Through the Fold
Aria ran, her boots slapping against the wet pavement of the narrow alley. Neon reflections danced in puddles around her, warping the lights into streaks of color that blurred her vision. Every sense screamed danger, every instinct told her to turn—but she couldn't stop.
The device Kieran had pressed into her hand felt cold and weighty. She clutched it tightly, knowing it was her only chance if the drones caught her.
A sharp hum grew behind her. The enforcers were close, their mechanical wings slicing through the air. One drone hovered over the alley, its red sensors sweeping left to right.
Aria pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath. The drone's light passed, and she exhaled quietly. She couldn't risk pausing. Not now.
Her fingers found the activation button. A faint glow pulsed from the device. She hesitated for only a heartbeat, then pressed it.
The air around her shimmered violently. The world twisted, walls bending and stretching, colors bleeding into each other. Her stomach lurched, nausea rising, as if the city itself was folding around her.
Then—silence.
When the light faded, she was somewhere else.
The alley was gone. The neon signs, the crowds, the hovering drones—all vanished. In their place was a vast open space, dimly lit by a soft, ethereal glow. The floor beneath her feet hummed faintly, as if alive.
Aria stumbled forward, disoriented. She tried to call out, but her voice seemed to vanish in the strange expanse.
A figure emerged from the light. Kieran. His eyes met hers, sharp and unwavering.
"You made it," he said. Relief flickering across his face.
Aria shook her head. "Where… where are we?"
He glanced around cautiously. "A fold. Temporary. It won't hold long. They'll be able to track this, but it gives us time—time to regroup."
She let herself sink to her knees, catching her breath. "I can't keep running like this."
"You won't," he replied, crouching beside her. "We're going to use the device, but differently this time. You'll anchor the fold, control the displacement. You're the only one who can."
Her stomach turned. "I barely survived the last one. How am I supposed to control it now?"
"You learned more than you realize," he said. "The echoes left marks on you. Marks that let you synchronize with time rather than just glimpse it."
Aria swallowed, her mind spinning. "And if I fail?"
Kieran's expression darkened. "Then tomorrow burns, and there's no one left to stop it."
She clenched her fists. "I won't fail."
For the first time, determination overrode fear. She pressed the device to her chest, feeling it pulse in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Kieran stood behind her, eyes scanning the edges of the fold. "Once we leave here, every choice counts. One misstep, and we lose everything."
Aria nodded, rising to her feet. "Then let's not waste any more time."
The fold shimmered around them, ready to collapse, ready to thrust them back into the city—or whatever future awaited.
And as they stepped forward together, Aria knew there was no turning back. The chase was far from over. The echoes of tomorrow were waiting, and this time, she would face them head-on.