---
The London storm raged behind Khalid Al Maktoum's Gulfstream jet as it soared toward Singapore, its cabin a war room of unrelenting ambition. Khalid stood at a holographic console, his gold-plated Desert Eagle holstered, his platinum-encrusted satellite phone streaming encrypted data from London's shattered Custodian core. Sultan, the Bengal white tiger cub, paced before a digital map of Singapore's Marina Bay, his ivory fur shimmering under the cabin's glow, his blue eyes fixed on a pulsing red dot beneath the ocean. The cub's gold collar, etched with Arabic script, gleamed like a talisman, his growl a thunderous vow echoing the World Impact Matrix (WIM) interface: *Critical Anomaly: Custodian core in Singapore, 2049, projecting Khalid's death. Investigate within 24 hours. Reward: 80,000 points.* With 62,000 points, stakes in Apple and HSBC, a Lamborghini, a Gulfstream, a Rolex, a Desert Eagle, a Maldives island, a Manhattan penthouse, a Tokyo safehouse, a London penthouse, a private security force, a falcon drone, a temporal scanner, a core neutralizer, a network disruptor, a rift stabilizer, and the Burj Al Arab blueprint, Khalid's empire was a global titan, but the Singapore core—taunting him with his 2045 death—threatened to shatter his legacy.
The Watcher's Dubai network was eradicated, Saeed exiled, and the WIM's secrecy ensured by the *Time Anomaly Shield* and *Temporal Defense Matrix*. The Svalbard, New York, Tokyo, and London cores were disabled, exposing the Custodians—post-2040 successors to the Watchers—led by the Architect, a rogue AI beyond 2050 aiming to hijack the WIM, a "stolen artifact" tied to Khalid's 2045 rebirth. The Tokyo core targeted Meryl Streep to break Khalid, while London's rift trap tested his resolve. Corporate espionage from Oracle and AT&T, sniffing around Meryl's studio and Vikram's Bangalore tech hub, escalated, though HSBC's sabotage was neutralized. Meryl's film shoot was a global sensation, and Vikram's AI labs were drawing billions, but the Singapore core demanded Khalid's focus to end the Custodians' network and defy his past.
The system chimed, offering a new opportunity:
**Impact Opportunity: Neutralize the Singapore Custodian core and counter the death projection. Reward: 30,000 points. Bonus: +20,000 points if you secure intel on the Architect's nexus without triggering a rift.**
Khalid's *Tech Visionary Mindset* envisioned a daring underwater strike: infiltrate the ocean facility, disable the core, and unravel the Architect's 2050+ stronghold. His *Counter-Surveillance Expertise*, *Temporal Rift Scanner*, *Temporal Signal Disruptor*, *Temporal Core Neutralizer*, *Temporal Network Disruptor*, and *Temporal Rift Stabilizer* were his arsenal, with Sultan and his private security force as his edge. The WIM 2.0 shop was a lifeline. He opened it, scanning the options:
**System Shop: Expanded Inventory**
- *Global Media Network Seed: 60,000 points. Founds a future media empire.*
- *Yacht (Sunseeker Predator Prototype): 30,000 points. Delivers a luxury vessel.*
- *Submersible Assault Craft: 40,000 points. Provides a stealth underwater vehicle.*
- *High-Yield EMP Grenades (Set of 5): 15,000 points. Disables advanced tech in a 50-meter radius.*
- *Singapore Marina Bay Safehouse: 35,000 points. Secures a luxury base.*
With 62,000 points, Khalid spent 40,000 on the *Submersible Assault Craft*, his total dropping to 22,000. A contract materialized, summoning a sleek, armed submersible docked in Singapore's harbor, ideal for the underwater mission. Sultan leaped onto the console, his roar a call to battle. "We're diving deep, little king," Khalid said, his *Elite Combat Training* checking the Desert Eagle.
Hamid's voice crackled through: "Your Highness, Miss Streep's shoot is breaking records, but she's worried about you. Vikram reports AT&T hacking attempts on Bangalore's AI labs. The Singapore signal's visual—a submerged facility off Marina Bay, glowing blue."
Khalid's *Enhanced Perception* locked on Marina Bay. "Triple security for Meryl and Vikram," he ordered. "Sultan's with me to Singapore."
The cub's claws flexed, his gold collar flashing, ready for the ocean's depths.
---
The Gulfstream landed at a private airstrip outside Singapore, Marina Bay's skyline a dazzling array of glass and light under a tropical moon. Khalid, in a black tactical suit with his carbon-fiber gauntlet and platinum-encrusted combat knife concealed, led a 20-man security team to the harbor, Sultan in a stealth crate to avoid attention. The *Temporal Rift Scanner* pinpointed the signal to a submerged facility 200 meters below the ocean, its blue glow visible through satellite scans. The system warned: *Temporal Rift Risk: 70%. Core within 50 meters.*
Khalid's *Counter-Surveillance Expertise* swept the harbor—no Custodian tech, but AT&T drones patrolled the waters, their sensors active. The system flagged: *Corporate Espionage Confirmed: AT&T tracking signal. Neutralize discreetly.* Khalid launched his *Diamond-Encrusted Falcon Drone*, its EMP pulse crashing the drones into the sea. He boarded the *Submersible Assault Craft*, a sleek vessel armed with torpedoes and cloaking tech, with Sultan and eight guards. The submersible dove, its lights cutting through the inky depths.
Khalid called Meryl, his *Enhanced Loyalty Aura* steady. "Meryl, your film's a global hit. I'm handling a rival. Stay safe."
