I jolted up awake from the bed. My heart pounded in my chest, the echoes of the nightmare still clinging to the edges of my mind.
I wasn't sure if I was still trapped in that twisted dream or back in the real world.
"what even was that… " I said to myself, finally grasping my voice.
I reached for my phone, the glow of the screen flashbanging my eyes.
"Agh! Why is the brightness so high"
However bright it may be, it still feels comforting from what I witnessed in my nightmare.
4:57 AM displays on the screen of my phone.
"It's almost morning," I said to myself.
But still it would be ignorant of me to just cast aside the nightmare I saw.
The pain felt too realistic to be described as just another nightmare.
I force myself up, my legs unsteady beneath me as I walk toward the mirror.
My reflection stares back—tired eyes, a weary face, but still standing. That has to count for something.
"You have to make this sacrifice," I whisper, gripping the edge of the sink. "For yourself and everyone."
This isn't just about me anymore. It never was. If I don't step up now, who will?
I straighten my posture, clenching my fists.
No more hesitation. No more doubt. It's time to face what's ahead—no matter the cost.
I refresh myself, letting the cold water wash away the heaviness clinging to my skin.
The nightmare still lingers in the back of my mind, but I push it away. It's time to focus. Time to do what needs to be done.
Wrapping a towel around myself, I step out of the bathroom, water still dripping from my hair. My hands tremble slightly as I reach for my phone. The screen glows in the dim room, her name already pulled up.
I hesitate for just a second.
Then, with a deep breath, I press dial.
The phone rings.
"Come on... pick up," I whisper.
She picks up after the third ring.
"Have you finally made up your mind?" Her voice is calm, but there's something underneath—anticipation, maybe even relief.
"Yes," I say, firm but quiet.
There's a pause. No hesitation, no more questions. Just a soft exhale before the call ends.
I stare at the blank screen for a moment. It was a short call, but somehow, the air around me feels lighter.
It doesn't matter if her plan fails.
If I fail.
None of it matters anymore.
Now, there's only one path left. And I'm ready to take it.
I change into fresh clothes and take one last look around the house, trying to capture every detail.
I quietly push open my mother's door, her breathing steady.
"She's asleep," I whisper.
If I fail—if I don't return to this exact moment—she'll think I vanished. No explanation. No closure. Just emptiness.
That thought alone is worse than death.
I have to succeed. No matter what.
Clenching my fists, I step back, shutting the door as silently as I opened it.
Back in my room, I sit on the edge of my bed,
There's no turning back now.
The phone remains in my grip, my fingers tightening around it as I wait.
Arlie will call soon. And when she does, everything changes.
Arlie arrives, stepping through what looks like a portal—like a hole being punched through the air once again like before revealing something hidden beyond. The swirling distortion vanishes behind her as if reality is stitching itself back together.
I didn't expect her to come here and meet me in person. After all, since our first encounter, we've only spoken through the phone.
"Took you a while," she says, her voice carrying that usual mix of impatience and amusement.
She's wearing casual clothes this time and still wearing that Invis Tech. I guess she has to keep her identity secret, even now.
Though I can't see her face, I can feel her eyes on me—analyzing, waiting.
"Let's go" I said
"Yeah" she nods extending her hand gesturing me to step forward into the portal
I take a deep breath.
Without any other words, I step through the portal.
I glance at my home one last time as the portal shuts behind me.
There is now only an exit forward leading me to the unknown.
I arrive inside a room.
The portal vanishes behind me.
My senses are immediately overwhelmed. The stench of old beer and something unidentifiable lingers in the air. Clothes are scattered across the floor, boxes stacked haphazardly, tissue wrappers crumpled in random places. Wires coil around unknown devices, tangled like vines.
What the hell…
I step forward cautiously, nearly tripping over an empty can.
"Wha—what is this place…" I mutter in disbelief.
"Welcome to my abode!" she says cheerfully, completely unfazed.
I stare at her, horrified.
"You live like this??" I shout.
She blinks at me, then shrugs. "Yep"
I wanna go home…
"Anyway, sit down," she says, flopping onto the bed without a care.
I glance around, trying to find a clean spot. No luck. With a sigh, I push some clutter aside, making just enough space to sit.
As I clear the area, my hand accidentally brushes against a small box.
"Don't touch that!" she shouts, In a flash, she snatches the box away, clutching it like it's some sacred treasure.
I blink at her, taken aback. "What—"
"Nothing! Just... don't." She turns away, stuffing it somewhere out of sight before quickly plopping back down, as if nothing happened.
She clears her throat. "Anyway," she says, brushing off the moment like it never happened.
"So, about what we need to do next," she says, leaning forward.
"Wait, before that."
She reaches up and flicks something on her wrist. A soft whirr fills the air as her Invis Tech shuts off, sending a shimmering blue light through the room, like tiny sparks dissolving into nothingness. As the glow fades, I finally see her—really see her for the first time.
For someone with a disaster of a room, she's surprisingly… Beautiful.
Her eyes are an unusual mix of hazel and brown shifting subtly in the dim light. Her fair skin is smooth, unaffected by the mess in her room, though her hair is a bit messy and she has darkened eye bags.
She looks like she's in her mid twenties, though something about her feels older—like she carries more years than she lets on.
"Damn, that's crazy," I mutter.
She raises an eyebrow. "What's crazy?"
"Nothing," I say quickly, pretending to be fascinated by a tangled mess of wires on the floor.
She smirks but doesn't press further.
"Anyway," she continues, stretching her arms, "outside this room, my time machine is parked. So, we'll be heading to Year 172 A.G.D. There, we're meeting someone important at our lab. She'll explain the rest."
"Who?" I ask.
"You'll see," she says, with a glint in her eyes.
