The rain had been falling for hours, each drop tapping against the library windows like a secret code. Cora Vale sat alone in the dim reading room, the faint smell of old paper curling into her senses. Most people avoided the midtown library after dark. That was fine by her—she preferred silence anyway.
Tonight, however, something felt… different. The air hummed faintly, like the city itself was holding its breath.
Her fingers traced the spine of a leather-bound book that hadn't been there before. Silver threads wound around it like veins, pulsing softly under her touch. The title shimmered in letters that didn't exist in any language she knew.
"Do not open."
The warning whispered in her mind, though no voice spoke aloud. Cora hesitated. Then, carefully, she opened it.
The pages were blank—at first. Then words began to appear, ink flowing like living water.
"Cora Vale. Chosen. Time fractures will bleed."
A sudden gust of wind slammed through the library, scattering loose papers. She dropped the book. And then she saw him.
He was standing between the aisles, tall, sharp-eyed, impossibly pale. His black coat absorbed the dim light, and his gaze… his gaze pierced straight through her.
"You've found it," he said, voice low and urgent. "The chronicle chooses only one."
Cora's heartbeat sped. "Who… what are you?"
"I am Kael. And if you don't help me, the city will forget tomorrow. Forever."
Lightning flashed, illuminating the library in stark white. For a heartbeat, she glimpsed the skyline outside bending, twisting, as though Manhattan itself was breaking.
Cora clenched the book to her chest. Her life had been quiet. Predictable. Safe.
Not anymore.
"Tell me," she said, voice trembling. "What do I have to do?"
Kael smiled faintly, a shadow of both warning and promise. "Everything… and nothing. Time itself depends on your choice."
The city waited. And so did the fractures.