ECHOES OF TIME

Chapter 13: Shadows of the Past

The wind settled after the dragon’s departure, leaving Ava and Karl standing in the strange, glowing forest, a new understanding between them. Ava's heart was still pounding from the intensity of Karl's declaration, the weight of his promise to protect her pressing down on her like a heavy cloak. She tried to focus on the path ahead, but questions swirled in her mind.

"What did you mean when you said I'm at the center of this?" Ava asked softly, her voice breaking the thick silence between them.

Karl glanced at her, his face hard to read. He hesitated before answering. "It’s complicated. You’ve noticed it, haven’t you? Strange things happening ever since you arrived—people following you, things that don’t quite make sense?"

Ava thought back to the odd encounters she’d had since stepping into the past. The whispers in the marketplace, the strange way people seemed to know more about her than they should. But she had chalked it up to the confusion of time travel. Now, doubt crept into her mind.

"Yes," she admitted. "But I didn’t think much of it. I thought I was just being paranoid."

Karl shook his head. "You’re not. There are forces at play here that are tied to you. It’s no coincidence you built that time machine and ended up here, Ava. Someone—something—has been guiding you to this moment."

Ava frowned, trying to process his words. "But why? I don’t have any power like you. I’m just a computer scientist from the future."

"That’s exactly why," Karl said, his tone serious. "You represent the future. Knowledge. Change. And there are those who fear that."

Ava’s stomach twisted at the implication. "Who are they?"

Karl’s jaw clenched. "They’re powerful, dangerous, and they’ve been watching both of us for a long time. Some of them want to stop you from learning the truth about your past. Others… they want to control you, to use your knowledge for their own purposes."

Ava felt a shiver run down her spine. "And what is this truth I’m supposed to uncover?"

Karl met her gaze, his eyes dark and intense. "That’s the question, isn’t it? All I know is that it’s tied to why you came here, why your family is involved. But the deeper you dig, the more dangerous it becomes."

Ava swallowed hard, her mind racing. Her entire life had been shaped by the mysteries surrounding her family’s past. Now, it seemed those same mysteries were pulling her into a web of danger she hadn’t fully understood.

"So, what do we do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Karl’s expression softened slightly as he looked at her. "We keep moving. We need to stay ahead of them, find the answers before they do."

Ava nodded, determination flickering in her chest. "Then let’s go. We can’t stay here forever."

Karl gave a curt nod, his usual stoic demeanor returning. He turned toward the edge of the forest, leading the way through the twisted trees and glowing foliage. Ava followed closely behind, her mind buzzing with a thousand thoughts.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the air seemed to grow thicker, the shadows around them longer and darker. The soft glow from the plants dimmed, casting an eerie light on their path. Ava felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, a sense of unease creeping over her.

"Do you feel that?" she asked quietly, glancing around.

Karl nodded, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of a dagger strapped to his side. "We’re not alone."

Ava’s pulse quickened. She strained her ears, listening for any sign of movement, but the forest was unnervingly silent. Her eyes darted around the trees, searching for the source of the growing tension.

Suddenly, a shadow flickered in the corner of her vision. Ava’s breath caught, and she stopped in her tracks, her eyes locking onto the shape moving just beyond the trees.

"Karl," she whispered, pointing toward the figure.

Karl’s eyes narrowed, his body tense as he followed her gaze. The figure stepped out from behind the trees, cloaked in darkness. Ava’s heart raced as she recognized the person—Noah.

"Noah!" Ava’s voice trembled with a mixture of relief and fear.

Noah’s face was pale, her eyes wide with something that looked like both fear and warning. She took a shaky step forward, her voice weak. "Ava… you need to run."

Ava’s heart skipped a beat. "What? Why?"

Before Noah could answer, the shadows around her seemed to come alive. Dark figures emerged from the trees, cloaked in black, their faces hidden behind masks. They moved silently, surrounding Noah and closing in on Ava and Karl.

Karl swore under his breath, his hand tightening around the hilt of his dagger. "They’ve found us."

Ava’s mind raced, panic setting in as the figures closed the circle around them. There were too many of them, and they were too fast. She had no idea who they were, but something in Noah’s terrified eyes told her they were dangerous.

Noah tried to break free, her voice desperate. "Ava, please! You have to leave now!"

But it was too late. The figures moved with lightning speed, one of them lunging toward Ava. She stumbled back, her heart hammering in her chest, but before the figure could reach her, Karl was there.

In a blur of movement, Karl drew his dagger and slashed through the air, knocking the attacker to the ground. He moved with deadly precision, his eyes blazing with a cold fury Ava hadn’t seen before. Another figure lunged at him, but Karl sidestepped, delivering a swift blow to the back of their neck.

Ava’s hands shook as she watched Karl fight, his movements fluid and controlled, but the attackers kept coming. There were too many of them, and Karl couldn’t protect both of them at once.

"Ava!" Noah’s voice rang out again, her panic cutting through the chaos. "Run! Get to the machine!"

The time machine.

Ava’s eyes widened as she realized what Noah meant. Her time machine—it was their only way out. If she could reach it, maybe they could escape this nightmare. But they were too far from where she had hidden it. And with these attackers closing in, she wasn’t sure they’d make it.

Karl dodged another blow, his eyes flicking toward Ava. "Go! Now!"

Ava’s legs finally obeyed, and she turned, sprinting through the forest. Her breath came in ragged gasps as branches whipped against her skin. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of Karl fighting, the clash of metal and the grunts of the attackers filling the air.

Noah’s voice rang out one last time, her words chilling Ava to the bone. "They’re coming for you, Ava. You have to stop them, before it’s too late."