The keeper of time

Chapter 2: The Unraveling

Chapter 2: The Unraveling

Anaya's Perspective

I sat by the fire back at camp, wrapped in a thick blanket, but no matter how close I got to the flames, the chill wouldn't leave my bones. I stared into the flickering light, my thoughts tangled with what had happened. The amulet still pulsed in my memory, as though its warmth had fused with my skin, but my mind was consumed by the vision. The woman in the vision... the one who looked like me. Who was she?

I lifted my eyes to the dark mountains around us, their jagged edges sharper than usual under the moonlight. Snow-capped peaks shimmered in silver, standing tall and indifferent. This was my world, the one I knew—solid, scientific, based in reality. But it felt distant now. Almost fake. After what I saw, the lines between real and unreal had started to blur.

My fingers clenched the edge of the blanket as I tried to calm the racing thoughts in my head. But the questions kept coming, and I had no answers.

The camp buzzed behind me, a low murmur of voices as the team debriefed. I caught fragments of their conversation—scientific theories, whispers of energy anomalies, things I couldn't process right now. I tried to focus, but everything seemed... far away.

Then I caught Raghav's gaze from across the camp. His dark eyes were sharp, filled with both curiosity and concern. He'd always been the logical one, a believer in hard facts, and I could see his struggle to make sense of what he'd seen. His square jaw was clenched, and he absentmindedly rubbed his hands together, a habit he had when he was deep in thought. He looked much older in the firelight—his usually well-groomed hair was windswept, and dark circles had started to form under his eyes.

Aarav, on the other hand, paced back and forth near the fire, unable to sit still. His expression was intense, the firelight dancing on his sharp, angular features. He was tall, lean, and radiated an energy that could be overwhelming at times, but right now, he seemed just as rattled as the rest of us. He muttered to himself as he paced, hands moving in animated gestures. His hair—usually messy and falling into his eyes—was pulled back in a low ponytail, highlighting the determination that never left his face.

I looked down at my own hands, pale against the backdrop of the blanket. My skin was still flushed from the cold, and I could feel the tremble in my fingers. My long, dark hair had come loose from its braid, now spilling over my shoulders in messy waves. The firelight reflected off my skin, casting shadows that danced across my face, but I couldn't escape the feeling that something had shifted inside me. My heart still hadn't returned to its normal rhythm, and I could feel the thrum of adrenaline coursing through me.

I knew I should explain what happened. They needed to know. But how could I? How could I put into words the things I'd seen, the things I'd felt?

Aarav broke the silence, his voice sharp with impatience. "We can't just ignore this, Anaya. That wasn't some fluke. That wasn't just... a relic." He turned toward me, his eyes blazing. "What did you see? You were there longer than we were."

I bit my lip, feeling everyone's eyes on me now. Raghav, Aarav, the rest of the team. They were waiting. Expecting answers.

"I... I don't know how to explain it," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. I felt the weight of the amulet, still burning in my memory. "It felt alive, like it was trying to tell me something. And then... I saw images. Flashes of things I can't understand."

I hesitated, glancing at Aarav, whose frustration was palpable. His jaw clenched, and I could see the impatience written all over his face, but Raghav stepped forward, his expression softer, more understanding.

"What kind of images?" Raghav asked quietly.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Temples. Warriors. A sky that looked... wrong. Like something was about to happen. And then... a woman. She looked just like me, but it wasn't me." My voice wavered as I spoke, the memory of that woman's eyes—my eyes—still vivid. "She was holding the amulet. And everything felt... connected somehow."