ChronoTale: Journey Through Time

Chapter 7: Echoes of the Future

The Crucible of Time faded around Frisk and Sans, replaced once more by the familiar stone walls of the ancient temple. The oppressive weight of the trials they had endured still clung to the air, but they had survived the first test. Frisk felt a small pulse from the Chrono Crystal in their hand—proof of their progress.

Sans leaned against the wall, his usual smirk tempered by the battle they had just endured. "Man, that was a ride, huh, kid? You think our reflections learned anything, or are they still as stubborn as us?"

Frisk smiled faintly. "Maybe we taught them a lesson."

"Here's hopin'," Sans said with a shrug. "Still, that was only the first trial. Whatever's next, I've got a bad feeling it won't be any easier."

The Keeper of Time's presence lingered like a shadow, though it did not immediately reappear. Instead, a soft rumbling filled the chamber, and the wall behind them shifted, revealing another passageway. Beyond it lay darkness, but a faint, eerie glow emanated from deep within.

Frisk exchanged a glance with Sans, their determination undeterred despite the unknown dangers ahead. "No turning back now."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sans replied, stepping forward.

As they descended into the new passage, the atmosphere grew colder, the air thick with the weight of countless possibilities. Time here felt distorted—every step they took echoed as though from a different timeline, overlapping with the sound of their own feet. Whispers surrounded them, disembodied voices that seemed to call from both the past and the future.

Frisk shivered slightly but pressed forward. They could  feel the presence of the next shard, like a magnetic pull drawing them deeper into the heart of the temple.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the end of the passage, stepping into a cavernous chamber. Unlike the last, this room was filled with strange machinery—massive gears turning in perfect synchronization, hovering clocks ticking endlessly. At the center of it all, suspended in a sphere of shimmering light, was another shard of the Chrono Crystal.

But standing before it was not the Keeper. Instead, a figure cloaked in a swirling fog of time stepped out from the shadows. Their silhouette was hazy, as though it existed outside of the normal flow of time, but their presence was undeniable.

"I've been waiting for you," the figure said, their voice ethereal and fragmented, as though spoken from many different timelines at once.

Frisk tensed, gripping the Chrono Crystal tighter. "Who are you?"

The figure's form became clearer, revealing a person who looked unsettling familiar—like a distorted reflection of Frisk themselves. But where Frisk's determination shone through, this version was cold, calculating, and void of any emotion.

"I am what you could become," the figure said, their eyes glowing with the same unnatural light that filled the chamber. "An echo of the future. The future where Chronos wins, where all timelines are consumed by their will."

Sans stepped forward, his eye socket glowing faintly. "Yeah, well, last I checked, we're not too keen on lettin' that happen."

The Echo tilted their head slightly, as though they were  indifferent to Sans's words. "You can't fight the inevitable. Chronos's power extends beyond any one timeline, beyond any one decision. No matter what path you take, the end is always the same."

Frisk narrowed their eyes, refusing to accept those words. "We'll stop them. We'll break the cycle."

The Echo's expression didn't change. "You say that now. But you've already seen the shadows of your past—soon, you'll face the weight of your future. Can you truly carry that burden?"

Without warning, the Echo lunged, their form blurring as they moved through time itself. Frisk barely had time to react, raising the Chrono Crystal to block the attack. The two forces clashed, sending a shockwave of energy through the chamber.

The Echo moved with unnatural speed, phasing in and out of different moments in time, striking from all angles. Frisk struggled to keep up, their movements slower by comparison, but they refused to back down. Every time the Echo attacked, Frisk countered with the Chrono Crystal using its power to shift the flow of time just enough to avoid the worst of the blows.

Sans joined the fight, sending waves of bones and blasters at the Echo, but even his attacks were met with resistance. The Echo seemed to anticipate every move, dodging effortlessly as though they had already seen the battle unfold.

"They're not just fast," Sans muttered under his breath. "They're everywhere at once."

Frisk knew he was right. The Echo wasn't just fighting them in the present—they were using the power of time itself to fight from every possible moment. It was like battling an army of themselves, each one from a different timeline.

But as the fight dragged on, Frisk began to notice something. Every time the Echo struck, they hesitated for just a fraction of a second, as though trying to predict Frisk's next move. And each time Frisk used the Chrono Crystal, that hesitation grew longer.

A plan formed in Frisk's mind. They couldn't outfight the Echo in straight battle, but if they could disrupt the flow of time itself...

"Sans!" Frisk shouted, dodging another attack. "I need you to distract them for a few seconds!"

Sans gave a thumbs up. "Gotcha, kid. I'll give 'em something to think about."

With a flourish, Sans summoned a barrage of bones and blasters, launching them at the Echo from every direction. The room filled with explosions of energy, forcing the Echo to focus on dodging and deflecting.

Meanwhile, Frisk focused on the Chrono Crystal, feeling its power surge through them. They reached deep into the flow of time, pulling at the threads that connected the past, present, and future. With a deep breath, they unleashed the Chrono Crystal's true power—freezing time for just a moment.

The Echo, caught off guard, froze mid-attack, their form flickering as though destabilized.

Frisk didn't waste a second. They lunged forward, striking the Echo with the Chrono Crystal. The shard in their hand flared with light, and for a brief moment, Frisk felt as though they were standing outside of time itself.

The Echo let out a cry of pain, their form beginning to fracture and splinter. "This... is not... the end..." they whispered before their body shattered into light, dispersing into the swirling void of time.

The room grew silent, the only sound the steady ticking of the massive clocks around them.

Sans dusted off his hoodie, his usual smirk returning. "Well, that was somethin'. You okay, kid?"

Frisk nodded, though their mind was still reeling from the battle. They had faced an echo of the future, a twisted version of themselves that represented what could happen if Chronos won. But they had survived, and in doing so, they had proven that the future wasn't set in stone.

The shard of the Chrono Crystal floated down from the sphere of light setting gently into Frisk's hand. It pulsed with energy, its power merging with the shard they already carried.

"You have done well," the Keeper of Time's voice echoed through the chamber. "But the hardest trials are yet to come. Chronos grows stronger with each passing moment. You must hurry."

Frisk tightened their grip on the Chrono Crystal. They knew the Keeper was right—Chronos was still out there, manipulating time to their will. But with each shard they gathered, Frisk grew stronger, more determined to stop the destruction of every timeline.

"Let's keep going," Frisk said, their voice steady.

Sans nodded, stepping beside them. "Yeah. No rest for the determined, huh?"

Together, they turned toward the next passage, the path ahead uncertain but their resolve unshaken. Time itself was against them, but Frisk knew they would fight until the very end.