Zhuge Liang tossed his backpack into the trunk and slammed it shut, exhaling sharply. A week in the wilderness of Hebei. No emails, no construction deadlines, and, most importantly, no Old Wang droning on about the Three Kingdoms. Heck! Old Wang KNEW he hated history! What something, something, ancient warlords? Dynasties? Who! Cares! He’d made a point to forget anything beyond that. History was for scholars and daydreamers, not for engineers who actually built the future. He just wanted peace and quiet, a break from the stress of his last major project.

  He checked his phone one last time before shutting it off, sending a quick text to his family: “Taking a break. Will be in xxx.yyy for a week. Don’t call unless someone’s dying.”

  With that, he revved the engine and headed off into the wilderness. Leaving behind the modern world, completely unaware this would be the last time he saw it.

  His family, not hearing from him even after two weeks, grew frantic and mounted a search party at his last texted location. What they found was an ancient chest semi-buried in a cave. It appeared to have been unearthed by a recent earthquake. The chest bore the unmistakable insignia of Zhuge Kongming – the famous strategist from the three kingdoms period. The discovery of the chest only deepened the puzzle of Zhuge Liang's disappearance.

  *********

  Three months later…

  The grand hall of the National Museum of Chinese History shimmered under the glare of spotlights. A faint smell of ozone in the air from the ionizers. It was open today for a very special unveiling. Inside was a scene of hushed whispers and clicking cameras. At the centre of the hall, encased in protective glass, rested a war chest of extraordinary preservation. Its dark, lacquered wood bearing the insignia of Zhuge Kongming.

  A nearby placard explained the chest's discovery. It says that the chest was unearthed by the Zhuge family during their search for their missing relative – coincidentally named Zhuge Liang. Initial carbon dating placed the age of the war chest at around 1800 years old. Approximately during the time of the Three Kingdoms in China. Rumors of the find had spread quickly, captivating historians and the public alike. From the back of the room, a group of Zhuge family members watched the spectacle, their faces a mix of anticipation and quiet apprehension.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Carefully, a museum curator unlocked the chest and exposed its contents to light for the first time in centuries. The audience leaned forward. At first, the contents aligned with expectations: an assortment of well-preserved artifacts – a delicate fan, meticulously crafted calligraphy scrolls with ink still vivid, intricately annotated tactical maps, and beautifully preserved records of ancient campaigns.

  "Incredible," exclaimed a historian, his voice tinged with awe. "What a find!" A ripple of excited agreement coursed through the crowd.

  But then came the unexpected. As the curator removed more items from the chest, things started to get weird. Blueprints for a device that appeared suspiciously modern, a bamboo flute etched with the playful inscription, "For leisure only. No wars allowed!" and a torn calligraphy scroll bearing the cryptic message, "Don't believe in superstition! Must believe in science!"

  And then, nestled among the scrolls, was a leather-bound diary. Its brittle and smudged pages held writing in a script with a strangely familiar modern hand.

  A few historians started scratching their heads at the sight. Others frowned. "What the… these sketches… they’re centuries ahead of their time," one historian muttered, furrowing his brow. "Forgeries? Or maybe an elaborate hoax?” another suggested.

  "Or," a Zhuge family member whispered with a nervous chuckle, "isn't this exactly the kind of thing our Zhuge Liang would do?"

  The room erupted in debate. "These artifacts show the brilliance of Zhuge Liang!" one academic argued. "But some of these pieces... surely they’re later additions, or misinterpretations!"

  Stepping forward, one of the Zhuge family members broke the silence. "This chest was discovered near a cave where our missing relative disappeared. Perhaps, there might be more information there?"

  A lead archaeologist’s eyes lit up with renewed determination. "Could there be more artifacts at that site?"

  Another archaeologist replied, “But search teams have already scoured the area thoroughly. Do you think there would be anything left to find?”

  *********

  Far in the past, deep within a shadowy cave, Zhuge Liang slowly regained consciousness. Dazed, he clutched his flute tighter. The cave was cold and damp. It felt… wrong. The last traces of his world slipped away.