Inside ChronoTech Headquarters — 2075.
The building loomed like a steel titan, its reflective glass windows stretching endlessly up into the sky, as though reaching for the stars. The entire structure pulsed with a blue light, and digital advertisements played in holographic loops around its perimeter. The heartbeat of the future.
Inside, they found themselves in a massive atrium, its floor made of transparent crystal that allowed a view straight down to the lower levels where drones zipped around. Employees walked in pristine suits, heads down, faces lit by digital screens attached to their wrists.
Kaiya tightened her grip on the sleek, futuristic weapon Adrien had given her. "This is where it all ends, right? The epic showdown?"
Liam shot her a sideways glance. "I wish it was that simple."
The trio moved swiftly, navigating through the maze of high-tech security systems and automated barriers. Adrien led the way, his sword at the ready, though his royal demeanor was nowhere to be seen in this future world. The weight of his mission was heavy, his eyes always scanning their surroundings, alert to any threat.
Kaiya's heart was pounding. Each hallway they passed felt colder, more metallic. And then, they reached it. The command center. The one place in this building that Zane would surely be hiding.
The door slid open automatically at their arrival, revealing a vast control room. Screens lined the walls, flickering with images of different timelines, historical events, and even strange, warped realities. The air buzzed with the hum of digital power, a constant reminder of just how far technology had come. But what really stood out was the glass wall at the far end of the room.
Behind it, Zane stood, hands resting casually on a console, watching them with an amused expression. The Paradox Chronicle floated beside him, glowing with an ethereal light.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to join the future," he said, his voice smooth but laced with venom. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to figure out where I was."
Kaiya stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "You've gone too far, Zane. You're playing with fire."
He chuckled, turning slowly to face the floating book. "Fire? No, Kaiya. I'm playing with something much more powerful than that. I'm controlling time itself. And when I erase the past, the future belongs to me."
He waved his hand dramatically, and the glass wall shimmered, showing an image of the world outside. It was perfect—utopian cities, peaceful skies, no war, no crime. It looked like paradise.
But Kaiya knew better.
"That's not the future," she said firmly. "That's a prison."
Zane's smile faltered, but only for a moment. "A prison? You see it as a prison because you're still stuck in the old ways. But the future is about control, about choice—my choice." He turned back to the book, his fingers tracing the pages. "And in my version of time, I'll make sure everything bends to my will. No more chaos. No more unpredictability."
Liam stepped forward, anger flaring in his eyes. "You think you can control everything? That's not how time works. You can't just erase what's already happened."
Zane's expression hardened, his eyes cold. "Watch me."
Suddenly, the room flickered. Time itself seemed to bend, distorting as if the very fabric of reality was tearing apart. The control panels flickered in and out of existence. The Paradox Chronicle pulsed with unnatural energy, casting a sickly green light over the room.
Kaiya felt it—a shift in the air, a crack in time's foundation. She could feel her past, her future, twisting and warping around her. Every memory, every choice, every moment she'd lived was suddenly at risk.
"You've already lost, Kaiya," Zane sneered. "In this world, you either bend the knee… or break."
Kaiya's chest tightened, but her resolve hardened. She wasn't going to let Zane win. Not this time. Not after everything she had fought for.
She glanced at Adrien and Liam. They both nodded, understanding her silent decision.
"Then let's break it," she said.
In one swift movement, she pulled the trigger on the device Adrien had given her, sending a shockwave through the room.
The glass wall shattered into a million pieces, scattering the timeline within it.
The final battle for control of time had begun.
And only one version of the future would survive.