more exposed than others.
Like something beneath them… resisted it.
I knelt, brushing my fingers across the ground.
Stone.
Not local.
Too smooth.
Too precise.
"…You don't belong here."
A low hum brushed the edge of my awareness.
So faint I almost missed it.
But now that I'd noticed it—
I couldn't unhear it.
---
I stood slowly.
"…You're active."
Not fully.
Not awake.
But not dead either.
Waiting.
---
The center of the town drew me in.
I didn't question it.
Didn't need to.
Each step felt… guided.
Like walking toward something that already knew I was coming.
The hum grew stronger.
Still quiet.
Still buried.
But undeniable.
I stopped in the middle of the open space.
Closed my eyes.
Focused.
Nanites spread outward in a tight, controlled pulse—probing deeper this time.
Sand.
Stone.
Then—
Metal.
Alloy composition unknown.
Structure intact.
Large.
Very large.
"…Found you."
---
My eyes opened.
For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the ground.
Then I lifted my foot slightly—
—and tapped it down.
Gently.
The sand shifted.
Cracked.
Not violently this time—controlled, precise. A circular pattern formed beneath me as the upper layer gave way, revealing something beneath.
Smooth.
Pale.
Unmistakable.
Ancient.
I crouched, brushing away more sand with my hand.
Lines appeared.
Not carved.
Not worn.
Perfect.
Glowing faintly as my fingers passed over them.
The hum deepened.
Responding.
To me.
---
"…Yeah," I whispered. "That's not a coincidence."
I stood and stepped back.
"Let's see how deep this goes."
Nanites surged outward again—this time focused downward, cutting, shifting, clearing sand in a widening circle.
Meters down.
Then more.
Until—
An edge.
A seam.
A door.
Buried for who knows how long.
---
I hovered slightly above the ground, wings adjusting automatically.
"…Alright," I said softly. "Moment of truth."
I lowered myself in front of the structure.
No visible controls.
No markings I recognized.
Just smooth, sealed metal.
I reached out.
Placed my hand against it.
For a second—
Nothing.
Then—
Light.
Soft at first.
Then brighter.
Lines ignited beneath the surface, racing outward from the point of contact like veins of energy.
The hum turned into a tone.
Low.
Resonant.
Alive.
---
And then the voice came.
Not from outside.
From everywhere.
From inside my head.
**"—Recognition sequence initiated."**
I froze.
"…That's new."
**"Genetic variance detected."**
The light shifted—scanning, analyzing.
I felt it pass through me—not physically, but deeper.
Reading.
Comparing.
Judging.
---
**"Non-Ancient classification…"**
A pause.
Longer this time.
Then—
**"Override condition met."**
My eyes narrowed.
"…Override?"
The tone deepened.
Almost… curious.
**"Designation… unknown."**
Another pause.
Then—
**"Compatibility: Accepted."**
---
The door split open.
Not sliding.
Not mechanical.
It *unfolded*—layers of metal separating and retracting into themselves with impossible precision.
A rush of cold air escaped from within.
Old.
Stale.
Untouched.
---
Darkness waited below.
A long descent—steps leading into the depths.
Faint blue light flickered far beneath the surface.
I stared for a moment.
Then smiled slightly.
"…Well," I said, stepping forward, "this is definitely not a trap."
I paused at the edge—
Then looked back once at the silent town.
Empty.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
"…Guess I'm home."
And with that, I stepped into the Ancient outpost.