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Time Traveler of Rome-contd.

by Vatsar Agarwal
(Lucknow, India)

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Chapter 4: Echoes of the Future

Lucius gestured for Marcus to sit, while the man who had brought him—who introduced himself as Gaius—stood watchfully nearby.

“I was once like you,” Lucius said. “I came from a world beyond this one, though not by my own choice. I was a scholar in the distant lands of Alexandria when I discovered… something. A machine, buried in the sands, far older than the city itself.”

Marcus leaned in, his heart pounding. “A time machine?”

Lucius nodded. “A relic from another traveler, long before either of us. I activated it by accident. When I awoke, I was here—Rome, at the height of its power.” He gestured around the room. “For years, I have studied history, seeking others like myself. Some travelers arrive by chance, others by design. Some vanish without a trace.”

Marcus swallowed hard. How many time travelers had been lost to history?

“Why haven’t you returned?” he asked.

Lucius sighed. “Because history is not so easily escaped. I learned too much. I saw what would become of Rome, of the world. To return would be to risk everything.” He leaned forward. “And now, you are here. What is your purpose, traveler?”

Marcus hesitated. “To observe. To understand.”

Lucius’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Then you are wiser than most.”

But before Marcus could ask more, Gaius, who had been standing by the door, suddenly tensed. “Someone is coming.”