The Story

​The sun was warm and bright, inviting the world for a marvellous day out. Four young friends were out hiking in the nearby mountain, as they did almost every weekend. It was a small rocky mountain…some trees and plants here and there, but the hiking path was beautiful. The view from the top, was magnificent…on one side, a vast plain where the city sat, surrounded by cultivation fields and forests, on the other side, the immense blue sea.

They were half-way to the top when suddenly a fearsome rumble forced them to stop.

• “It appears to have come from up ahead!” said one of them with a voice breaking with a worrying tone.
• “Should we go back…it might be dangerous” replied another apprehensively.
• “Let’s just have a look from a safe distance…it might be nothing or it might even be an animal!” added yet another, moved by curiosity.

The group was split on what to do, but finally agreed to take a peek.
From the distance it appeared as if some small rocks rolled down the mountain just a few meters ahead.

• “It was clearly a small landslide. These walls have little vegetations leaving the rocks loose and more exposed to erosion” said the one more given to science facts.
• “It seems everything is quiet now…” other observes.
• “Let’s look more closely!” added the one looking more adventurous.

They slowly walked towards the area where the wall gave away.

• “Wow, it looks like some kind of cave!” said one.
• “Yes, it seems that the landslide uncovered it! The entrance seems to be wide enough for our size” said another while measuring the cave’s entrance with the eyes.

They looked closer. The hole in the mountain opened to a wide and dark inner chamber. But a small drawing in the wall, next to the entrance caught their attention.

• “What is that? Looks like some kind of writing…” said one. “What do you think? You are the one that knows more about these things” continued, now addressing one of the others.
• “Let me see…hum…I’m pretty sure this is ancient Greek, I recognize the letters, but I can’t make sense of it” replied the other.
• “This may be a great find! We are going to be famous!..Maybe” added one of the others with a smile on the face.
• “Let’s go inside! I have a lantern in my mobile phone we can use” said promptly the more adventurous of them.

The group was so excited that, without thinking twice, entered the cave decisively.
The light from the lantern was shed towards every direction within the cave. The cave looked now smaller. Unexpectedly something shimmered on the wall as the light passed over.

• “Look there! There something shinning!” said one excited.
• “Yes, it must be a diamond” said other one joking, while all got closer to the shimmering object.

• “There’s something there, covered in dirt!” one observed.

The group started removing the dirt with their bare hands. They were surprised when some kind of dashboard with buttons was quickly revealed.
The cave suddenly was filled with mix of emotions … wonder, thrill, fear...

• “Wow! It’s a machine!” said one of them.
• “Could it be from aliens?” added another.
• “It may be a bomb! Don’t touch it!” someone shouted in the middle of the excitement.

This last sentence was being said when the more adventurous of them pressed a large button…all of a sudden, all four of them vanished…

• “Hey, where are we? Where is the cave?”

All looked different than they did one second ago. There were no roads or houses to see, just nature. They looked at the wilderness, feeling very confused.

• “Dear friends” … a voice was heard. “I think the question is – When are you?”

A strange figure appeared suddenly, literally coming out of nowhere. It was an old man, tall, with white hair and long beard. He looked at them and said:

• “Yes, the most important question you should be asking is – when are you?...Hum, you seem puzzled. You know that you went through a Time Portal, right?”

The kids’ faces turned pale.

• “…how come…Time Portal…how…”, “we just want to go home…”
• “Now, now…so we have a group of accidental time travellers….oh, the Time Agents will not like it nevertheless, no they won’t…” said the old man while shaking his head. “From what year are you coming from?”
• “2016” they replied. “What years is this?”
• “Sorry, this is the year 800BC, we are in the time of the Ancient Greece, in the Era we could call as the Dawn of Democracy” he added. “But let me introduce myself. I’m a fellow time traveller, but not by accident. I came from 1975, and it took me years to find the secrets of the Time Portals. When I did, I travelled to this time and decided to stay”.
• “But, how did you come to find us here?” asked one of the lost time travellers.
• “Well, I will reveal you the secret, but first I must tell you more about the Time Portals.”

So he did. He told them how the Time Portals were real. He didn’t know who created them, but he knew that by solving riddles and challenges to find and open Portals, following a right path, it was possible to go anywhere in time.

• “So we can go home again, right?” asked the group.
• “Yes, but you should know that you will also have to deal with the Time Agents. These Agents are guardians of time and pursue any time travellers in order to imprison them into oblivion. I don’t know details about what actually happens when they get you…but I try to avoid them.” Says the old man. “The only time I faced a Time Agent I barely escaped. I managed to trick him and ran with a few of their devices. One of the devises was actually what signalled your arrival here. The other two devices are for communicating through different time ages.”
• “Can you help us return home? Please!” the group asked.
• “Well, I can try…but unfortunately I cannot make the journey with you. I can point you to the right direction and assist you along the way, though.” He replied. “It will be a long and hard journey, going through several time Eras, avoiding Time Agents…but you seem like a group of courageous and bright kids. Here, take this communication device. This way we will be able to keep in touch.”, and he handed over to them a small devise and kept another one for himself.
• “What should we do now” they asked.
• “Now you rest and have dinner with me. In the morning, I will tell you where you should start to find the first Time Portal that will take you home”.

Do you want to help them return home?
The game will be available soon!

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