The cold air of the alien world felt thick, like it was pressing against Drayven from all sides. His breath came out in visible clouds, his every exhale a reminder of how out of place he truly was in this twisted, alien reality. The woman—Reya—stood before him, her figure cloaked in shifting violet light, her presence all-consuming.
"You…" Drayven's voice faltered, a knot tightening in his chest. He could hardly breathe. "You're the one behind this, aren't you? The rift, the fractures... the timelines."
Reya's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, but there was no warmth in it—only cold, unfeeling certainty. The weight of her gaze was enough to paralyze him, her eyes glowing faintly beneath the hood. It was as if she could see right through him, into the very depths of his fractured mind.
"I did not cause the rift," she said, her voice calm and distant, as if she were speaking of something far removed from this moment. "But I have been… drawn to it. To you."
Drayven's heart skipped a beat. "Drawn to me?" He barely understood what she meant, but a part of him already feared the answer.
"You are not the first to pass through the rift," Reya continued, her tone almost melancholic. "Others came before you, but they were lost. Fragmented beyond repair. You, Drayven, are different. You are the first to sync with the fracture. To carry both the past and the future within you, all at once."
Drayven's pulse quickened. Sync? He had experienced strange flashes of memories that weren't his own, fleeting glimpses of timelines that didn't belong. Was this what she meant? Was he truly the key to everything she had spoken of?
"I don't understand," he said, shaking his head, trying to gather his thoughts. "You're saying I've somehow become part of the rift? That I'm—what? A part of this fracture?"
Reya nodded, her movements fluid, as if she were part of the very fabric of the world around them. "The fracture is not a mere accident, Drayven. It is not some random tear in time. It is a consequence. A consequence of the rift's creation, and of the choices that you will make. The timeline is a living thing, but it is fragile, and it has begun to unravel. You are not just an observer—you are a participant."
Drayven swallowed hard. "A participant? In what? In the destruction of reality?"
The woman's smile remained unchanged, and though her voice remained steady, there was something in it that sent chills crawling up his spine. "Perhaps. But the destruction is not the end. It is only the beginning."
Before Drayven could speak again, a low rumble vibrated through the ground beneath them, shaking the very air. A deep, resonating sound that felt like it came from the heart of the planet itself. His instincts screamed at him to move, to get back to the shuttle, to find a way out. But Reya didn't flinch, her attention unwavering.
"The rift is not just a doorway between dimensions, Drayven. It is the source of the fracture—the point of divergence in the timeline. And you—you—are the catalyst." Her voice grew more intense now, each word punctuated with an unseen force, as if the very ground she stood on resonated with her presence. "You are the one who will determine the path forward. The choices you make now will define the future. Will you repair the damage, or will you let the timelines collapse into chaos?"
Drayven stepped back, his mind reeling. His thoughts spun in circles, crashing together like waves breaking on jagged rocks. He had been pulled into this mess—thrust into the heart of something far beyond his understanding. But now… now he was being asked to choose. To decide the fate of not just his reality, but every reality.
"I'm not… I'm not ready for this," Drayven muttered, running a hand through his hair. His thoughts were clouded, fragmented, a jumble of strange memories and broken images that weren't his own. He was still reeling from his experience with the sync. The past few hours had felt like an eternity, and his mind couldn't process what Reya was saying. The timeline was broken, and he was somehow at the center of it all.
Reya's gaze softened, just a fraction, as though she understood his hesitation. "You are more ready than you realize. You are already in the fracture, Drayven. There is no escape. The only question is what you will do with the power that lies within you."
The ground trembled again, this time more violently. Drayven's legs almost gave way beneath him as the world around him seemed to twist and distort. The sky above darkened, clouds swirling in unnatural patterns, and the air thickened with a sense of dread. The rift pulsed with an otherworldly light, growing brighter, more violent.
"Something's wrong," Drayven said, his voice strained. "This wasn't part of the plan."
"The rift is waking," Reya said quietly, her expression unreadable. "It is responding to you."
A strange sensation washed over Drayven then—a pull, deep in his chest, like an invisible thread tugging at him, urging him forward. It was the rift, beckoning him. Calling to him. His connection to it, to the fracture, had grown stronger with every passing moment. He could feel it in his bones, in his very soul. The rift was alive, and he was its chosen vessel.
"The rift is unstable," Reya continued, her voice cutting through the noise of the growing storm. "You must act now, Drayven. The timelines cannot hold much longer. The fracture will spread, and all will be lost if you do not choose."
Drayven closed his eyes, the weight of her words sinking deep into his mind. The fracture will spread… all will be lost…
The pressure in his chest intensified, and for a moment, he thought he might collapse under the weight of it all. But then, something clicked inside him. He had no choice. He had to act. The timelines were fractured, the rift was alive, and somehow, he was the key. He was the one who could either repair the damage or destroy everything.
Drayven opened his eyes, his gaze steady now, focused. "What do I need to do?"
Reya's smile widened, almost approving. "You must enter the heart of the rift, Drayven. Only there will you understand the true nature of the fracture. Only there will you be able to make the choice."
Drayven looked up at the rift's swirling vortex, its tendrils of energy reaching out toward him like an invitation. He could feel the pull in his gut, the undeniable force drawing him in.
He didn't know what lay beyond the rift's heart. He didn't know if he would ever return, or if the timelines would collapse completely. But one thing was certain: He had to go. There was no turning back now.
He took a step forward, then another, until he was standing at the edge of the rift.
The woman, Reya, watched him with eyes full of ancient knowledge and silent expectation. And then, without another word, Drayven Korr stepped into the unknown.