Chapter 1: The DiscoveryEvelyn
Carter stood in the dimly lit lab, the hum of machines echoing around her. Charts and equations plastered the walls, evidence of years spent chasing a dream that felt increasingly elusive. She was on the brink of something monumental—a device designed to breach the very fabric of reality.
As she adjusted the dials, her thoughts drifted to her brother, Jamie, lost in a car accident two years prior. She had always believed that somewhere, in some dimension, he might still be alive. The idea consumed her, fueling countless sleepless nights.
"Evelyn, you really think this is safe?" Liam Rhodes leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a teasing grin on his face. He was her only friend in the lab, a mechanic who could fix just about anything—except, perhaps, her obsessive drive.
"Safe? No. But it's necessary," she replied, her voice steady. "I'm so close. This could change everything."
Liam's expression shifted, seriousness replacing his usual levity. "You know there are risks. What if it doesn't just lead to another dimension? What if it takes you somewhere dangerous?"
Evelyn waved him off, focusing on the console. "I have to try." With a final twist of the dials, the machine whirred to life, casting a blue glow across the room.
A rift began to form, a swirling vortex of colors that defied comprehension. Evelyn felt a thrill of anticipation. She stepped forward, heart racing, but Liam grabbed her arm.
"Wait! We should—"
Before he could finish, Evelyn took a deep breath and plunged into the rift.