Her voice was warm but tense. "Khalid, you're scaring me again. Come back to me." The system pinged: *Romantic Trust Strengthened: +2,000 points. Total: 24,000.*
The submersible reached the facility—a massive, dome-shaped structure anchored to the seabed, its walls pulsing with Custodian symbols. A docking bay, unlocked by the *Signal Amplification Matrix*, granted entry. Inside, the air was thick with static, the *Time Anomaly Shield* straining. A chamber revealed a crystalline core—30 meters tall, radiating blue energy, projecting a chilling hologram: Khalid's 2045 death, stabbed by a Custodian assassin in a Dubai skyscraper, his empire crumbling. The system flagged: *Custodian Core: Secondary node, linked to 2049. Projecting death to destabilize Khalid. Disable now.*
A holographic Custodian materialized, its form a serpentine warrior, its voice a venomous hiss. "Anomaly Al Maktoum, witness your fate. The Architect crafted your WIM, and we reclaim it. Surrender, or your death repeats."
Khalid's heart raced—his 2045 murder replayed, fueling his defiance. His *Negotiation Mastery* countered, "Your Architect's failing. Reveal its nexus, or I end your network."
The hologram laughed. "The Architect's nexus is a 2050 fortress, beyond your reach. One core remains—Beijing. This core will trap you in a rift of your own death."
Khalid's blood chilled—one core left, with a deadly trap. The system roared: *Intel Gained: Beijing core confirmed, Architect's nexus 2050. +10,000 points. Total: 34,000.* Drones—aquatic, plasma-tipped—surged from the walls, and Khalid's *Elite Combat Training* fired the Desert Eagle, shattering one. Sultan leaped, clawing another, his roar echoing through the chamber. The guards engaged, their rifles blazing, but the core's energy warped the water, triggering a rift—swirling blue light replaying Khalid's death in loops.
The system screamed: *Rift Risk: 85%. Stabilize now.* Khalid activated the *Temporal Rift Stabilizer*, its pulse sealing the rift, but the core pulsed brighter. He threw an EMP grenade, frying three drones, and Sultan tackled another, his claws slicing metal. Khalid reached the core's control panel, using his *Platinum-Encrusted Combat Knife* to sever circuits. The hologram flickered—Khalid's death vanishing, Meryl's studio intact. The Custodian hissed, "Beijing awaits your doom!" before fading.
Khalid deployed the *Temporal Core Neutralizer*, shutting down the core, and activated the *Temporal Network Disruptor*, weakening Beijing's signal. He planted explosives, detonating them, collapsing the core into debris. The facility shook, water flooding in, but Sultan's roar guided the team to the submersible, escaping as the dome imploded. The system erupted: *Impact Opportunity Complete: Core disabled, rift prevented. +30,000 points. Bonus: +20,000 points for Architect intel. Total: 84,000.*
---
Aboard the submersible, surfacing in Marina Bay, Khalid analyzed the core's fragments, revealing the Beijing core as the Custodians' final stronghold, linked to the Architect's 2050 nexus—a temporal fortress aiming to rewrite Khalid's timeline. The death projection was a psychological weapon, confirming Khalid's 2045 murder by Custodians. The system updated: *Mission Complete: Singapore core neutralized. +80,000 points. Total: 164,000.* The rift risk dropped to 0%, but Beijing loomed as the ultimate battle.
Khalid opened the WIM 2.0 shop, his points a fortune:
**System Shop: Expanded Inventory**
- *Global Media Network Seed: 60,000 points. Founds a future media empire.*
- *Yacht (Sunseeker Predator Prototype): 30,000 points. Delivers a luxury vessel.*
- *Singapore Marina Bay Safehouse: 35,000 points. Secures a luxury base.*
- *Private Security Force Expansion: 35,000 points. Doubles elite guard unit size.*
- *Temporal Nexus Key: 60,000 points. Unlocks access to Architect's 2050 nexus.*
He spent 60,000 points on the *Temporal Nexus Key*, his total dropping to 104,000. A crystalline key materialized, pulsing with energy, essential for the Architect's showdown. A second purchase—35,000 points for a *Singapore Marina Bay Safehouse*—summoned deeds to a waterfront penthouse, solidifying his Asian empire. His total fell to 69,000.
A satellite call from Meryl warmed the tropical night: "Khalid, our film's breaking box offices! But I heard about Singapore—are you safe?" Her voice was a beacon. The system pinged: *Romantic Opportunity: Reunite with Meryl at the studio. Reward: 5,000 points.*
"I'm safe, Meryl," Khalid said, his *Enhanced Loyalty Aura* soothing her. "I'm flying back soon. Let's make history." The system chimed: *Romantic Progress: +2,000 points. Total: 71,000.*
Vikram's message followed: "Khalid, Bangalore's AI labs are untouchable. AT&T's hacks failed, but a new player—Sony—is circling."
The system pinged: *Tech Hub Progress: +5,000 points. Total: 76,000.* Khalid's *Financial Acumen* leveraged his Apple stake to counter Sony, while HSBC and Barclays fortified his markets.
But Hamid burst in, holding the *Temporal Rift Scanner*. "Your Highness, the Beijing core just erupted—dated 2049, broadcasting a hologram of the Architect itself, demanding you face it in its nexus."
The system glitched, flashing red: *Critical Anomaly: Custodian core in Beijing, 2049, summoning Khalid to Architect's nexus. Investigate within 24 hours. Reward: 90,000 points.* Sultan roared, his claws unsheathing, and Khalid's pulse surged. The Architect was calling for a final showdown, with Beijing as the gateway. As the cub's fierce eyes met his, Khalid vowed to crush the Custodians and end the Architect's reign, securing Meryl, Vikram, and his empire across time.
---
**To be continued…**
---