Faces in the Fog
When the fold dissolved, Aria stumbled onto damp cobblestones. The night air was sharp, carrying the metallic scent of rain-soaked streets. The city above ground was eerily quiet, almost abandoned, bathed in pale streetlight that barely cut through the thick fog.
Kieran was already moving, his silhouette sharp against the mist. "Keep close," he murmured. "They're still tracking us."
Aria's pulse hammered. Her hands shook as she gripped the device at her chest. The echoes of the fold lingered—phantoms of streets that weren't there, faces she'd glimpsed in impossible futures. She blinked, trying to steady herself.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Old Novus," Kieran replied. "Abandoned sector. Security feeds don't cover it, drones rarely patrol. It's not safe, but it's hidden."
She scanned the foggy streets. Buildings leaned at odd angles, and broken neon flickered weakly through shattered windows. Something moved in the shadows—another phantom, or someone real?
"Someone's there," she whispered.
Kieran's hand moved to hers. "Stay quiet."
A figure emerged from the mist. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Face hidden beneath a hood. Aria froze, heart hammering.
Kieran stepped forward, his voice low but firm. "Stop."
The figure paused, then slowly raised a hand. A faint glow emanated from a small device clasped in their palm.
Aria recognized the signature instantly—temporal energy, but subtle, controlled. She swallowed.
"Who are they?" she asked.
Kieran's jaw tightened. "Someone who's been… off the grid for a while. Someone who knows the device you built."
The figure's hood fell back, revealing sharp features and gray eyes that seemed to pierce through the fog. "Kieran Vale," they said quietly. "I've been expecting you… and her."
Aria's stomach twisted. "Her?"
Kieran glanced at her. "This is someone who can stabilize the device. But… she doesn't trust easily."
The woman stepped closer, eyes flicking between them. "I don't know why the Council hasn't erased you yet, Aria Chen, but every step you take leaves ripples. Too many of them."
Aria felt her knees weaken. "I… I just want to fix it."
The woman studied her, expression unreadable. "Fixing it comes with a cost."
Kieran's hand tightened on her shoulder. "She can help you survive what's coming."
Aria looked at the stranger, the fog swirling around her like a living thing. She swallowed. "Then… I'll pay the cost."
The woman nodded slowly. "Good. Follow me. Time isn't waiting."
As they stepped into the deeper mist, Aria felt it—a strange stillness, a pause in the night, as if the city itself was holding its breath.
For the first time, she realized that the echoes chasing her weren't just outside. They were inside, waiting to see what choices she would make next.
And in that moment, she knew the next step would define not just her survival, but the fate of every timeline yet to come.