The Curator of History (Unfinished)

20 Years Ago

The highway was almost empty.

A silver sedan cruised down the road, its head lights illuminating the dark road ahead. Inside, a man drove with one hand on the steering wheel wearing a bored expression, while his wife sat in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing at the window.

“We should probably stop soon,” The woman said.

The man nodded.

“Agreed, we could use a break.”

A few minutes later, they spotted a highway rest stop ahead.

“Sweet, just what we needed.”

The man turned the wheel and pulled into the parking lot.

The rest stop was mostly empty. A few cars were parked near the building, but most of the area was quiet.

The couple stepped out of their car.

“I’m going to grab some snacks,” the man said.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“Bathroom first?”

The woman laughed.

“Bathroom first.”

They walked toward the rest stop building together.

The woman suddenly stopped.

“Wait.”

Her husband turned toward her.

“What?”

She pointed toward a secluded area behind the building.

“Over there.”

He followed her gaze.

At first, he couldn't see anything.

Then he noticed a small figure lying on the ground.

“A kid?”

The woman immediately started walking toward them.

“Hey, wait!”

She ignored him and hurried over.

As she approached, she realized it was a young girl.

She couldn't have been more than six years old.

The girl had long silver hair, slightly messy from lying on the ground. She was curled up in the corner of the secluded area, completely motionless.

The woman knelt beside her.

“Sweetheart?”

No response.

She gently touched the girl's shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

Still nothing.

The woman looked toward her husband.

“She’s unconscious.”

He quickly approached.

“Is she breathing?”

The woman carefully placed two fingers near the girl's nose.

After a moment, she nodded.

“Yes. She's breathing.”

The couple exchanged worried looks.

“Where did she come from?”

“I don't know.”

The woman looked around.

There was nobody else nearby.

She gently brushed some of the girl's silver hair away from her face.

“Poor thing…”

***

That was the moment the Dove family found me.

They took me to a hospital, and after everything was sorted out, they eventually adopted me.

The rest… became my life.

For the longest time, I never questioned it.

I had no memories of anything before the Doves found me.

I didn't remember where I had come from.

I didn't remember my biological parents.

I didn't remember my grandfather.

Nothing.

So I simply came to one conclusion.

My original family had abandoned me.

It wasn't a pleasant thought, but I figured it was the only explanation that made sense.

Why else would a six-year-old girl be found unconscious and alone at a highway rest stop?

For twenty years, I believed that was my story.

Then I started having those dreams.

The manor.

Grandpa.

The strange markings.

The magic circle.

And the promise he made to me.

I will protect you.

I slowly looked toward the manor standing in front of me.

Suddenly, that old assumption didn't feel so certain anymore.

Maybe I hadn't been abandoned.

Maybe that night, he had sent me away...

Not because he didn't want me.

But because he wanted me to survive.

I stared at the manor.

“If that's true…”

My hands tightened into fists.

“Then what happened to my family?”

“Rachel?”

I blinked.

Lucas was standing beside me, looking at me with concern.

“You okay?”

I looked at him.

“You’ve been staring at that manor for a while now.”

I glanced back at the building.

“Yeah… I’m fine.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“You sure?”

I nodded.

“I just… have a lot of questions.”

“Understandable.”

Lucas looked over his shoulder.

Then his expression changed.

“Though, I think we should save those questions for later.”

Lucas pointed down the road.

“The mutant army is still right on our tail.”

He turned toward the manor.

“So we should probably head inside as soon as possible.”

He walked toward the front gates.

“Hopefully, something good happens.”

I stared at him.

“That is an incredibly optimistic way of looking at this.”

Lucas shrugged.

“What else are we supposed to do?”

Fair point.

Lucas reached the front gates and stepped through.

Or at least, he tried to.

BAM!

“OW!”

Something invisible slammed into him.

Lucas was thrown backward and landed hard on the ground.

I stared at him.

“…Lucas?”

He groaned and slowly sat up.

He rubbed the back of his head.

“I'm okay.”

He looked toward the gates.

“Didn't see that coming.”

Lucas slowly got back on his feet.

He looked toward the manor's entrance.

“There’s a barrier around this place.”

“A barrier?”

Lucas stepped toward the entrance again, this time more carefully.

He raised a hand and placed it against the invisible barrier.

His expression became serious.

“Hm.”

He pressed against it for a few seconds before pulling his hand back.

“I can't break it.”

He looked at the manor.

“Whoever created this barrier must have been pretty powerful.”

I stared at the entrance.

Then Lucas turned toward me.

“Well, you said you recognize this place, right?”

I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Then maybe you're the only one who can open it.”

I blinked.

“Me?”

Lucas shrugged.

“Worth a shot.”

I looked back at the manor.

It still felt strangely familiar.

Like some distant part of me was telling me that I belonged here.

“…All right. I'll try.”

I took a step forward.

Then another.

As soon as I approached the barrier—

**WHOOSH.**

The invisible wall vanished.

I froze.

Lucas smiled as he stared at the open path in front of us.

“…Well, that was easy.”

Lucas chuckled.

“Come on.”

He stepped through the opening.

I took a deep breath before following him into the manor grounds.

I followed Lucas through the opening in the barrier.

Then I heard it.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

I slowly turned around.

My eyes widened.

The mutant army had finally reached us.

Hundreds of grotesque creatures were charging toward the manor, their twisted bodies moving at terrifying speed.

“Oh shit.”

I looked at Lucas.

“Are we screwed?”

Lucas calmly stared at the approaching army.

Then he looked at me.

“You should see for yourself.”

I frowned.

“What does that—”

The first mutant reached the manor gates.

It lunged forward.

BAM!

Its body slammed into the invisible barrier.

The creature was violently thrown backward.

The others didn't stop.

One after another, they charged toward the manor.

BAM!

BAM!

CRASH!

Every creature that tried to enter was stopped by the barrier.

Some were thrown backward.

Others simply slammed against the invisible wall and fell to the ground.

The entire army was now gathered outside the manor, unable to get through.

I stared at them.

Then I looked at Lucas.

“…We're not screwed.”

Lucas nodded.

“Not as long as that barrier remains intact, anyway.”