Resonant Echoes

Chapter 3: The Discovery of the Resonator

Chandra couldn't shake the vision as they stood in the quiet clearing. The thick Louisiana air pressed in on her, but it felt different now, charged with the strange energy emanating from the metal object half-buried in the earth.

RJ crouched down beside the resonator, running his fingers over the intricate carvings on its surface. "I knew there was something off about this thing," he said, his voice low. "But you saw a whole city?"

Chandra nodded, still feeling the aftershocks of the vision. "It wasn't just a city, RJ. It was... old, ancient. The people there, they had some kind of power. The same power I felt when I touched this."

RJ's eyes flicked from the resonator to her, his usual cocky grin replaced with a more serious expression. "You're not messing with me, right?"

"RJ, I'm serious. I don't know how to explain it, but when I touched this thing, it was like I was there. I could smell the air, feel the heat. It wasn't just some dream."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath. Chandra's heart still pounded in her chest, but it wasn't just from the vision. It was from the power she had felt coursing through her, the same power she was sure was buried in this object.

"We have to tell someone about this," RJ said finally, standing up and brushing dirt off his jeans. "This is bigger than us."

"Tell who?" Chandra asked, her voice sharp with unease. "Who's going to believe us? We don't even know what this is."

RJ paused, his eyes narrowing as he thought. "Maybe not tell just anyone. But my dad knows people. He's always dealing with weird history stuff from his military contacts. Maybe he can find someone who knows about this."

Chandra hesitated, a pit forming in her stomach. "I don't know if that's a good idea. What if... what if this thing is dangerous?"

RJ shrugged, though the tension in his face betrayed his own uncertainty. "It's a hunk of metal. We'll just show it to them, see what they think."

But Chandra wasn't convinced. The vision she had felt wasn't just ancient—it was powerful. She couldn't shake the feeling that the object was tied to something bigger, something dangerous. And she wasn't sure she wanted anyone else involved just yet.

"I want to figure this out ourselves first," Chandra said, meeting RJ's gaze. "Just for now. We need to understand what this thing is before we hand it over to anyone."

RJ looked like he was about to argue, but something in Chandra's expression made him stop. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. "Okay. But don't tell me I didn't offer to bring in the experts."

Chandra managed a small smile, though the weight of the resonator still hung heavy in the air. "I'll remember that. Now let's get out of here. I need some time to think."

As they turned to leave, Chandra took one last look at the metal object. It sat there, half-hidden in the dirt, silent and still. But she could still feel the echo of its power in her veins, a quiet hum that made her skin tingle.

Whatever this thing was, it wasn't done with them yet.