Threads of Oblivion

chapter 5: Breaking the flow

Opening scene

The wind howled through the ruins of Chrono Bastion, a broken city suspended in time, each fragment caught in a moment long past yet hauntingly present. Caelum stood at the edge of a crumbling building, eyes scanning the horizon where twisted remains of buildings stretched toward the Nexus-the artifact of power, looming in the distance. The air around it shimmered, casting distorted reflections, a silent reminder of the unstable forces swirling within.

Beside him stood Astra, arms crossed, her gaze as sharp and intense as ever. Though she spoke little, Caelum sensed her impatience, her questions lingering just beneath her composed surface.

"Do you think we're getting closer?" Astra asked, her voice cautious but edged with a challenge, as if daring him to speak honestly.

Caelum let out a slow breath. "Close enough to feel its pull," he murmured. "But Alaric... He doesn't just want control. He thinks he can unlock time's secrets-reshape it entirely."

Astra raised an eyebrow, something between amusement and doubt flickering in her eyes. "And what if he's right? What if we could rewrite the past?" Her voice softened, but her expression remained guarded.

Caelum turned to her, his gaze unwavering, a shadow crossing his features. "We'd end up paying a price none of us are ready for. Time isn't a toy, Astra. Alaric's playing with forces beyond understanding."

A sudden tremor shook the ground beneath them, a low hum filling the air. It wasn't just the city that trembled-it was time itself, warping and bending at the edges. Astra's hand instinctively went to her weapon, but Caelum held up a hand.

"It's him," Caelum said, his voice grim. "He's here."

---

Alaric's Arrival

Emerging from the shadows, Alaric stepped into view, his tall figure framed by the fading light. He wore an unsettling grin, his eyes gleaming with the feverish conviction of someone convinced they were on the brink of a world-shattering revelation. For a moment, he simply watched them, like a king surveying his kingdom, his posture exuding confidence, almost arrogance.

"You look surprised, Caelum," Alaric's voice was smooth but dangerous. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Caelum clenched his fists, his gaze cold. "We knew you'd come. We're here to stop you."

Alaric chuckled, but it was a hollow sound. "Stop me? You're barely scratching the surface of what's possible." His gaze drifted to the Nexus, an almost reverential look crossing his face. "Time isn't just a river flowing forward. It's an ocean, vast and unending, existing all at once. And the Nexus... It's the gateway. The key to true freedom."

"Freedom?" Caelum's voice sharpened, tinged with both anger and disbelief. "You're tearing apart reality just to prove a theory. Time has its own laws-laws that hold everything in balance. You can't rewrite it without consequences."

Alaric's expression softened, almost paternal, as he gazed at Caelum. "You still think of time as something that controls us. But what if it's the other way around? What if we're meant to break free from it?"

Astra scoffed, stepping forward, her voice cutting through the tension. "And in breaking free, you'll shatter everything around us. Look at the city, Alaric. You're already causing fractures-anomalies, loops, things that shouldn't be."

Alaric's lips twisted into a slight frown, but there was no real anger in his eyes-only disappointment, as though he expected her to understand. "Astra, I expected you to understand. The Nexus has the power to remake time, to erase suffering, to correct every mistake." His gaze locked onto Caelum with a deeper intensity. "Even the ones we regret most."