The sun was bright.
The air, unfiltered, smelled like the ocean. That’s where he turned up.
The ocean.
He was knee high in the surf. His bag, heavy, his clothes, durable. Meant to last ages. It wasn’t how he imagined it. There were no rules. No limits.
He walked out of the surf. A beach in the middle of nowhere. At least, for now. His job was to scout the environment. Make sure they had peace and quiet. All of this would be done in secret. This land would become mythical. Legendary. A source of fear and wonder for them all. That was his job. He remembered the glory of Rome. He’d been there, long time ago. This place did not have a name yet.
It was time to change things, to make sure no one ever forgot the glory of his name. He knelt. Grabbed a handful of sand. Let it slip through his fingers.
Mankind’s newest empire would not come after, but before…
That was his mission. His job. To forge the empire mankind so desperately needed, they had to return to the past, so they could conquer the future…