The first light of dawn spilled across the marble floor like spilled honey, warm and golden. One by one, the group began to stir.
Maria was the first to sit up, hair a wild mess, rubbing her eyes. "Ugh… did I dream all that?" she mumbled.
"Nope. We're about to meet Alexander the freaking Great," Hawkings croaked from his corner, his voice raspy but tinged with excitement.
Einstein shot upright so fast he almost fell off the bed. "Guys –the devices! Are they ready? We need to run through the points again!"
Vinci yawned loudly, rolling his shoulders. "Calm down, genius. We'll be fine. We triple-checked everything last night."
Eliza stretched her arms over her head, blinking at the pale morning sky outside. "Let's not forget… we also have Aristotle after this," she said softly, her voice a mix of thrill and nerves.
Their inventions lay scattered across the table: small models of mechanical gears, a rough sketch of a telescope, a simple solar cell prototype Vinci had jury-rigged from scraps, and of course, their most precious possessions ; the phones, flashlight,airpods and others...
They all gathered around the table, each of them grabbing parts, tightening screws, wiping fingerprints. Einstein muttered lines under his breath, practicing what he'd say to the king. Vinci scribbled last-minute notes on a scroll of parchment. Maria helped Eliza fold their diagrams neatly. Hawkings checked and rechecked the devices, humming a random tune to calm himself down.
Just as they were about to pack everything up, there was a gentle knock on the door.
They froze.
Katerina peeked in, eyes bright despite the early hour. She stepped inside carefully, hands tucked behind her back.
"Good morning," she said, her voice almost musical.
"Hey! You're up early," Maria said, smiling wide.
"I wanted to wish you luck," Katerina said shyly. She stepped closer, then revealed what she was hiding behind her back — a small woven bracelet, made from thin threads dyed with natural colors. She handed it to Einstein first, then one to Vinci, and so on, until everyone had one.
"For luck," she whispered.
Einstein blushed so hard his ears turned pink. Vinci tied his on immediately, looking oddly serious. Maria and Eliza each hugged Katerina in turn.
"Thank you," Vinci said softly. "We… needed this more than you know."
Katerina nodded, smiling gently. Then, she glanced at the table, eyes flicking over the strange objects. "Is he going to like them?" she asked quietly.
"He has to," Hawkings said with a determined nod. "We're going to show him the future ; piece by piece."
They all looked at each other, the bracelets on their wrists suddenly feeling like little shields of hope.
Katerina turned to leave, pausing at the doorway. "I'll be waiting to hear what happens," she said.
Maria called after her, "Don't disappear on us, okay?"
Katerina just smiled, ducking her head as she slipped into the hallway and vanished from view.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then Vinci drew in a deep breath, his eyes shining with resolve. "Alright… let's finish this," he said.
They started gathering the final pieces into their packs. Hawkings scribbled quick final notes on a scrap of paper, while Einstein rehearsed one last time, his hands shaking slightly from nerves.
Outside, they heard the distant sound of horns echoing across the palace gardens. Guards were moving, servants hurrying about. The entire palace seemed to be waking with an electric buzz.
Finally, Maria glanced at the others, her expression serious. "Ready?"
They all nodded.
Einstein stepped forward, hand on the doorknob. "To the king, and then to Aristotle," he said, almost like a battle cry.He pushed the door open.But before they could take a single step ...
A sharp, cold voice rang out from the hall:
"Wait!"
They froze instantly.
Standing there was a tall, stern-looking general in gleaming bronze armor, his dark eyes locked onto them. Behind him, several armed guards stood at attention.
"The king has summoned you… but there is a change of plan," the general said slowly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.
Maria's mouth went dry. Hawkings instinctively tightened his grip on the pack. Vinci felt his heartbeat pounding in his temples.
"What… what change?" Einstein managed to whisper, his throat tight.
The general took one step closer, lowering his head slightly so they could see the cold glint in his eyes.
"You will not be going directly to the king."
He paused, lips curling into a faint, almost cruel smile.
"First… you must prove yourselves in the arena."...
" What??, Arena;are we going to fight "