The sky cracked.
As they emerged from the vault, the world around them seemed warped—unsettled. The forest that once lined the outskirts of the ruins was shifting, flickering between states of overgrowth and desolation. Trees swayed unnaturally, their leaves changing colors in rapid succession, as though caught in the grip of countless seasons at once. The air felt denser, laced with the remnants of distorted time.
Caius tightened his grip on the Chronomancer's Heart, its pulsing energy still radiating through his veins. He had managed to stabilize it—barely—but the damage had already begun to spread beyond the vault. The world itself was reacting to its power, struggling to contain something that should never have been disturbed.
Selene exhaled sharply, scanning their surroundings with wary eyes. "I don't like this."
Elias, still catching his breath from their battle inside the vault, nodded grimly. "Neither do I. Whatever shift occurred down there… it's unraveling more than just the ruins."
Caius remained silent, his gaze locked onto the artifact. He could feel its pull, not just in his hands, but in the fabric of reality around him. It was as if every moment in history was now bleeding into the present, and he was at the center of the storm.
The sound of rustling leaves made them all snap to attention. Shadows flickered between the trees, moving erratically. At first, Caius thought they were remnants of the phantoms from the vault, but these figures were different—solid. Armed.
"Company," Selene muttered, already reaching for her blades.
A low whistle pierced the air, and in an instant, figures emerged from the trees. Warriors clad in armor both rusted and pristine—men and women seemingly plucked from different ages of the kingdom's history. Some bore the markings of long-fallen dynasties, while others wore armor too polished to be anything but new.
"They're not ghosts," Elias whispered. "They're real."
Caius' heart pounded. He could see the confusion in their faces, the uncertainty in their eyes. These soldiers had been displaced—dragged across time by the artifact's influence. They were warriors from different ages, forced together into a present that did not belong to them.
One soldier, a towering man with a dented breastplate bearing the crest of the old kingdom, stepped forward. His eyes, though filled with caution, held a sharp intelligence.
"Who are you?" His voice was rough, aged, but steady. "And what sorcery have you wrought?"
Caius hesitated. How could he possibly explain what had happened? That they had torn apart time itself? That they had unleashed something that even he didn't fully understand?
Before he could answer, a younger soldier—one clad in armor far too pristine to belong to the ruins—spoke up. "I recognize that artifact," he said, pointing at the Heart. His voice was tight with fear. "That… that belongs to the Chronomancer King."
Murmurs spread among the gathered warriors. Some stepped back in fear, while others gripped their weapons tighter.
"The Chronomancer King?" Selene echoed, casting a glance at Caius. "I thought he was a myth."
Elias shook his head. "More than a myth. A ruler who once wielded time itself… and nearly destroyed the world because of it."
Caius felt the weight of their stares. He had known the Heart was powerful, but to be connected to a figure of such history… it made the artifact feel even heavier in his grasp.
The older soldier took a cautious step forward. "Tell me, boy," he said, eyes narrowing. "Are you his heir?"
The question struck Caius like a blow.
"I… I don't know," he admitted. "I only know that this artifact called to me. And now, it's tearing time apart."
The man studied him, then glanced at the swirling distortions around them. The trees, the sky, the land—it was all shifting. The past and present were colliding at an accelerating rate.
"We don't have time for stories," the older soldier finally said. "If what you say is true, then we need to fix this before we're all erased."
Selene arched a brow. "And you think we should trust you?"
The man's gaze hardened. "You have no choice."
Caius exchanged glances with Elias and Selene. He could feel the weight of the decision before him. They could try to fight their way out, but against an army that spanned centuries? That wasn't an option. If they wanted to restore balance, they needed to understand the artifact's true nature—and they needed allies who knew its history.
"Fine," Caius said. "But if we're doing this, we do it on our terms."
The older soldier smirked. "Then you best keep up, Chronomancer."
As the assembled warriors began marching toward an unknown destination, Caius felt the Heart pulse once more. The battle for control over time itself had only just begun.
Their march led them deeper into the ruined kingdom, past remnants of structures that flickered between states of decay and pristine grandeur. Once-great spires crumbled before their eyes, only to rebuild themselves in a matter of seconds, before collapsing again in an endless loop.
Elias shuddered. "This place is a nightmare."
"It's worse than that," the older soldier, who now introduced himself as General Aldric, said. "This is what happens when time ceases to follow a single path. The past and future clash, trying to assert dominance. If we don't act quickly, this phenomenon will spread beyond these ruins."
Caius frowned. "How do we stop it?"
Aldric's expression darkened. "You must master the Heart before it masters you."
Selene scoffed. "Oh, that's easy. Just become a god, no problem."
Aldric ignored her sarcasm. "The Chronomancer King wielded the Heart with absolute control, bending time to his will. If you are truly connected to it, then you must learn to do the same."
Caius studied the artifact, its pulsating core casting eerie light across his face. Could he truly control it? Or was he merely a pawn in its grand design?
Before he could dwell further, the ground trembled beneath them.
A thunderous roar erupted from the ruins ahead. A colossal figure emerged—a fusion of stone and swirling energy, its form shifting between various states of existence. It was a guardian of the old kingdom, awakened by the disruption in time.
The soldiers tensed. Aldric drew his sword. "This test comes sooner than expected."
Selene smirked, twirling her blades. "I was starting to miss the fighting."
Caius felt the Chronomancer's Heart pulse violently in response. This was no ordinary enemy. This was a manifestation of time's fury itself.
And it had come for him.