Lila kept staring at the shadow, her heart pounding in her chest. The formless figure loomed ominously, flickering like a broken projection between darkness and reality.
Mei, sensing the imminent danger, took a cautious step back. "Lila, on my count… run to the left."
Lila, confused, glanced at her. "Why… why left?"
Mei's voice turned sharp. "Just trust me! I can't afford to lose you too. On my count, run to the left!"
Lila swallowed hard. Mei had never sounded this desperate before. A lump formed in her throat, but she nodded.
"Three… Two… One… Now!"
Lila bolted to the left. The shadow twitched violently, attempting to activate its quantum speed, but something was wrong. It jerked erratically, unable to move. That's when Lila noticed—it was stuck. The edge of its shifting form clung to a billboard, locking it in place.
Seizing the moment, Lila grabbed Mei's hand and whispered urgently, "Quick! Look at it. Don't blink."
Mei exhaled and shook her head. "There's no need."
Lila turned to her, perplexed. "What do you mean?"
Mei tightened her grip on Lila's wrist, her eyes locked onto the immobilized shadow. "They lose all power when observed. Their movement is only possible when unseen. That's how they got Ryu and Kai."
Lila's stomach twisted. "But how do we bring them back?"
A painful silence settled between them. Mei lowered her gaze, as if the answer weighed on her soul. "I'll find a way."
Lila's pulse quickened. "Wait… Don't tell me…"
Mei's lips curled into a sorrowful smile. "It's the only way, Lila."
Lila's breath hitched. "No! Mei, that's insane! It could be a trap. What if I don't see you ever again?" Her voice broke, tears welling in her eyes.
Mei placed both hands on Lila's shoulders and leaned in. "I'm more powerful than you think. I will find a way. Trust me."
Lila shook her head, silent sobs escaping her lips.
Mei's gaze hardened as she focused on the shadow, still frozen in place. "We will see each other again, Lila." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Then she blinked.
The moment her eyes shut, the shadow lunged forward, its amorphous tendrils wrapping around her. A burst of crimson smoke erupted, engulfing Mei completely.
Lila stumbled backward, shielding herself from the choking haze. "Mei!!" she screamed.
But it was too late. Mei was gone.
Lila's legs felt weak beneath her. Her hands trembled as she clenched her fists. A piercing sorrow filled her chest, but she knew what she had to do. Wiping her tears away, she turned and ran back toward the sanctuary.
She had to protect the others.
Even if it meant losing Mei.
---
Past Timeline: Lingxi City
11:24 PM
Mei spun wildly, her body tumbling through a void of shifting colors and fractured time. A sharp sensation burned through her as she landed hard on the pavement.
She groaned, lifting herself up slowly and dusting off her clothes. Her vision blurred for a moment before settling on the dimly lit streets around her.
She recognized this place.
Lingxi City.
But something was wrong. The neon signs flickered strangely, their glow distorted as if reality itself was warping. A distant clock chimed, its sound elongated and eerie.
Then she saw them.
Kai and Ryu.
They were moving toward her, their expressions unreadable.
Mei's breath hitched. Her mind raced with questions. Are they from my timeline? Or could they be the past versions of Kai and Ryu?
She hesitated.
If she ran to them, would it disrupt the timeline? If these were her Kai and Ryu, everything would be fine. But if they weren't…
She clenched her fists.
I can't afford to make a mistake.
Kai's eyes widened. "Mei?"
Ryu quickened his pace. "You're alive!"
Mei took a cautious step forward.
The moment Kai touched her arm, pain shot through her entire body.
Her vision blurred. Her form began to dissolve into particles of light.
Kai's grip tightened. "No! Mei!!"
Ryu stumbled back, horror filling his expression. "What's happening to her?!"
Kai's face twisted with anguish. "She disappeared in my arms…"
Mei watched the scene unfold as if she were an outsider, her consciousness slipping between the cracks of time.
