Restless Throne

Location and Significance

A few kilometers northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, is the Cradle of Humankind caves. This UNESCO-declared world heritage site is full of anthropological, genealogical, and mystical clues about the evolution of mankind.

Myth and Mysticism

She heard the caves aren't a mere tourist attraction, but rather a realm believed to have powers that can unlock the lost facets of one's destiny.

The Cave Trek

Trudging along the cave trek with Europeans dressed in safari gear, clicking their digital cameras at every fossil in sight, she entered the caves without a camera, but only instinctive driven hope that she will find something that will help her navigate through life with ease.

The Encounter

Indeed, she does find something in the caves other than rocks and bones. She is certain she locked eyes with something hidden in the caves crevices. She is certain it is a living being, an elderly man perhaps. He tried to communicate with her, but she couldn't engage him as she had to move swiftly along with the rest of the tourist crowd.

Aftermath and Connection

Since the cave visit, her dreams are dominated by this man's piercing gaze. Who is he? How long has he been in there? With time, she learns to communicate with him, harnessing a sincere friendship not bounded by time, physicality, or age.

The Stranger's Request

He requests her to record her observations about life outside the cave, trusting that her findings about a changing South African sociopolitical landscape he is estranged from, will enable him to survive and rule the land he has been exiled from for more than four hundred years.