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The tram sped through the dark, the flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the walls. Elias couldn't stop thinking about Future-Elias's words. If they failed, this world would become nothing but a broken loop, doomed to repeat the same moments until time itself collapsed.
They passed through the heart of Vega's industrial district—once a bustling area, now filled with abandoned husks of ships and factories. The rain beat against the tram's windows, the droplets sliding like tears down the glass.
Celeste was the first to break the silence. "I still don't understand why Bellamy didn't just destroy the prototype. If he had, none of this would've happened."
Future-Elias's voice was low. "Bellamy didn't have the option. He knew that the Chronovores were only part of the problem. Time, in a way, had become a living thing—a parasite that fed on itself. The prototype was his last chance to correct things. But he couldn't destroy it... because it was the key."
Elias's mind raced. "The key to what?"
"To everything. The prototype is a paradox machine. If it works as Bellamy intended, it could erase entire branches of reality. It's the only way to sever the Chronovores' grip on the timeline... but it comes with a price."
Celeste turned to him. "What price?"
Future-Elias met her gaze, his expression grim. "The person who activates the prototype will cease to exist. Not just die—be completely erased. No one will remember them. Not even time itself."
Elias felt a chill crawl up his spine. "So you want me to erase myself."
"Not you," Future-Elias corrected. "Us."
The tram jerked suddenly, and Elias nearly lost his balance. They had arrived at their destination.
A dark, nondescript building stood before them, half-submerged in shadow. Its edges blurred as though it were a fading memory, existing in some in-between space.
"This is it," Future-Elias said, looking at the building with a hint of familiarity. "Bellamy's last known lab. The prototype should be inside."
They disembarked, the door of the tram hissing shut behind them. The air felt colder here, thicker—almost like time itself was resisting their intrusion.
"Where is it?" Elias asked, scanning the dark alleyway that led to the building's entrance.
Celeste moved forward, her fingers tracing the symbols on the doorframe. "Bellamy used a quantum lock. We need a specific code to enter."
"Do we have the code?" Elias asked.
Future-Elias nodded, stepping up to the door. "We do."
He reached into his coat, pulling out a small device—a metallic sphere that hummed faintly. He placed it against the lock, and the door hissed open with a soft, metallic groan.
Inside, the lab was a mess of tangled wires, holographic displays, and unfinished projects. A single large table stood in the center, surrounded by shattered glass and spilled chemicals.
"That's it," Future-Elias said, pointing to a small device in the corner of the room. It was a sleek, black cube—its surface shimmering with strange, swirling patterns, as if it contained an infinite number of dimensions within.
Elias took a step toward it, his breath catching in his chest. "That's the prototype?"
"Yeah," Future-Elias said, his voice distant. "And once we activate it, everything changes. Time will either reset or... collapse entirely."
Celeste stepped closer to the cube, her face tense. "We don't have much time. The Chronovores are already closing in."
Elias turned to Future-Elias. "Are you sure we can't just destroy it? Burn it, melt it down, something?"
Future-Elias shook his head. "The only way to stop them is to use it. But if we do, the price is steep. The Chronovores are manipulating time for their own gain, and if we don't cut them off now, they'll keep feeding on the timeline."
Elias gritted his teeth. This wasn't just about stopping the Chronovores anymore. It was about saving everything. And at the same time, he had to make the hardest decision of his life.
"Let's do it," Elias said, his voice steady. "We don't have a choice."
He reached for the cube.
But before his hand could touch it, the air around them began to distort, and a strange, metallic screech filled the lab. The walls seemed to ripple as though reality itself was tearing.
"They're here," Future-Elias said. "Move!"
With no time to lose, they scrambled toward the prototype, but the door slammed shut. Shadows filled the room, and the Chronovores poured in—more of them, their bodies shifting and changing, hunting.
Celeste pulled her chrono-blades from her coat. "Hold them off. Elias, activate it now!"
Elias looked at the prototype. The glowing symbols on its surface twisted in the air like ancient runes. He placed his palm on it.
The world cracked.
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