Chapter 1

The Key to the Past

Eve stepped into the crumbling city, clutching the metallic keycard that seemed to hum faintly in her hand. The city was quieter than usual, its usual chaos dulled, as though the world held its breath. Her eyes scanned the alleyways, her senses heightened. The watch on her wrist pulsed faintly with the same eerie blue light as the keycard, a rhythm she couldn’t ignore.

She rounded a corner and stopped in front of a nondescript building, its exterior covered in years of grime and graffiti. A series of faint scratches on the doorframe caught her attention, forming a pattern that matched the edges of the keycard. This was the place.

The keycard buzzed in her palm as she approached. She held it to the door, and with a sharp click, it swung open.

The workshop was a stark contrast to the decayed streets outside. Gleaming metal surfaces and complex machinery lined the walls, humming faintly as if waiting for her. In the center of the room was a raised platform with a large console, its screens flickering to life the moment she entered.

Eve moved cautiously, her footsteps echoing. She approached the console, her fingers brushing against its smooth surface. Before she could examine it further, a mechanical voice startled her.

“Welcome, Eve. I’ve been waiting.”

Eve spun around, her eyes landing on a small, floating sphere emerging from the shadows. The sphere was no larger than a soccer ball, its polished surface reflecting the blue light of her watch. A soft glow emanated from a single lens-like eye at its center.

“I’m Tempo,” the sphere said, its voice warm yet robotic. “Dr. Harrow entrusted me with guiding you.”

Eve blinked, her grip tightening on the keycard. “Guiding me? Guiding me where?”

Tempo hovered closer, its lens focusing on the watch. “That device on your wrist is not just a watch; it’s a temporal anchor. It allows you to travel through time, but only with the right conditions. My role is to teach you how it works—and to communicate with the other realm.”

“The other realm?” Eve asked, frowning.

Tempo tilted slightly, as if nodding. “Those who hold the key to powering the watch. I am the bridge between this world and theirs. They invest their time—literally—to fuel your journey. Without their contributions, the watch remains dormant.”

Eve stared at Tempo, the words sinking in. It sounded absurd, but after everything she’d experienced since finding the watch, absurdity felt like the new normal.

“So… this watch lets me jump through time?”

“Yes,” Tempo replied, “but it’s not limitless. Each leap requires a precise amount of temporal energy. Right now, we have enough for short bursts. The more significant the mission, the greater the cost.”

Eve paced, her mind racing. “And these… people, this other realm. Why would they help me?” Tempo’s lens gleamed. “Because they believe in the mission. They know the stakes. Your world—our world—is on the brink of destruction. Dr. Harrow saw it coming and dedicated his life to reversing it. You’re here to finish what he started.”

Eve stopped pacing, her gaze locking onto Tempo. “Why me? He didn’t even know me.”

Tempo hesitated. “Didn’t he?”

The question hung in the air, sending a chill down Eve’s spine. She thought of Harrow’s dying words—I’m glad it’s you. There was a familiarity in his eyes that she couldn’t place, as if he’d known her far longer than she’d known him.

Shaking off the unease, she turned back to Tempo. “Okay. What’s next?”

Tempo emitted a soft beep, and the console behind her came to life, projecting a glowing timeline into the air. “Next, we prepare. The timeline is fragile, and every adjustment carries risks. But first, we must gather more time. The watch needs fuel before you can make your first leap.”

“And how do we do that?” Eve asked.

Tempo’s lens glowed brighter. “By reaching out to the other realm. They’re watching, waiting. If they believe in you, they’ll provide the time we need. Until then, this workshop will be our sanctuary.”

Eve exhaled, her resolve hardening. The weight of the watch on her wrist felt heavier now, its glow steady and insistent. She didn’t fully understand what she’d been drawn into, but she knew one thing: the world was broken, and this might be her only chance to fix it.

“Fine,” she said. “Let’s get to work.”