The morning sun crept over the city walls, turning everything gold and alive. Maria stretched first, yawning so loud Vinci nearly fell over.
"Rise and shine, travelers from the future," she teased, poking Vinci's side.
"Don't remind me," Vinci groaned, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Hawkings checked the map again, his hands trembling with a mix of excitement and fear. Einstein tied his shoelaces tightly, as if ready for a marathon. Eliza adjusted her bag, her face calm but her eyes wild with thoughts.
They stepped out onto the street together.
Almost immediately, they felt eyes burning into them. The early market was already buzzing — women balancing baskets on their heads, men yelling about fresh olives and fish, stray dogs sniffing for scraps. But the moment they appeared, everything froze.
People stopped talking. One old woman gasped and crossed herself, whispering something to the man beside her. Children hid behind their mothers' skirts, peeking out with wide, terrified eyes.
A group of men gathering near a cart started whispering frantically. "Bandits…?" one hissed. "Or spies from another city-state?" another guessed.
Some muttered that they might be witches and wizards, pointing at their weird hair, their backpacks, their strange walking posture.
"Maybe they're ghosts… or cursed spirits," a woman shrieked, running to alert the guards.
The group kept moving, heads low, trying to act normal ; but nothing about them looked normal. Their clothes were out of place, their shoes too clean, and Maria's long, flowing hair caught the morning light like silk. Vinci's colorful sneakers squeaked with every step, drawing even more attention.
As they turned a corner, they spotted a group of children playing with wooden hoops. The local kids wore simple, rough tunics and dusty sandals ;completely different from their modern, layered clothes. The children stopped and stared, mouths open in shock.
"Uh-oh," Hawkings muttered under his breath.Then came the shout.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
They spun around. Two guards stood blocking the street, their bronze helmets gleaming in the morning sun, their chest plates marked with the king's crest. One of them had a spear pointed slightly forward, not yet threatening ;but ready.
"Where are you from?" the first guard barked.
Silence...
The entire street seemed to hold its breath.
Maria stepped forward, voice trembling. "Far… very far. We have a meeting with someone."
They had quickly stuffed their gadgets deep into their bags, but their backpacks still looked alien. Their bright hair and strange posture gave them away. The girls' hair was too styled, and their slim jeans hugged their legs like nothing the guards had ever seen. Even the way they held themselves was different ; confident, fast, unbowed.
The second guard's eyes narrowed. "You'll explain yourselves at the palace."
Before they could argue, rough hands pushed them forward. The crowd parted like water as they were marched down the main street, toward the palace. People watched, wide-eyed and trembling, whispering behind shaking hands.Vinci's mind spun. Are we really going to see Alexander? What if they execute us? We should've stayed home...
Maria gripped her backpack straps, knuckles white. This wasn't in the plan. We just wanted to learn — not get stuck in ancient politics...
Eliza squeezed Einstein's arm lightly, trying to keep him calm, though her own face had gone pale.
As they reached the palace gates, their fear doubled.
The palace loomed high and majestic, a masterpiece of stone and polished marble. Sunlight bounced off massive bronze statues of warriors and gods, and ivy trailed around grand columns. Inside the gates, courtyards burst with colorful flowers and fountains that trickled softly. Servants in white tunics rushed back and forth, carrying baskets of fruit and amphoras of wine.
They were marched through grand halls, their eyes wide as they took in the painted shields hanging like silent sentinels on the walls. Each shield seemed to watch them pass, telling silent stories of battles and warriors long gone.
When they entered the throne room, their jaws dropped.
It was huge ; the ceiling rose so high it felt like a piece of the sky had been trapped inside. Light spilled through tall windows, catching on gold ornaments and gleaming floors. Around the room sat stern-faced elders in white and purple robes, each holding a staff or scroll, eyes sharp and judging.At the center stood a grand marble throne, decorated with eagle motifs and lion carvings. But it was empty.
The guards ordered them to remove the extra robes they had taken from the clothesline the night before.
Their modern clothes were now fully exposed ; bright shirts, zippers, and logos that might as well have been from another planet. Gasps filled the chamber.
"They're spirits!" one elder hissed. "Sorcery!" another shouted.The council erupted into chaos. Some demanded they be executed at once. Others argued to throw them out of the city. The guards looked equally terrified, stepping back as if afraid to touch them.
Then, a sudden hush.
The heavy doors swung open, and in walked Alexander himself.
He was young ; only about twenty — but there was a power in his presence that stopped every whisper cold. His hair was wavy and golden, eyes sharp and bright as if they burned with hidden stars. He walked gracefully, his armor shining but not heavy on his lean frame.
He sat on the throne, crossing one leg over the other, his gaze never leaving the group.A tense silence filled the hall.
Finally, Alexander leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand."Where are you from?" he asked, his voice calm but commanding, almost curious.
The young travelers stood frozen, hearts pounding like drums.
Their time-travel adventure had just turned into something they could never have imagined ;. standing before one of history's greatest conquerors, with their entire future hanging on a single answer.
It's left to the 5 Geniuses to Explain