Chapter 4: The Rival’s Gambit
The bracelet pulsed again, glowing faintly beneath the sleeve of my jacket. My stomach twisted, an uneasy feeling settling deep inside me. Kael had been quiet since we had slipped out of the dim room, moving through a maze of shadowed alleyways. His usual calm demeanor felt tense, as if he was bracing for something. I could feel it too—like we were being watched, followed.
I hadn’t been able to shake the image of the dark figures from earlier, their faces hidden beneath their cloaks. Something about them felt familiar, like a memory I couldn’t quite grasp.
Kael came to a stop in front of a tall, sleek building made of reflective glass, its surface shimmering in the low light. “This is it,” he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What is this place?” I asked, looking up at the imposing structure.
“An information hub,” Kael replied, glancing around cautiously. “If we’re going to rewrite the past, we need to know exactly when and where to go.”
My heart skipped a beat. Rewrite the past. The words still felt unreal, like a fantasy too dangerous to touch. But there was no turning back now.
We slipped inside the building, the doors sliding open silently as we entered a vast, empty lobby. It was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft hum of machines. Kael led me to a control panel in the center of the room, his fingers flying over the keys as he accessed the archives.
“We’re looking for a specific moment in time,” he explained, his eyes focused on the screen. “A point where we can make a change without causing too much disruption.”
My mind was still reeling from everything that had happened in the last few hours. Traveling to another world, the danger we were in, the weight of the bracelet on my wrist—it all felt too much, too fast. But beneath the fear, I could feel something else.
Kael.
Since the moment I met him, there had been an undeniable connection between us, a pull that I couldn’t explain. Even now, standing next to him in the dim light, I felt it—like the air between us was charged with something unspoken, something powerful. It was as if time itself had brought us together, weaving our fates in a way that neither of us could control.
“Found it,” Kael said suddenly, breaking the silence. He turned the screen toward me, showing a map of the city and a series of glowing points. “There’s a key event in two days. It’s the fall of Erialis.”
My eyes widened. “The fall… You mean the end of the empire?”
He nodded grimly. “If we can stop it, we might be able to save this world. But it’s not going to be easy. The Parallax Empire doesn’t fall without a fight.”
My mind raced, trying to process what he was saying. “But how? How are we supposed to change something that massive?”
Kael’s expression softened, and for a moment, he seemed younger, less burdened by the weight of the world on his shoulders. “We’ll find a way,” he said gently, his gaze locking with mine. “Together.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine, and before I could stop myself, I stepped closer to him. The air between us seemed to hum with tension, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest.
“Kael,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
He looked down at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. “I’ve wanted to tell you something since the moment we met,” he said softly, his voice low and intense.
I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. “What is it?”
He hesitated, as if searching for the right words, before finally speaking. “You’re not just someone who stumbled into this. You’re important. More important than you realize.”
His words hit me like a tidal wave. I had always felt out of place, like I didn’t belong anywhere, like my life was missing some greater purpose. But hearing him say it—it was like he had seen straight into my soul, unearthing truths I had buried long ago.
Before I could respond, Kael reached out, his hand cupping my face gently. His touch was warm, his fingers brushing against my skin like a soft whisper. My breath hitched, and I felt a surge of emotions—fear, longing, hope—all tangled together in a confusing, electric rush.
For a moment, we stood there, the world around us fading into nothing. It was just us, suspended in time, our fates intertwined in ways I couldn’t begin to understand. Then, without warning, Kael leaned down, his lips brushing against mine in a kiss so soft, so fleeting, that it felt like a dream.
I gasped, my heart pounding in my chest as he pulled away, his hand still resting on my cheek. His eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions—desire, regret, something deeper.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “It’s too dangerous.”
Before I could ask what he meant, the door to the building slid open, and a figure stepped inside. I froze, my blood turning to ice as I recognized the silhouette.
It was one of the cloaked figures from earlier, but this time, they weren’t alone. A group of them filed in, their dark cloaks swirling around them like shadows. The leader stepped forward, pulling back their hood to reveal a face I hadn’t expected.
My heart dropped. It was a woman, her sharp features framed by short, jet-black hair, her eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating intensity.
“You,” Kael said, his voice filled with both recognition and dread. He stepped in front of me, shielding me from the woman’s gaze.
She smiled, a slow, dangerous smile. “Hello, Kael,” she said, her voice smooth and melodic, but laced with venom. “It’s been a while.”
I stared at her, trying to make sense of what was happening. Who was she? And how did she know Kael?
“You shouldn’t be here,” Kael said, his tone hard. “This isn’t your fight.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Oh, but it is. You’ve forgotten, haven’t you? We were all part of this, once.”
My heart pounded in my chest. What did she mean by that?
Kael’s jaw tightened, and I could see the muscles in his neck tense. “You were never part of this,” he said quietly. “You betrayed us.”
The woman laughed, a cold, cruel sound. “Betrayed you? No, Kael. I’m the one trying to save us. You’re the one playing with fire.”
Her eyes flicked to me, and I felt a chill run down my spine. “And you,” she said, her gaze piercing. “You’re the key to everything, aren’t you?”
I stepped back, my hand instinctively going to the bracelet on my wrist. “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice shaking.
She smiled again, her eyes glittering with malice. “I’m the one who’s going to take that bracelet from you. And when I do, I’ll have the power to control time itself.”
Before I could react, she moved, faster than I thought possible. In an instant, she was in front of me, her hand reaching for my wrist. But Kael was quicker. He stepped between us, blocking her attack, his body shielding mine.
“Run,” he said urgently, his voice filled with fear. “Get out of here. Now.”
I hesitated for a split second, my heart warring with my instincts. I didn’t want to leave him, not like this. But I knew I had no choice. If I stayed, we would both be captured—or worse.
I turned and ran, my feet pounding against the sleek floor as I sprinted toward the exit. Behind me, I could hear the sounds of a struggle, Kael and the woman locked in a fierce fight. My chest burned with fear and guilt as I ran, knowing that I was leaving him behind to face her alone.
As I reached the door, I glanced back one last time. Kael was on the ground, the woman standing over him, her eyes filled with triumph.
And then the door slid shut behind me, cutting off the sight—and sealing my fate.
***
As I stumbled into the night, breathless and terrified, the bracelet on my wrist pulsed again, its light flickering erratically. Something was wrong. I had no idea where I was, or what would happen next—but I knew one thing for certain. The woman had found me. And she wouldn’t stop until she had what she wanted.