Aarav sprinted through the crowded street, his lungs burning with each breath. His older self moved ahead, weaving through pedestrians and dodging sleek vehicles that hovered silently above the ground before gliding away like ghosts. The city around them was a strange blend of futuristic steel and crumbling concrete—a place caught between two times, much like Aarav himself.
Behind them, the two men in black suits pursued, their long strides relentless, their dark glasses gleaming under the harsh neon lights. One of them raised a strange-looking gun that crackled with blue energy.
"Down!" Older Aarav barked, grabbing his younger self's arm and pulling him behind a stall.
A blast of energy scorched the air, hitting a metal sign above their heads. The sign exploded in a shower of sparks, drawing startled screams from the crowd.
"This way!" the older Aarav said, yanking him through a narrow alley.
They dashed past piles of discarded tech—old drones, shattered monitors, and heaps of wires that looked like they'd been dead for decades. The alley twisted and turned, and the deeper they went, the darker it became. At last, they emerged into what looked like an underground market—a maze of tents and flickering lights, filled with people who didn't seem to notice or care about the chaos above.
"You're me," Aarav panted, trying to catch his breath. "You're really me."
Older Aarav gave a bitter smile. "Yeah. And if we don't move fast, neither of us will live long enough for me to explain everything."
They stopped at a rusted door. The older Aarav entered a code on a keypad hidden beneath a loose brick. The door creaked open, revealing a small room with metal walls and a low ceiling. Inside was a table littered with tools, wires, and scraps of paper filled with incomprehensible symbols.
Older Aarav slammed the door shut and bolted it. For a moment, the only sound was their heavy breathing.
"I don't understand. What is happening? Who are they?" Aarav asked, his voice trembling.
Older Aarav grabbed a small device from the table—a round, silver disk no larger than a coin. He pressed it against the side of the wall. A soft hum filled the air, and suddenly the walls flickered, revealing lines of code and symbols glowing faintly beneath the surface.
"They're called Sentinels. They're not from this time—not really. They work for the ones who control the timeline. Their job is to stop anomalies. People like me. Like you."
Aarav's head spun. "But why? Why are they after us?"
"Because we don't belong here. And because we're trying to change what they've built." Older Aarav's eyes darkened. "That letter you found—the burnt one. That was the start of all this."
Aarav pulled it from his backpack. The paper felt heavier now, like it carried the weight of everything that had happened so far.
"I don't get it. How could you have written it? I just found it today!"
Older Aarav smirked grimly. "Time doesn't flow the way you think it does. Not anymore. Every choice, every moment branches out. And I've made choices you can't imagine. That letter—it was a gamble. I didn't know if you'd ever see it."
He walked to a small shelf and pulled down a metal box. From it, he took out a photograph. He handed it to Aarav.
The picture showed a woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile, holding a baby—Aarav as a toddler. Beside her stood a man who looked just like the older Aarav, except without the scar and the hardened gaze.
"That's... Dad?" Aarav whispered.
Older Aarav nodded. "Yeah. And she's the reason you can't trust anyone. Not even her."
Aarav stared at the photo. His mother looked so happy, so normal. How could she be part of any of this?
"I don't believe you," Aarav said, shaking his head. "She wouldn't—she couldn't."
"I didn't want to believe it either," Older Aarav said quietly. "But I've seen what she becomes. What they make her become."
A knock at the door—a single, deliberate tap.
Older Aarav froze. "They found us. We have to move."
He grabbed a small cylindrical object from the table. It looked like a pen, but when he twisted it, one end glowed with blue light.
"What's that?"
"A disruptor. It'll buy us a few minutes."
The door shuddered as something slammed into it from the other side. Older Aarav pointed to a trapdoor in the floor. "Go. Now!"
Aarav hesitated, heart pounding, then dove through the opening. His older self followed, pulling the trapdoor shut just as the outer door splintered apart above them.
They landed in a tunnel lit by dim, flickering lights. The air smelled of oil and rust.
"Where are we going?" Aarav asked.
"There's a safe house. One of the last. If we can reach it, I can explain everything."
