The university library's heavy wooden doors creaked as Amara pushed them open. Jun's text had been brief and urgent:
"Doc, Dr. Cortez is here. He's asking about the artifact. Something's off."
Amara spotted him instantly — Dr. Elias Cortez, leaning casually against a table stacked with historical maps. His sharp suit was out of place among the dust and books, and his confident smile didn't reach his calculating eyes.
"Ah, Amara Villanueva," he greeted smoothly. "Word travels fast when you stumble upon history's greatest secrets."
Amara stiffened. "What do you want, Elias?"
"To help you, of course," he said, his voice dripping with charm. "I've heard whispers about a discovery in the caves of Cebu. Something… extraordinary. I'd hate for such a priceless find to be mismanaged."
"You mean stolen?" Amara shot back.
Cortez's smirk widened. "Let's not start with accusations. Artifacts of great power have a way of… choosing who is worthy of them. I intend to make sure it's in the right hands." His eyes glinted as if he already knew she had the Veil.
Amara's heart pounded. She could almost feel the artifact pulsing in her bag like it knew it was being hunted.
"Stay away from this, Cortez," she warned. "You have no idea what it's capable of."
"Oh, I have an idea," he replied softly, leaning in. "I've been chasing legends of the Lapis ng Panahon for years. Did you think you'd be the only one to find it?"
Before she could respond, Kailan's voice echoed faintly in her mind.
"He must not touch the Veil. His greed will tear the threads apart."
Amara's grip tightened on the strap of her bag. She needed to leave. Now.
That night, she locked every door and window of her apartment, but unease gnawed at her. As she set the Veil on the table, its surface shimmered like rippling water.
"Show me," she whispered.
The artifact pulsed once, twice, then exploded with light.
---
Amara landed in a Manila she didn't recognize. Towering buildings leaned like broken teeth, their walls cracked and scorched. The air smelled of rust and ash. Jeepneys floated on damaged hover tracks, sputtering as if barely alive.
"What… happened here?" she murmured.
Kailan appeared beside her, his expression grim. "This is a possible future. A future where the Veil's power fell into the wrong hands."
In the distance, she saw banners with a single name etched across them: Cortez Industries. Soldiers in black armor patrolled the streets, their faces cold and mechanical.
"No," Amara whispered, shaking her head. "He… he destroys everything?"
"Your rival is ambitious. He will see the Veil not as a gift but as a weapon," Kailan said. "This is but one ripple of many. Every decision you make now will shape what comes."
Amara's breath hitched. She realized, with chilling clarity, that if Cortez gained control of the artifact, this bleak, broken world could become reality.
Suddenly, she saw a child crying beside a collapsed jeepney. Without thinking, Amara bent down to help — but her hand passed through the girl like mist.
"I can't even save her…" she whispered, tears stinging her eyes.
"You are not meant to interfere," Kailan said sternly. "But your heart… your compassion will be your greatest danger. One act of interference, and this future may not only become real — it may erase you from existence."
Amara clenched her fists. "Then I need to protect the Veil. No matter what."
---
Back to the Present
She awoke on her apartment floor, breathless and trembling. The Veil's glow dimmed, as though it had drained her energy.
Her phone buzzed with a new message.
Unknown number: "We need to talk about what you found. Before it's too late."
She didn't need to guess. It was Cortez.
to be continued...