The Phantom-01 moved like a living thing.
Arin had expected noise, vibrations, and perhaps a violent crash into the nearest tree.
Instead, the motorcycle responded to him as though it had known him his entire life.
The moment he twisted the handle, information flooded his vision.
«PHANTOM-01 ONLINE.
DESTINATION: NOT SELECTED.
THREAT ANALYSIS: ACTIVE.
PASSENGER DETECTED.
PASSENGER IDENTIFICATION:
LYRA VALERIUS.
STATUS: FAMILY.»
Arin nearly lost his grip.
"Family?"
"What’s wrong?" Lyra asked from behind him.
"Nothing."
The System’s Family Authority had recognized her automatically.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, that made him strangely happy.
Several Hunters had gathered near the gate by now. Most stood at a safe distance, staring at the motorcycle with expressions that ranged from curiosity to outright fear.
"Young man," one of the guards finally said, "what exactly is that thing?"
Arin considered his options.
The truth wasn’t an option.
Neither was explaining that a mysterious game from another world had decided to give him a motorcycle.
"It’s... an inherited Artifact."
The lie came surprisingly easily.
The surrounding Hunters immediately nodded.
"Ah."
"Of course."
"That explains absolutely nothing."
Arin silently agreed with the last man.
"Can it fly?"
"I hope not."
"Can it breathe fire?"
"I sincerely hope not."
Lyra raised her hand.
"It growls."
Several people took another step backward.
Smart.
The less attention they attracted, the better.
Unfortunately, Project Elysium appeared to have very different opinions regarding subtlety.
"Hold on."
"Okay!"
The Phantom-01 roared to life once more.
Several horses fled.
One particularly dramatic merchant threw himself to the ground.
Then, before anyone could stop them, the motorcycle surged forward.
Arin’s eyes widened.
"WHY IS IT SO FAST?!"
The world became a blur.
Trees rushed past them.
The frontier disappeared behind them in seconds.
And somewhere in the distance, Lyra’s delighted laughter echoed through the forest.
"AGAIN!"
"We’re still on the first ride!"
"I KNOW!"
It took Arin approximately ten minutes to discover that the Phantom-01 possessed something called "Stability Assistance."
Without it, both siblings would have become historical footnotes shortly after leaving the frontier.
Eventually, the motorcycle slowed to a more reasonable speed.
By reasonable, Arin meant only slightly faster than a galloping horse.
"This thing is insane."
The Phantom-01 hummed in apparent agreement.
The forest surrounding them grew denser as they traveled north.
According to the System map, they were approaching the golden marker.
He had considered ignoring it.
That thought had lasted approximately three seconds.
Curiosity was a dangerous thing.
Unfortunately, he had inherited an abundance of it.
"Big Brother?"
"Hm?"
"Are we adventurers now?"
The question caught him off guard.
"I suppose we are."
Lyra smiled.
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because adventurers always have cool stories."
He hoped she was right.
The road gradually gave way to wilderness.
Ancient trees stretched toward the sky while strange flowers illuminated the undergrowth with faint traces of mana.
This part of the frontier felt... older.
As though it had somehow escaped the passage of time.
Even the Phantom-01 had become quieter.
Eventually, another notification appeared.
«ENTERING RESTRICTED ZONE.
WARNING:
THIS AREA HAS BEEN HIDDEN FOR 3,742 YEARS.»
Arin nearly drove into a tree.
"What?"
"What happened?" Lyra asked.
"The forest just told me it’s older than recorded history."
"Oh."
"...You’re not surprised?"
"At this point, I’ve accepted that strange things happen around you."
That was alarmingly fair.
The further they traveled, the stranger the surroundings became.
Ruins appeared beneath the roots of massive trees.
Stone pillars covered in unfamiliar symbols emerged from the earth.
At one point, they passed what appeared to be a statue of a man riding a creature that looked suspiciously like a dragon.
And then, without warning, the road ended.
Before them stood a cliff.
Arin frowned.
"The map says we’re here."
"But there’s nothing here."
She was right.
The golden marker floated directly ahead.
Unfortunately, it appeared to be located somewhere in the middle of empty air.
"This has to be another one of your weird System things."
"Most likely."
He dismounted and cautiously approached the edge.
The drop was easily several hundred meters.
At the bottom stretched an endless sea of mist.