They ran, footsteps echoing in the narrow space. The tunnel seemed endless, curving and branching like a maze. The pounding of their pursuers faded behind them, but Aarav knew it wouldn't be for long.
At last, they reached a heavy steel door. Older Aarav entered another code. The door slid open with a hiss.
Inside was a large chamber filled with equipment. Screens lined the walls, showing maps, data streams, and camera feeds of the city above. A massive table in the center displayed a 3D hologram of a machine—a sleek, intricate design that looked far more advanced than the one in the clock shop.
"The real time engine," Older Aarav said, noticing Aarav's gaze. "The one they built after they stole Dad's design."
"They? Who's 'they'?"
Older Aarav sighed. "The Dominion. A council that governs the timeline. They control everything—every major event, every decision that shapes history. And they'll do anything to keep that control."
"And Mom's part of it?" Aarav's voice was barely a whisper.
"She didn't start out that way. But they got to her. Twisted her. In this timeline, at least." He pointed at the hologram. "This machine—if we can get to it, we can reset things. Fix what went wrong."
Aarav shook his head. "I don't even know what went wrong!"
"You will." Older Aarav handed him a small device—a thin bracelet made of some kind of flexible metal. "Put this on. It's a chrono-band. It'll keep you anchored when we jump."
"We're going back?"
"Further than before. But this time, we plan the jump. Not them."
Before Aarav could respond, a warning siren blared. On the screens, figures in black suits appeared, closing in on their location.
"They're fast," Older Aarav muttered. "Too fast."
He raced to the control panel, fingers flying over the keys. A platform rose from the floor—circular, with strange symbols etched along its edge.
"Get on!"
Aarav stepped onto the platform. The older him joined, and together they braced as the machine powered up.
The room shook. A blast rocked the door as the Sentinels tried to force their way in.
"Coordinates set," Older Aarav said. "Kurukshetra. March 14th, 2091. The day it all began."
The platform glowed. Energy swirled around them, forming a vortex of light and sound.
The door burst open. Sentinels stormed in, weapons raised.
"Too late," Older Aarav said with a grin.
And then the world vanished.
The air was thick with smoke. Alarms blared. Aarav stumbled as he found himself in a massive facility—a place of metal walkways, giant gears, and vats of steaming liquid. Sparks rained down from a damaged ceiling.
"This is it," Older Aarav said, pulling him behind cover. "The Dominion's first time engine facility. The night they seized control."
Gunfire erupted nearby. Figures in heavy armor fought with rebels—men and women in tattered uniforms, wielding makeshift weapons and raw determination.
Aarav stared, overwhelmed. "What do we do?"
"We stop them from activating the core. Once it powers up, they lock the timeline. Every future event becomes theirs to dictate."
They moved through the chaos, sticking to the shadows. The older Aarav led him to a control room overlooking the engine—a monstrous machine of rotating rings and pulsing light.
Inside, a figure stood at the controls.
A woman.
Aarav's heart stopped.
"Mom?"
She turned, as if sensing them. Her face was harder than he remembered, eyes cold and calculating.
"Aarav," she said. "Both of you. I wondered when you'd come."
Older Aarav stepped forward. "You don't have to do this."
Her gaze softened for a fraction of a second. "I tried to protect you. Both of you. But the Dominion's vision is the only way to save humanity."
"They're using you!" Older Aarav shouted. "They don't care about humanity. Only power!"
"Enough," she said, and raised a small device.
Before Aarav could react, a surge of energy swept through the room, knocking him to the floor. The machine's core roared to life.
Older Aarav struggled to his feet. "We're out of time."
He grabbed a disruptor from his belt, aiming it at the core. "Get out of here. Now!"
"No! I'm not leaving you!" Aarav shouted.
But the older Aarav fired.
A blinding flash. A deafening roar.
And then—silence.
When Aarav opened his eyes, the facility was gone. The sky above was dark, filled with unfamiliar stars. The ground beneath him was cracked and barren. And in the distance, the faint outline of a city—ruined, lifeless.
Alone.
The chrono-band blinked on his wrist, displaying one word: RECALIBRATING...
Aarav stood, heart pounding.
Where—when—was he now?
And could he ever get back?