I stood in the center of the Nexus facility, my fingers trembling slightly as I adjusted the settings on the quantum convergence engine. The hum of the machinery echoed in the sterile room, the soft glow of control panels reflecting off the polished steel walls. A thick, pulsing tension filled the air, heavy with anticipation. This was it—the culmination of years of research, decades of experiments. Today, we were about to do the impossible.
"Kael, are you ready?" The voice of Director Eryx came through the intercom, stern and composed as always.
I nodded without turning, though I knew he couldn't see me. "Ready."
The room was eerily quiet, save for the low hum of the quantum field generator. I had been through countless tests, countless simulations, but this? This was real. This was the first true test of Nexus's ability to manipulate alternate realities, to break the boundaries of time and space itself.
The countdown began.
"Five... four... three..."
The air seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on my chest. My breath hitched, a sense of unease creeping over me. Something wasn't right. My fingers paused over the console. My heart pounded, and for a split second, I wondered—did I really understand what we were about to unleash?
"Two... one..."
I hit the final key.
In an instant, the quantum engine flared to life, the entire facility vibrating with the force of its energy. A blinding light filled the room, and I felt the sharp sting of electricity coursing through my body. It wasn't supposed to feel like this. It was supposed to be controlled, refined... safe. Yet, the surge of power was overwhelming. The light intensified, flooding every corner of the room, twisting reality itself. I clenched my fists, trying to ground myself, to steady the chaos that was quickly spiraling out of control.
Then, a violent crack split the air.
A deafening bang reverberated through my skull. My body was slammed against the wall, my vision flickering, colors warping as though the very fabric of reality was tearing apart around me. I gasped, but there was no air—no air to breathe. It was as though I was being pulled in every direction at once.
And then, it was silent.