Emperor Sephianos was surprised to see Carla alone, not accompanied by Alessandro as he had expected. She handed him the letter, and the Emperor broke the golden seal of Ars Pheria, his fingers lingering for a moment before he unfolded it. As he read Alessandro's words, a frown deepened across his face. The letter was a formal communication, but the message it carried struck him with unexpected force.

  Alessandro had defied the Emperor’s orders. He had pushed his boundaries yet again, choosing to remain on Earth longer than originally agreed. This was not something the Emperor tolerated. Surprises were rare in Ars Pheria, and none of them were pleasant. Such an unexpected and unwanted revelation troubled Sephianos deeply.

  The construction project was critical, and time was of the essence. Alessandro was supposed to return immediately and begin preparations, but now it seemed that his personal interests on Earth had taken precedence over his duties. Sephianos clenched his jaw. The Emperor’s patience was running thin.

  Although Carla usually preferred to stay out of family matters or politics, this time she felt compelled to speak up, for her own sake. She took a deep breath before addressing the Emperor.

  "Your Eminence," she began carefully, "I believe Alessandro wanted to spend his final weeks on Earth concluding some personal matters. This time is important to him, a time he needs alone for his own farewell to Earth."

  Emperor Sephianos listened quietly, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he nodded. "I understand, Carla. Thank you. Your insight is valuable to me." His tone was still formal, but there was a slight shift in his demeanor. Perhaps he understood Alessandro's need for space, though it did little to alleviate the frustration he felt about the delay.

  Carla, sensing the Emperor's change in mood, pressed on with a more confident tone. "In the meantime," she said, a hint of cheerfulness creeping into her voice, "Alessandro has entrusted me with handling the marriage details as I see fit, including the time and the venue. I would like to begin preparations immediately, with your permission, of course."

  The Emperor's voice softened slightly, his gaze approving.

  “Yes, of course. I am glad to hear that. Your hand in marriage will enhance the success Alessandro is destined to achieve.”

  It was not only the Emperor who received a letter from Earth. Perla carefully unwrapped the bundle of papers she had received from Earth. Among the various documents, one stood out, an official letter from the University of Istanbul. She reached out for her silver letter opener, its polished surface gleaming faintly in the soft light. With a practiced motion, she slid the sharp blade beneath the envelope’s seal, careful not to tear the delicate paper inside.

  “Dear Sir/Madam,

  Please find enclosed the English translation of the Ottoman manuscript. Kindly note that the translation is based on the photocopies of the manuscript provided to us, and some parts could not be read due to faint ink. The letters include the date 957 in Ottoman calendar, which corresponds to 1550, 16th century, in Western calendar.

  Kind regards,

  Professor Dr. Osman Ali Demir

  Annex1: Explanation of vocabulary

  Head of Physicians: The Head of Physicians was the official appointed physician of the Sultan and his family. He also managed the state's hospitals.

  Foundations: All hospitals are founded and funded through foundations in the Ottoman Empire.

  Timarhane: Hospitals for the mentally ill. Some timarhane also served as horse stables, where mentally ill people were employed to groom horses. Horses were believed to have a positive effect on mental illnesses.”

  Annex 2: Translation of the Ottoman manuscript

  ‘Symbol of the Timarhane’

  Esteemed and Blessed Head of the Physicians of the most Graceful Padishah Sultan Khan Highness,

  It has been more than three months, seven people with mental disease were admitted here in our Timarhane. One of the patients is the esteemed Court Astrologer Lady Aydilge of the Padishah Sultan Khan Highness. May God protects us all from such diseases which makes people see and hear creatures from the unknown.

  These people are admitted to our Timarhane with various madness symptoms, (could not be read)… Lady Aydilge is in a different condition, she sees a creature she names the Ghull-abanii (could not be read)… in black smoke.

  In three months, four of the patients who had been looking after the horses have gotten much better. Hopefully, Lady Aydilge will also improve and return to the Palace to serve our Highness.

  As you can see, your esteemed and blessed Head of Physicians of the most Graceful Padishah Sultan Khan Highness, our Timarhane made good progress. We beg your blessings for the Foundation to keep supporting our Timarhane for these people for the blessings of the Mighty God.

  Humble Physician of the Timarhane, Istanbul.

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  Signature (could not be read)”

  “Horses? Aurelia may be right,” thought Perla. Aurelia had been right when she said therapy with horses might have a positive effect on the patients, but she never put horse treatment on a schedule.

  Perla loved the Ottoman archives and how they recorded every possible incident in their cities. Although some parts of the archive were hard to reach and hard to translate from the old Ottoman language, her investigations were finally paying off. Who those mad people were? Did they have the same disease as dark fume? Is it possible for some Earthians to see the fumes? And what is a “Ghull-abanii?”

  Perla knew she was on the right track to finding answers. Her mind felt cluttered with questions, as if she was in fog she couldn’t quite see through. She shifted her focus to the meeting with the Sumer princess ‘An’ scheduled for the next day. She had so many things she wanted to ask, so many pieces of a puzzle she wasn’t sure how to put together. She didn’t want to turn this first meeting into an interrogation, though. She would begin with a fundamental question, something that would set the tone without overwhelming the princess.

  “Can you make a brief history of Sumer starting with how your civilization was abducted from Earth?” Perla asked as the first question of their first meeting.

