Chapter 11: Symbols of the Ancients

Zilly spotted her uncle in the back of his office and couldn't help but break into a grin. She waved enthusiastically to catch his attention, and he returned the gesture with a warm smile, making his way through a cluttered room to greet her.

"Hey there, Zilly! Well, this is a pleasant surprise. It's been a while. I didn't expect to see you here," he said with genuine interest as they exchanged a quick hug. "What brings you to the university today?"

Zilly shrugged, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty in her voice. "Yeah, I know school's out for us and all, but, well, you know how it is. I just figured I'd drop by and see if you were around."

“Ah, you know me. Summers aren't much different for me these days,” he said, chuckling softly. They made small talk for a moment before he said, “Zilly, it’s great to see you, but I’m not buying the idea that you just dropped by. Something’s on your mind.”

Taking a deep breath, Zilly met his gaze and replied, "Actually, I did want to talk to you about something kind of unusual."

Professor Arden’s eyes lit up with curiosity as he leaned in slightly. "Oh? Unusual, you say? Well, now you've got me intrigued. What's going on?"

"I'm not even sure where to start," Zilly admitted, her voice tinged with excitement and uncertainty. It's about my friend Jia. You remember her, right? The keyboard player?"

Professor Arden nodded, a hint of recognition crossing his features. "Yes, I believe you've mentioned her before. I think we might have even met briefly a few years back.”

Zilly smiled, "Right, that's her. Well, her mother passed away unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, and she left Jia something... well, something very unusual."

Concern immediately replaced the curiosity on her uncle’s face. "Oh, Zilly, I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened?"

Zilly sighed, her expression growing somber. "The doctors aren't sure. It's been tough on Jia, obviously. Anyway, her mother gave her this... heirloom of sorts." Zilly pulled out her phone and showed him a photo of Jia’s amulet.

"This is it," she said, her voice hushed. "It's called a Triquetra, and apparently, it's been in their family for a thousand years. Jia's mother is Irish, and, supposedly, it's got some interesting history, but honestly, she doesn't know much about it."

Professor Arden took the phone, eyes scanning the image with fascination and curiosity. "A thousand years old, you say? That's quite remarkable. But it doesn't look entirely Irish or Gaelic, does it? What do you think, with all of your familiarity with ancient languages, I bet you’ve been exposed to a lot of the era’s artwork, as well, right?”

"That's what we thought, too," Zilly agreed, her brow furrowing. "It's got this sort of quasi-Gaelic vibe to it or something. And we can’t figure out these little etchings or symbols along the side. And some of the markings look like Old or Middle Korean, don’t you think?”

The professor continued to examine the images, his fingers zooming in to inspect the intricate details. “I can’t say you’re wrong. That time and place, frankly, are very muddled. As we’ve discussed in the past, Koreans sometimes used Chinese characters to stand for Korean meanings and sounds. Much of what we know about the language from that time and place is difficult to decipher. Your instincts are always good with ancient languages, Zilly. There's more to this than meets the eye. It's a fascinating artifact."

“Well, that’s where you come in. Listen, I don’t know what your summer looks like—you’re not gallivanting off to some distant land to dig into some old artifact again this summer, are you?”

Her uncle chuckled, “No, it’s been a few years since I’ve done that. I plan to take it easy this summer. For a change.”

“That’s cool. Then, I’d like to know if you can help us determine what those symbols mean. Or do you know someone who can translate them? Jia's mother was supposed to let her know what they meant, but, well, that didn't happen."

"I'd be happy to help, Zilly,” he said, his expression thoughtful. “Let me take a closer look at these images, and I'll see if I can uncover anything meaningful. It might take me a few days to research and cross-reference."

Relief washed over Zilly, and she managed a grateful smile. "That would be amazing, Uncle Mike.”

He chuckled and scratched his bearded chin, his gaze meeting hers warmly. "Well, count me in. It looks like a fascinating mystery. Is there anything more you can share about the artifact?”

Now, it was Zilly’s turn to hesitate. “I—think Jia mentioned something about a family history, a fable, really, about some magical powers being passed along. Maybe even through the amulet.”

The man raised his eyebrows. “Now you’ve got my interest. Magic, ancient family history, and even a fable are in the mix. Wow. My summer just got a bit more interesting. I’ll let you know as soon as I have anything.”

“Thanks, Mike.”

“Of course. You know, I can’t wait until you actually attend one of my classes. This casual dropping by now and then doesn’t take full advantage of your interest and obvious skill in this area.”

“Yeah, I agree. Hopefully, I can do that when I finally graduate in a couple of years.”

As they stood up from the table, Zilly said, ”And how is Aunt Beverly?"

Professor Arden's expression softened, a mixture of sadness and exhaustion crossing his features. "She's hanging in there. It's a day-to-day thing, you know. But thank you for asking. She’s a big reason I’m staying home this summer. I’ll tell her you asked about her.”

Zilly nodded sympathetically. "Of course. I’ll find time to visit. Take care, and let me know what you find out.”

“And what about your mother?”

Zilly shrugged, noncommittal. “Same as ever.”

“Give her our love,” he said, shaking his head in pity and offering a grateful smile, his gratitude evident in his eyes. "Thank you, Zilly. Always great to see you.”