She whispered to herself, "My arrival in this timeline erased the original Mei… Interesting… But I still can't be certain if they are from my time or not. Jumping out there could be fatal for other timelines."
The city around her wavered, flickering like a dying flame.
She had crossed into unknown territory.
And she had no idea how to get back
----
Kai sat on the cold pavement, his heart aching as if a piece of him had been torn away. His fingers dug into the dirt, his breaths shallow.
Mei was gone again.
His mind reeled at the thought. He had just held her, and then—just like before—she vanished before his eyes.
Ryu placed a firm hand on Kai's shoulder, his grip steady but tense. "Uh… Kai, we have a bigger problem."
Kai turned sluggishly, his mind still clouded with grief, but the moment he followed Ryu's gaze, his blood ran cold.
A crimson shadow loomed in the distance, its form twisting unnaturally, tendrils of smoke bleeding into the air.
---
Somewhere unseen…
Mei stood frozen, her pulse hammering against her ribs. Her mind calculated every possible outcome.
If that thing touches them, it will fracture time itself.
Her hands curled into tight fists. She had already disrupted the timeline by existing here. If Kai and Ryu were their past selves, any interaction could trigger consequences beyond her control.
But she didn't have time to hesitate.
With a sharp inhale, she leapt out from the void, positioning herself between the shadow and the two young men.
A pulse of energy crackled around her as she extended her arms, shielding them.
Kai lifted his head, eyes widening in disbelief.
For a split second, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But then—he saw her.
"Mei… Mei… Is it really you?" His voice wavered, hope flickering like a candle in the wind.
Mei stood still, her face unreadable.
She didn't answer.
Then, without warning, a surge of power erupted from her palms. A burst of white energy blasted through the air, sending Kai and Ryu flying far from the forest.
---
The Sanctuary
Kai and Ryu crashed into the ground, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the earth. Dust swirled around them as they groaned, pushing themselves up.
Ryu coughed, rubbing his shoulder. "Kai… certainly that had to be Mei from our timeline, right?"
Kai sat still for a moment, staring blankly at the sky.
"I'm not so sure," he finally muttered. "I couldn't see her face. She didn't respond to me."
Ryu huffed in frustration and smacked the back of Kai's head. "Think for once, idiot!"
Kai shot him a glare, but Ryu continued.
"She was protecting you. She knew the risks, Kai. You've read about temporal laws—Mei is wise. She must have realized that her arrival erased the original Mei from this timeline. And if she thinks we're the past versions of ourselves, talking to us could alter history again."
Kai's breathing grew unsteady.
The weight of Ryu's words sank in.
Mei had been real.
It had been her.
His lips parted slightly, his mind replaying the moment over and over. The hesitation in her stance. The fear in her eyes.
She had been afraid of breaking time further.
Kai's heart clenched.
He shot up to his feet and ran toward the sanctuary's entrance.
"Mei!!"
Ryu groaned, shaking his head. "Idiot." But despite his words, he chased after
As they burst through the sanctuary doors, a figure lunged toward them.
Lila.
She threw her arms around both of them, clinging tightly as tears streamed down her face.
"I thought I lost you forever!" she sobbed.
Ryu patted her head awkwardly, his usual cockiness absent. Kai, still in a daze, gently pulled away.
Lila sniffled and wiped her face. "Where's Mei?"
The question struck like a dagger.
Silence fell over the room.
Lila's expression changed when she noticed the shift in their demeanor.
She turned to Kai, who sat down heavily on the floor, his shoulders slumped.
"She's gone," he said, his voice hollow.
Lila's breath hitched. "No… no, you're lying, right?"
Neither of them spoke.
A cold wind rattled the sanctuary's doors. The flickering candlelight cast long, distorted shadows on the walls.
Lila clutched her chest as a sharp pang of dread sank into her stomach.
Mei was truly gone.
Or worse…
Trapped.
The air in the sanctuary felt different. It wasn't just grief—it was the feeling of something being horribly wrong.
And deep in the shadows outside the sanctuary, something watched.
Something waited