Arin stared at the marker.
Then, hesitantly, reached toward it.
The world immediately changed.
The mist vanished.
His breath caught in his throat.
An enormous valley appeared before them.
No.
Valley wasn’t the right word.
It was a kingdom.
Nestled between mountains larger than anything Arin had ever seen, an entire city slept beneath the morning sun.
Massive walls of white stone surrounded countless buildings. Rivers flowed through its streets while towering structures stretched toward the heavens.
It was impossible.
There was no other word for it.
Entire districts had been reclaimed by nature. Vines climbed ancient towers while trees grew through abandoned plazas.
And yet...
Despite the passage of time, the city remained beautiful.
Lyra slowly lowered Mr. Buttons.
"Big Brother."
"Yes?"
"Did we accidentally find another country?"
"I honestly don’t know."
The System, apparently deciding that now was an appropriate moment for dramatic reveals, finally spoke.
«LOCATION DISCOVERED.
WELCOME HOME, FOUNDER.
HIDDEN SETTLEMENT:
HOUSE ELYSIUM.»
Silence.
Arin read the notification twice.
Then a third time.
"Founder?"
The city didn’t seem particularly interested in explaining itself.
Another series of messages appeared.
«HOUSE ELYSIUM STATUS:
POPULATION: 0
DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS: STANDBY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE: DORMANT
MAINTENANCE DRONES: ACTIVE
LAST REGISTERED OWNER:
ACCESS DENIED.»
The last line bothered him more than the others.
"What do you mean access denied?"
Naturally, the System refused to elaborate.
"Big Brother?"
"Yes?"
"I think the city noticed us."
He looked up.
And immediately wished he hadn’t.
Lights had begun appearing throughout the valley.
One after another.
Thousands of them.
Buildings that had remained dormant for millennia slowly awakened.
Ancient mechanisms stirred beneath the earth.
Somewhere deep within the city, bells began ringing.
Not magical bells.
Mechanical ones.
«FOUNDER’S DESCENDANT DETECTED.
OPENING MAIN GATE.»
The mountain shook.
Arin instinctively pulled Lyra closer as a section of the cliff face began moving.
Stone parted.
Metal groaned.
And slowly, impossibly, a road revealed itself.
It led directly into the hidden city.
Neither sibling spoke for several seconds.
Eventually, Lyra looked up at him.
"Can we keep it?"
Arin stared at her.
"Lyra."
"What?"
"It’s a city."
"So?"
"We can’t just keep ancient civilizations."
"Why not?"
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...That’s actually a surprisingly difficult question."
The Phantom-01 suddenly moved forward on its own.
"Wait."
The motorcycle ignored him.
Apparently, it had decided they were going.
"Since when do you make decisions?"
The vehicle offered no explanation.
Helpful.
As they descended into the valley, Arin couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
Not by monsters.
Not by people.
But by the city itself.
It felt... expectant.
As though it had spent thousands of years waiting for this moment.
They passed through the main gate shortly after noon.
The scale of House Elysium became even more apparent up close.
The walls alone rivaled those of the capital.
Ancient statues lined the streets, depicting figures dressed in armor unlike anything Arin had ever seen.
Some carried weapons.
Others books.
One appeared to be holding what suspiciously resembled a coffee cup.
"That one looks tired."
"It does."
For some reason, that made the entire place feel more human.
The city wasn’t dead.
It was sleeping.
And somehow, Project Elysium had just woken it up.
Eventually, the Phantom-01 came to a stop before the largest building in the valley.
A mansion.
No.
A palace.
Its white walls stretched endlessly while dozens of balconies overlooked the city below.
Above the entrance hung a single symbol.
A silver tree surrounded by seven stars.
The crest of House Elysium.
Without warning, the massive doors slowly opened.
Warm light spilled into the courtyard.
Then a voice echoed throughout the valley.
A woman’s voice.
Calm.
Gentle.
And impossibly old.
«"Welcome home, Master."
"House Elysium has awaited your return for 3,742 years."»
Arin felt every hair on his body stand up.
Beside him, Lyra’s eyes widened.
"Big Brother?"
"Yes?"
"I don’t think we’re homeless anymore."
For once in his life, Arin had absolutely no response.
And somewhere deep within the mansion, hidden beneath thousands of years of silence, something smiled.
Its Founder had finally come home.