"The time machine is charging. It'll take an hour or so," she said, leaning back.
She walked over to a small refrigerator. "Want a drink?"
"Oh—yeah, sure." I shrugged.
Might as well take a break before everything spirals into chaos. A calm before the storm.
She tossed me a chilled can, and soon, we found ourselves lost in conversation. It felt… natural, like talking to an old friend.
After everything that had happened, it was nice to just sit and share a piece of our lives.
For all her sharp remarks and sarcastic jabs, I could tell—she was genuinely trying to help me.
Our conversation stretched on, and before I knew it, she was getting slightly drunk.
"And you know what she said?" She scoffed, waving her can around. "'Don't go wearing out the lab coat.' Like, come on! Why can't I? I bought it with my own money, and it's comfortable! Like home!"
I chuckled, but a thought lingered—wasn't she getting a little too comfortable, too quickly?
Before I could dwell on it, a sharp beeping sound echoed through the air.
She sobered up instantly. "Looks like the time machine is ready."
She walked to the door and pulled it open, flooding the room with a bright blue light.
"What are you waiting for? Get over here," she called.
I stepped inside—and froze.
The sight before me was nothing short of breathtaking. Sleek, polished, and flawless, every inch of the machine radiated pure craftsmanship. I stood there, completely awestruck.
"This is incredible!" I blurted out, grinning like a kid who just found the coolest rock.
She smirked, crossing her arms. "Right? I made some modifications myself."
I ran my hand along the smooth surface, still in awe. "You know what would make it even cooler? If it was black."
She shot me a glare. "If I left this parked in the sun, the internals would fry, yeah genius?"
Yeah, fair point. I should've known that.
She stepped into the machine and started typing on the holographic console.
I watched as lines of code flickered across the display.
Some of it looked familiar—I wasn't an expert, but I had learned a bit of coding. Enough to recognize a few commands here and there.
"Alright," she said, fingers gliding over the interface. "Destination set, time set."
A low hum filled the room as the machine powered up. The soft blue glow of the console reflected in her focused eyes.
I stepped closer. "So… how does this work, exactly?"
She glanced at me. "You step in, I press a button, and boom—you're somewhere else."
I raised an eyebrow. "That simple, huh?"
She smirked. "For you? Yeah. For me? Not so much."
"Alright, I'm starting the machine. Sit down," she said.I blinked.
"What? There's only one seat—and you're in it!"
The hum grew louder. She didn't look up.
"Then hold onto something, damnit!" she shouted, slamming the enter key.
I lunged for the metallic handle beside me. Gripped it tight.
Light streaked—blue, white, silver. A tunnel formed. My stomach flipped. Was I falling? Flying? Arlie unfazed. Almost used to this.
Did she have G-Force training or what?
The machine's growl softened. It slowed quick and smooth.
Wait, we're here already? That fast?
Suddenly the machine jolted to a stop, My stomach twisted.
Oh man I'm gonna puke.
"Welcome to 172 AGD Kiran" Arlie untied her seatbelts and got up.
She glanced at me, taking a look at my miserable face.
"Don't throw up here, I just cleaned it… last month" she said
I followed her out, head spinning.
The lab was huge. Metal walls. Holographic screens. A hum everywhere. Unlike her messy room.
One corner stood out, piles of junk, tangled wires. Chaotic. Definitely her side.
"Hey, Seren! Finally brought the guy I was talking about."
Across the room, a figure sat hunched over a desk, utterly absorbed in their work. Without looking up, they responded,
"Yeah? Didn't take you that long." Their voice was calm, mature—but not old.
As they finally stood and walked toward me, I noticed they were only slightly older, maybe early thirties. Nearly my height, wrapped in a lab coat.
She placed a warm hand on my shoulder, a stark contrast to the cold air around us.
"Well, if it isn't the guy himself."
I swallowed, still trying to steady myself as the last waves of nausea faded. The warmth of her hand grounded me for a moment, but there was something about her presence—calm, calculated, expectant. Like she had been waiting for this moment far longer than I realized.
She studied me with those sharp eyes, assessing, measuring.
I shifted under her gaze. "So… you're the one Arlie mentioned."
Seren tilted her head slightly. "And you're the one who caused all this."
I caused what?
A beat of silence passed between us.
Arlie cleared her throat, breaking the tension. "Well, that's one way to greet him."
"Anyway, My name is Seren Astris, the owner of this lab, the lead scientist" she replied
Then she turned and started walking, her lab coat swaying with each step. "Come on. We have work to do."
Arlie shot me a quick glance, her expression unreadable. Then, without another word, she followed.
I exhaled, forcing my legs to move.
And just like that, my old mediocre life was gone.
Seren stopped at a terminal, fingers flying over the holographic interface. The screens shifted, displaying something that made Arlie stiffen beside me.
"Hey wait hold on Seren—" She replied
I wasn't sure what I was looking at, but one thing was clear—this wasn't just some experiment.
This was about me.
I clenched my fists.
"Start talking," I said, my voice stronger than before. "What the hell did I cause?"
Seren turned and smirked, gesturing towards the screen "See for yourself."
SUBJECT IDENTIFICATION:
> Subject ID: KA106B89M609339K
Name: Kiran Awasthi
Age: Unknown
Year of Origin: Unknown
Date of Birth: 1/4/1999
Temporal Energy Level: Loading…
[Updated]
Temporal Energy Level: 99.8%
Threat Level: Maximum
I stared at the screen, my breath uneven.
It was my face. My name. My birthday.
But the rest? Unknown. and I was labeled at Maximum Threat?
"What is this?" I asked, but the question felt too small
Seren crossed her hands "That's you in the future, Oh Great Dictator."
It's that term again… Great Dictator.
She continues "And I want you to defeat your future self and destroy the Nexus… "