The lab was silent except for the rhythmic hum of the machines, now partially damaged from the strain of the regression. Maya sat slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the cracked screen of one of the monitors. Adrian stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the storm brewing outside.
Neither of them spoke for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, Maya broke the silence. "What do we do now?"
Adrian turned to her, his expression a mix of exhaustion and determination. "We go deeper."
Maya's eyes widened. "Deeper? Adrian, the Threads almost destroyed us. The Veiled One won't let us anywhere near the truth without fighting back. You saw what it did."
"I did," Adrian said, his voice steady. "And I also saw what it's hiding. That wasn't just history—it was a warning. Something happened in those forgotten timelines, something so catastrophic that it had to be erased. If we don't figure out what it is, we'll never understand why it's protecting those memories."
Maya shook her head, frustration flickering in her eyes. "And what if it's right? What if we're not supposed to know? Adrian, we barely made it out of there alive. This thing... it's not just some guardian. It's ancient and powerful. We're playing with forces we don't understand."
Adrian stepped closer, his voice was soft but insistent. "And that's exactly why we can't stop. You saw those timelines, Maya. Civilizations wiped out, entire worlds undone. What if it's happening again, right now, and we're the ones who can stop it?"
Maya looked away, conflicted. "Even if you're right... how do we even begin? The Threads collapsed the moment we got close. And the machines—"
"We rebuild them," Adrian said firmly. "Stronger, more stable. We've already gone further than anyone else ever has. We can do this."
The next two weeks were a blur of repairs and upgrades. Adrian and Maya worked tirelessly, pushing the NeuroRegression system beyond its original design. They installed additional stabilizers, reinforced the neural feedback loops, and created a failsafe to pull them out if the Threads began to collapse again.
During their breaks, they delved deeper into the writings of Elias Greaves. The mystic's fragmented accounts hinted at a hidden truth, but many of the passages were cryptic as if deliberately obscured.
One entry stood out:
"The Custodian is not the architect but the warden. It guards what should not be seen, but even it fears what lies beyond. Beware the echoes, for they carry the weight of all that has been lost."
"'The Custodian fears what lies beyond,'" Maya murmured, reading the passage aloud. "What does that mean?"
Adrian leaned over her shoulder, his brow furrowed. "Maybe it's not just protecting the Threads from us. Maybe it's protecting itself from something... bigger."
Maya shivered. "Something beyond the Threads? That's not exactly comforting."
Adrian sat back, rubbing his temples. "Whatever it is, it's tied to the echoes—the remnants of those forgotten timelines. If we can isolate one of them, we might be able to trace it back to its source."
Finally, the day came to test their upgraded system. The lab was a tangle of wires and monitors, the air thick with tension. Adrian and Maya took their places, the familiar weight of the electrodes grounding them.
"Are you ready for this?" Maya asked, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.
Adrian nodded. "Let's find out what The Veiled One is so afraid of."
Maya activated the system, and once again, the world dissolved.
This time, the transition was smoother. They found themselves back in the Threads of Aevum, the shimmering strands glowing brighter than before. The dark cluster of threads was still there, pulsing faintly in the distance.
But something was different. The air felt heavier, charged with an ominous energy. The Threads seemed... alive, as if aware of their presence.
Adrian reached out, his hand trembling as he touched one of the dark threads. Instead of collapsing, it unravelled, revealing a fractured memory.
They were plunged into the vision—a city bathed in golden light, its towers stretching toward the heavens. People moved through the streets, their faces filled with joy and purpose. But the scene shifted abruptly, the light fading as the sky darkened. Shadows engulfed the city, and a deafening roar echoed through the air.
In the chaos, Adrian saw The Veiled One, standing at the heart of the destruction. But it wasn't alone. Another figure loomed behind it—a being of pure light, its presence overwhelming.
The vision ended abruptly, and Adrian and Maya found themselves back in the Threads, gasping for air.
"What was that?" Maya whispered, her voice trembling.
Adrian shook his head, his mind racing. "That wasn't just a memory. It was... a battle. The Veiled One wasn't the destroyer—it was trying to stop whatever that thing was."
Maya looked around, her eyes darting to the shifting shadows. "If there's something worse than The Veiled One out there..."
Before she could finish, the air around them grew colder. The shadows coalesced, and The Veiled One appeared once more.
"You were warned," it said, its voice reverberating through the Threads. "You cannot comprehend what you have seen."
Adrian stepped forward, defiant. "You were fighting something. Something that threatens everything. Why hide it from us?"
The figure's shadowed form seemed to waver. "To know is to bring it closer. You have already awakened its gaze."
Maya's breath hitched. "What do you mean? What gaze?"
The Veiled One extended a hand, and the Threads around them began to tremble. "The Echoes were sealed for a reason. You meddle with forces beyond your understanding. Turn back, while you still can."
Adrian clenched his fists. "No. If this thing is a threat, we need to know how to stop it. Help us."
The figure was silent for a moment, its form shifting like smoke. Then, it spoke, its voice softer but no less menacing.
"There is no stopping it. There is only a delay. And you... have hastened its arrival."
Before Adrian or Maya could respond, the figure dissolved, and the Threads began to unravel around them.
They awoke in the lab, their breaths ragged, their bodies trembling. The machines around them sparked violently, and the room was plunged into darkness.
"What did it mean?" Maya whispered, her voice barely audible. "Hastened its arrival?"
Adrian stared at the faint glow of the mark on his arm. "It means whatever's coming... it's already on its way."
And in the shadows of the lab, something stirred.