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The moon hung high over the silent camp where Jake, Remy, Isabella, and Vanessa rested beneath the woven shelter of vines and trees. A fire crackled softly, casting shadows across their sleeping forms. But one of them was missing.
Reggie had wandered off hours ago. Something had tugged at his gut—a whisper in the wind, a tug in his bones. He didn't question it. He just followed.
The trail led him deep into the forest, past twisted roots and ancient stones until he came upon what looked like a collapsed mound. Moss and age disguised it well, but his sharp eyes caught the unnatural curvature of a hidden arch. Brushing away leaves and dirt, he found an old temple door.
Inside, it was dark, but not unwelcoming. The air was stale but charged with energy. Reggie's boots echoed down cracked stone steps as he descended into the depths. Faint symbols lined the walls, pulsing dimly as if acknowledging his presence.
He eventually arrived at a sealed stone chamber, its door covered in intricate carvings of spirals and mirrored figures. He pressed a hand to the center rune—and the door shifted. With a grinding hum, it opened.
Inside, the room glowed faintly. A stone table stood at the center, and atop it were two sleek, metallic wristbands—each humming with faint power, their surface marked with glowing fractal runes.
Reggie stepped forward, drawn to them.
Just as his fingers brushed the nearest one, a voice echoed through the chamber—calm, mechanical, and inhuman:
> "Anthecian DNA detected. Beginning binding process."
Before he could react, both wristbands launched from the pedestal, spinning through the air like serpents before snapping onto his wrists. The metal hissed as it adjusted, locking in place. For a moment, silence reigned.
Then, a whisper:
> "Welcome, Reggie. You have been chosen to wield the Dimenswatch."
The air shimmered. A strange warmth flooded his veins. He didn't panic—instead, he stared down at the wristbands, eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"Fascinating," he muttered, rotating his wrist slowly. "These aren't just weapons… They're possibilities."
A holographic ring projected between the bands, displaying silhouettes of alternate versions of himself—each with their own stats, names, and abilities. One caught his eye immediately:
> Alt-Self: The Brilliant One – Timeline D-73
Scientific genius. Inventor. Tactician. Intelligence output: 297%.
Without hesitation, Reggie selected it.
The transformation was immediate.
His body grew taller, older. His face sharpened with age, his voice deepened. His clothing shifted into a high-tech lab coat with utility straps and glowing circuit lines. Goggles slid down over his eyes. His brain buzzed—not with fear, but with clarity.
> "Dimenswatch Activated – Alt-Self: Scientist Reggie. Welcome to enlightenment."
And standing there—no longer the boy genius, but a fully realized scientific prodigy—Reggie smiled.