Threads of the Past
Aria emerged from the Vault with the device strapped securely to her chest, the light within it now steady, almost alive. Her arms felt heavy, but her mind was sharper than it had ever been. She could sense the flow of time, subtle ripples that whispered of events yet to unfold.
The woman—whom Aria now knew as Selene—stood beside her, expression unreadable. "Good. You've synchronized yourself. But this is only the beginning."
Aria glanced at Kieran, who had finally entered the courtyard. His eyes were wary, but there was a flicker of hope. "Did it work?" he asked.
Selene nodded. "For now. But control is fragile. One wrong move, one unexpected variable…" She let the warning hang in the air.
Aria swallowed, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down. "Then what's next?"
"The past," Selene said simply. "To stabilize your timeline, you must confront the events that started the echoes in the first place. The choices you made… the people you couldn't save."
Aria's stomach twisted. "You mean… Luna?"
Selene's eyes softened, just slightly. "She's only the first thread. There are more. Each life you touch, each event you influence—it all creates tension in the storm. You must untangle it, or the future will consume you."
Kieran stepped closer. "You're not alone in this, Aria. We'll do it together."
Aria shook her head. "I can't risk anyone else getting hurt. Not again."
Selene's gaze hardened. "Then you risk failing. And if you fail…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "…all of Novus will burn."
The city beyond the courtyard seemed to pulse with life, oblivious to the fragile threads of time twisting around its streets. Aria could feel them, small ripples stretching outward from every choice she had made. Each one a reminder of her failures, each one a warning.
She clenched her fists. "Then I'll fix it. Every mistake, every echo—I'll set it right."
Selene nodded, stepping aside. "Then the first thread begins with your past. Return to the night the device was first activated. Face it. Own it. Change it."
Aria felt her heart pound. She remembered the chaos, the alarms, the rain, and her own death replaying in endless loops. The moment that had started everything.
She looked at Kieran. "We do this together?"
He met her gaze, unwavering. "Every step. But the choice… the action… it has to be yours."
The mist swirled around them, carrying whispers of the city's past, present, and future. Aria took a deep breath, gripping the device tighter.
"The past," she whispered. "Let's face it."
Selene extended a hand, and the courtyard dissolved into light. The world shifted, time bending violently, and Aria felt herself being pulled backward.
The first thread awaited. The night of her greatest failure loomed ahead.
And she had no choice but to step into it.