  Having heard the question she was expecting, Princess An started her answer with a polite smile and a calm tone.

  Our ancestors were brought to our new world during the great war in Mesopotamia. The Sumer civilization was under threat from the Elamites, and they knew that the great walls defending the city would not hold much longer. On that fateful day, the wind blew violently, and darkness fell. People were swept away by the wind and found themselves in the new world of Sumer. We believe around a thousand people, including men and children, migrated to this new world.

  The time elapsed since the migration, until today, is four thousand and twenty-eight Earth years. Our calculations suggest that the orbit of our new planet is very similar to that of Earth around its Sun. While the gravity and orbital movements are almost identical, the terrain of our new world differs greatly from that of Earth. Over time, the Sumer people found ways to adapt to the new environment. The islands are now connected and much higher above sea level, and much of the underground resources are now mined from the sea floor.

  As for the history of Sumer in our new world, unfortunately, most of the historical documentation from the first five hundred years was lost following the death of Queen Inanna. This event is referred to as 'The Incident,' as the Queen took her own life. We know the story mainly through myths and the oral traditions passed down from generation to generation.

  Sumerian education and technology flourished after nearly a thousand years on our new planet. We began to understand our world and the universe. We are proud of our advanced technology, though we still do not know if we are in the same galaxy as Earth. We believe we are not, as we have searched our galaxy quite rigorously. However, we might be able to locate Earth if we could communicate and learn the approximate location of its galaxy.

  “Is that a sufficient answer to your question, Princess Perla?”

  “Thank you, Princess An,” said Perla. She could tell An was speaking the truth, but there was something hidden beneath her copper mask and shiny outfit. “We will learn to trust each other in time,” Perla thought. It would be unfair to demand complete transparency right away.

  “I’d like to ask you the same question,” said An, her voice calm. “But first, I must catch up. Can you tell me about the history on Earth after the Sumer?”

  As expected, both wanted to learn the origins of their existence. Perla knew Earth's history like the back of her hand. But she would not reveal the fact that the Ars Pherians had a portal to reach Earth whenever they wished.

  Ars Pherians were abducted either as a group or sometimes just as individuals between the years 324 and 476 AD. 324 AD was the year Constantine reunified Rome and declared Christianity the official religion of the empire. 476 AD marked the year the fall of the Roman Empire was complete, after the Germans gained control of the Roman army. At that time, Ars Pherian city, ‘Old Terra Nova,’ was a place of drab buildings and soulless citizens who were surviving rather than living. It took time for them to understand the reason. Each person arriving in Ars Pheria was both gifted and cursed with extreme reasoning and functional thinking abilities. They needed nothing beyond what was merely functional and necessary for survival.

  The last group of Ars Pherians, a small group of Byzantines, was abducted in the year 1453 AD, right before the fall of Constantinople. The arrival of the Byzantines sparked the beginning of a slow-burning revolution on Ars Pheria. The revolution reached its climax within the next century, after Earth was rediscovered beyond the portal.

  When they could travel back to Earth, surprised and amazed, for centuries the Ars Pherians harvested human emotions in hunger. They began to enjoy having feelings, refined and pure, within the limits of their rational minds. Human emotions were most potent when harvested directly through skin contact, but they could also be drawn from objects such as antiques. The longer an object was used, the stronger the emotions embedded within it. As a result, the Ars Pherians turned to smuggling antiques from Earth. These artifacts, imbued with the emotional imprints of their former owners, provided an invaluable source of intense feelings.

  In the early days, it was easier to acquire larger items, old paintings, sculptures, and furniture, that carried significant emotional weight. However, as Earth's technology advanced, securing and transporting these relics became increasingly difficult. Border security tightened, and the risks of being caught grew with each passing year. In response, the Ars Pherians adapted their methods, shifting to smaller, more easily concealed objects, like antique jewelry, trinkets, and rare coins. These items, while less grand, were no less potent in their ability to hold powerful emotional residues.

  Although Perla knew well what had happened on Earth after 1453, she chose not to share that with Princess An. For now, she would present Earth’s history as if it had ended with the fall of Constantinople, when the last of the Romans arrived at their new home, Ars Pheria.

  “I’ll do my best to give you a brief overview of Earth’s history from the rise of the Sumer civilization in 2004 BC to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD,” Perla began. “That’s roughly 3,500 years of history, at least as far as historians have recorded it.” She paused for a moment. “It will take some time.”

  She was ready to lecture on the common history that An had requested. Once that was done, it would be Perla's turn to ask questions again.

  An listened to Perla in silence, her colors shifting with surprise and astonishment. Yet, there was one color that never left her: a deep, constant purple, the color of her fear. It clung to her like a shadow, never allowing her a moment's peace.

  Perla almost felt a pang of pity for the princess, whose face and body were entirely covered. She wondered if the people of Sumer found themselves so unattractive that they felt the need to hide behind masks and veils. The thought briefly amused her, what must An think of Perla, with her stark white hair and violet eyes? Perhaps An believed her albino condition was equally strange. Perla considered mentioning that her condition was rare, but perhaps at a more suitable time during their future conversations.

  “I’ll provide you with detailed documents on Earth’s history, so you can read more on your own,” Perla said with a friendly tone. “May I ask my next question now, Princess An?”

  “Of course, please go ahead,” An replied.

  “What is the myth of the Sumer Queen Inanna?”