Elias Vane was exhausted. His brain felt like it had been tossed into a time blender, and reality itself wasn't helping. Geneva was still unstable—time glitches appeared randomly, turning streets into flashbacks and buildings into flickering memories of different eras. But Elias barely had time to worry about that.
Tonight, he had a bigger problem.
He was supposed to meet with The Silent Architects—a mysterious group that had been around for centuries, quietly managing time's flow. According to Lira, they weren't happy with the way Elias had been "messing things up." He didn't love the idea of meeting people who might consider him a walking disaster, but what choice did he have?
Lira walked beside him, looking completely calm as usual. Elias, on the other hand, was not calm.
"I'm just saying," Elias muttered as they moved through a corridor bathed in shifting blue light. "If they're called Silent Architects, why do we need a whole meeting? Can't they just silently approve me?"
Lira smirked. "They're Silent because they work in the background, not because they don't talk. Also, they really don't approve of you."
Elias sighed. "Well, great. Can't wait."
They entered a massive hall, filled with floating energy constructs and strange symbols that seemed to shift depending on where Elias stood. At the center of the room, four figures sat on elevated platforms. Their robes shimmered with deep silver and indigo, and their faces were partially obscured—like they existed in multiple timelines at once.
One of them spoke first. "Elias Vane, you have disrupted the balance of time with reckless abandon."
Elias blinked. "Wow, okay. No 'hello'? No 'nice to meet you'?"
Lira elbowed him.
The Architect continued, ignoring Elias's sarcasm. "Your actions have caused timelines to fracture beyond repair. The Nova Collider, the Nexus, the Rift—each intervention has deepened the instability."
Elias crossed his arms. "If I remember correctly, things were falling apart before I got involved. I'm just trying to fix it."
Another Architect leaned forward. "Fixing? Or bending time to your own will?"
Elias frowned. That was an unfair accusation. He wasn't like the Chronomancer, who wanted absolute control over time. Elias had always tried to preserve its freedom, even if it meant some chaos along the way.
"The alternative," Elias argued, "is letting someone like the Chronomancer reshape reality into something unnatural. If I don't interfere, he wins, and then none of us will have a future worth fighting for."
The room fell silent for a few moments.
Then, the first Architect finally spoke again. "We acknowledge the threat of the Chronomancer. However, the path forward is delicate. You must not act without understanding the consequences."
Elias groaned. "I always try to understand the consequences. I just have, like, five seconds to decide before everything falls apart."
Lira cleared her throat. "Perhaps we focus on solutions instead of blame. The Chronomancer is growing stronger, and Elias is one of the few with enough power to oppose him. You might not trust his methods, but ignoring the problem won't save time itself."
Elias shot her a thank you glance.
The Architects whispered among themselves in tones too low to hear. Elias could feel the tension in the air. Eventually, one of them turned back toward him.
"We will offer assistance," the Architect finally said. "But only under conditions."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "I already don't like this."
The Architect continued, ignoring him. "There is a hidden relic known as The Celestial Hourglass—an artifact capable of stabilizing fragmented time. We will grant you access to it, but only if you promise to wield it with restraint."
Elias sighed. "Yeah, okay, restraint. I love restraint."
Lira shot him another glare.
"Fine, fine," Elias muttered. "I'll be careful. I'll only use it when necessary."
The Architects exchanged another glance, clearly debating whether or not to trust him. Eventually, they nodded in agreement.
"You will find the Hourglass at The Heart of Time—a location only accessible through the Obsidian Gateway," one said. "Once you step through, you will face challenges designed to test your resolve. If you fail… you may never return."
Elias winced. "Great. Sounds super fun."
The Architects didn't respond. Instead, they simply vanished, leaving Elias and Lira alone in the vast, glowing chamber.
Lira turned to him. "You should really work on your negotiation skills."
Elias shrugged. "Hey, at least they didn't try to erase me from existence."
She sighed. "Small victories, I guess."
Elias looked toward the far end of the chamber, where the entrance to the Obsidian Gateway shimmered like liquid midnight.
"Well," he said, forcing a grin, "guess I'm going on another terrifying, possibly fatal adventure."
Lira crossed her arms. "You really need a better strategy than 'jump into danger and hope for the best.'"
Elias winked. "Where's the fun in that?"
Together, they stepped toward the Gateway, the weight of the Celestial Hourglass and the future of time itself pressing heavily upon them. The next phase of their journey had begun.