Jack sat on the cold metallic floor, his mind racing. The battle had ended, but his presence in this advanced facility raised more questions than answers. The tall woman who had spoken earlier stepped closer, her gaze sharp. "Who are you?" she asked, her tone cautious but intrigued.
Jack took a deep breath, steadying himself. "My name is Jack Halstead. I'm... from the past. I think. I don't even know anymore. I was in the Ice Age, then I found a portal... and now I'm here."
The soldiers exchanged glances. The woman sighed, lowering her weapon completely. "This isn't the first time something—or someone—has come through," she admitted. "You might have just unlocked something much bigger than you realize."
Jack frowned. "What do you mean?"
She motioned for him to follow as she led him through the enormous chamber. They passed rows of high-tech consoles and holographic screens displaying complex diagrams. Jack caught glimpses of what looked like star charts, maps of unknown locations, and images of creatures that resembled the Ice Age beasts but appeared... altered.
"This facility was built to study the anomalies," she explained. "We've been tracking these rifts in time for years. But until now, we've never had a living human come through one. You're proof that these portals don't just bring things forward—they send people back too. That means... you might have a way home."
Jack's heart skipped a beat. "You can send me back? To my time?"
The woman hesitated. "Maybe. But it won't be easy. The portal you activated was unstable. If we open another, we have no guarantee it'll take you to the right place."
Jack exhaled sharply. He had finally found a path forward, but the risk was immense. He thought about the tribe he had left behind, the life he had built in the Ice Age. But he also thought of his own world—the one he had lost. If there was even a chance he could return, he had to take it.
"I have to try," he said firmly. "I don't belong here."
The woman nodded. "Then let's get to work."
Over the next few hours, the team worked frantically, recalibrating the portal, inputting calculations, and running simulations. Jack watched as the chamber's energy built once more, the same swirling light forming in the center of the room. The moment of truth had arrived.
"Once you step through, there's no guarantee you'll land exactly where—or when—you came from," the woman warned. "But if your timeline is still intact, you should feel a pull toward your own reality. Trust it."
Jack nodded. He took one last look around the futuristic facility, memorizing the faces of those who had helped him. Then, with a deep breath, he stepped forward into the swirling light.
Time bent around him once more. The sensation of falling gripped him, twisting and pulling him in all directions. Then, just as suddenly as before, he was crashing onto solid ground.
Jack gasped, the air feeling colder than it had in the facility. He lifted his head, taking in his surroundings. The towering mountains, the frozen river, the crisp scent of snow. He knew this place.
He was back.
But something was different. In the distance, he saw figures emerging from the ice-covered forest. They were human—but not the primitive kind he had lived with before. They were dressed in strange clothing, carrying weapons he didn't recognize. And they were looking straight at him.
Jack swallowed hard, realizing that his journey wasn't over yet.
It had only just begun.