The warehouse loomed ahead, a dark silhouette against the city's glowing skyline. The air was thick with anticipation as Aria and Elias dismounted the bike and approached cautiously, their footsteps barely audible on the cracked pavement. The closer they got, the more Aria could feel the familiar hum of the temporal distortion, like an electric current pulsing through the air.
Elias pulled out his scanner, his expression serious. "The anomaly's at its peak. We'll have a narrow window to gather the data before it destabilizes."
Aria nodded, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. "And the Tribunal?"
"They'll be here soon. They usually monitor all major anomalies." His eyes flicked to hers. "We need to move fast."
Aria followed him as they slipped through a side entrance, the metallic door creaking open. Inside, the warehouse was a maze of crates and machinery, shadows stretching long under the dim emergency lights. The hum of the anomaly grew louder, vibrating through the floor.
"Over here." Elias gestured, leading her toward the source of the distortion—a glowing rift suspended in mid-air. It shimmered, warping the space around it. The air was cold, and the pull of the anomaly tugged at Aria's senses, making it difficult to keep her balance.
She pulled out her own equipment, setting up the device to record the energy signatures. "This one's more unstable than the last."
Elias adjusted his scanner, his face tense. "Yeah. The Tribunal's pushing the limits—they're testing how much they can bend before time snaps."
Aria's eyes flicked to the rift, her mind racing with questions. "Why would they risk that?"
"Power," Elias replied. "If they can control larger anomalies, they can rewrite entire events—change the course of history on a massive scale."
She shivered, not just from the cold. "And the people caught in the distortions?"
He hesitated. "They're collateral damage."
The thought made her stomach twist. All the faces on the wall back at the safehouse—people lost, erased, or trapped in distorted timelines. And Mara was one of them. "We have to stop them."
"We will." Elias's voice was firm, and for a moment, she saw a glimmer of sincerity beyond his usual playful mask. "But we need evidence—something we can use against them."
As they worked, the rift pulsed, growing brighter. The energy levels on her device spiked, and the scanner in Elias's hand flashed red. "It's destabilizing faster than I thought," he muttered. "We've only got minutes."
Aria moved quickly, recording the readings and capturing data. But as she scanned, she noticed something on the other side of the rift—a figure, barely visible through the distortion. Her heart skipped a beat. "Elias, look."
He followed her gaze, squinting at the flickering image. The figure seemed to shift in and out of focus, but the longer she stared, the more familiar the outline became. "No way… is that—"
"Mara," Aria breathed, her eyes widening.
The figure on the other side was hazy, but there was no mistaking the silhouette. Her sister, standing alone, reaching out as if she was trapped behind an invisible barrier. Aria's pulse quickened, and she instinctively moved closer to the rift.
"Wait, Aria!" Elias grabbed her arm. "It's too unstable. If you get too close—"
"I have to," she insisted, her voice filled with urgency. "It's her. She's trapped in there."
Elias's grip tightened, and she saw the conflict in his eyes—between wanting to protect her and the fear of what the Tribunal could do if they interfered. "We'll find another way. But if you go through now, you might not come back."
She hesitated, her hand hovering near the edge of the distortion. The energy pulsed, and for a moment, Mara's face became clear—a look of fear, her eyes locked onto Aria's.
"I can't leave her," Aria whispered, the pain of ten years' worth of searching and grief pressing down on her. "She needs me."
Elias's expression hardened. "And I need you to stay alive. We don't know what's on the other side of that rift."
Just as he spoke, the warehouse doors slammed open, and a flood of light poured in. Aria's head snapped around as she spotted Tribunal agents pouring into the building, weapons drawn. "We've got company."
"Damn it," Elias muttered, pulling her back. "We need to get out of here."
"But Mara—"
"We can't help her if we're caught." His voice was firm, the urgency clear. "Trust me."
Aria's eyes darted between the rift and the approaching agents, her heart tearing in two directions. She clenched her fists, the reality of the situation crashing down on her. As much as she wanted to save Mara now, she knew Elias was right. They were out of time.
"Fine," she said, but the words tasted bitter.
Elias's eyes softened, and he squeezed her hand briefly before letting go. "We'll come back for her. I promise."
Aria nodded, even though doubt gnawed at her. They turned and sprinted toward the side exit, the Tribunal's shouts echoing through the warehouse as the agents closed in. The rift behind them pulsed, sending out a shockwave that rattled the walls and caused crates to topple over.
They ducked behind a stack of crates as a beam of light shot past them, narrowly missing Aria's shoulder. "They're getting closer!" she hissed.
Elias glanced at the route ahead, calculating their next move. "We'll take the back exit. It's risky, but it's our best shot."
Aria followed him, adrenaline coursing through her veins. They weaved through the maze of crates, the hum of the rift growing louder as the distortion intensified. Aria's eyes flicked back to the pulsing light, hoping for one last glimpse of Mara, but the figure had vanished.
"Almost there," Elias said, pulling her around a corner.
Just as they reached the exit, an explosion rocked the building. The rift sent out a shockwave of energy, tearing through the walls and sending debris flying. Aria stumbled, the force knocking her off balance, but Elias caught her arm, pulling her to safety just as a chunk of the ceiling crashed down behind them.
They emerged into the cold night air, their breaths visible in the chilly mist. The warehouse groaned, the walls buckling under the pressure of the collapsing rift. They sprinted for cover, ducking behind an old transport vehicle as the building crumbled.
Aria's chest heaved as she caught her breath, her eyes still fixed on the warehouse. "We were so close."
Elias's hand rested on her shoulder. "We'll get another chance."
She shook her head, the frustration and fear building inside her. "You can't promise that. And what if she's lost for good?"
Elias didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at her with a seriousness she rarely saw in him. "I know it's hard. But we have to be smart about this. The Tribunal's always one step ahead."
Aria's eyes locked onto his. "Then we'll take two steps."
His lips curved into a grin, though there was a hint of sadness behind it. "Now that's the spirit." But before he could say more, his scanner beeped, the screen flashing. "We need to move. They've scrambled reinforcements."
"Of course they have," Aria muttered, her resolve hardening. "Let's go."
They mounted the bike and sped off into the night, the city lights blurring as they raced away from the chaos. Aria clung to the hope that this was only the beginning, that somewhere out there, Mara was still waiting for her.
But in the back of her mind, the nagging fear remained—what if the Tribunal knew more than they let on? And what if Elias was still keeping the biggest secret of all?