Cora woke up screaming.
The world snapped back into place—the street, the rain, Adrian's hands gripping her shoulders.
"You're back," he said, breathless. "You vanished for almost a minute."
Almost a minute.
Inside the Fracture, it had felt like a lifetime.
Cora pushed herself up. The city looked normal, but she wasn't. Every sound carried echoes. Every face felt layered, as if she could sense the versions of them that never existed.
"You remember me," she said suddenly, staring at Adrian.
He hesitated. Then nodded. "I didn't before. But now… it's like you were always there."
Kael stood a few steps away, tense. "That's not good."
Before Cora could ask why, the air split open again—but this time, it wasn't chaotic.
It was precise.
A man stepped out of the distortion, dressed in a clean gray suit, hands clasped calmly behind his back. His eyes were silver, reflecting timelines that shouldn't exist.
"So," he said pleasantly, "the erased girl returns."
Kael moved instantly, placing himself between the man and Cora. "Stay back, Chronos."
Cora's blood ran cold. "You know him?"
Kael's voice was tight. "He is what remains of the council that governs time. He remembers every reset. Every sacrifice."
Chronos smiled. "And every failure."
He looked directly at Cora. "You were never meant to come back. Each step you take fractures reality further."
"I didn't choose this," Cora said, her voice steady despite the fear.
Chronos tilted his head. "You chose it once. And you'll choose again."
The chronicle ripped itself open in her hands, pages flipping violently.
"The Observer has arrived."
Adrian reached for his gun. "Tell me who this guy is."
Chronos raised a single finger.
Time froze.
Everyone—cars, rain, even Kael—locked in place.
Except Cora.
Chronos leaned closer, whispering, "Run, Archivist. If they catch you again… there will be no reset."
Time resumed.
Chronos was gone.
Silence followed—heavy, dangerous, final.
Kael exhaled slowly. "He's started the hunt."
Cora looked down at the chronicle, new words burning into the page.
"Chapter Seven: The War of Timelines."
And she knew—there was no turning back.