Ethan didn't look back. There was nothing left behind him—only the future they were about to rewrite. The Origin Vault was the key. If they could reach it, if they could disrupt the loop at its core, the Time Loop Bank's entire system would collapse. No more controlled timelines. No more erasures. No more resets.
Cassandra moved first, shutting down the terminal and erasing all traces of their presence. Lyra pulled up a secure channel, her fingers moving fast over her wrist console. "I've mapped an infiltration route. Security checkpoints cycle every three minutes. If we time it right, we'll have a narrow window to bypass the upper clearance zones."
Ethan studied the layout. "And after that?"
Lyra exhaled. "After that, we improvise."
Cassandra smirked. "Sounds familiar."
They left the substation behind, slipping through the ruins undetected. The old district faded as they moved toward the city core, the air shifting from abandoned silence to the controlled hum of an empire built on time. The skyline loomed ahead, massive structures pulsing with artificial energy. At the center of it all, the Time Loop Bank's main complex.
Lyra adjusted her console. "We enter through the lower maintenance sector. It's off-grid, barely monitored. Once inside, we make our way to the underground transit hub."
Ethan nodded. "That gets us close. But getting into the Origin Vault is another problem."
Cassandra's voice was even. "That's why we're going to steal a clearance code."
Ethan arched a brow. "From who?"
Cassandra's smirk returned. "A ghost."
Lyra frowned. "Meaning?"
Cassandra pulled up a file on her portable drive. A name flashed across the screen. Aiden Cross.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He had seen that name before. A former high-ranking analyst for the Time Loop Bank. Officially marked as erased.
Cassandra's voice was calm. "He's supposed to be dead. But the system still registers his clearance as active. That means someone inside kept his access open. And if we can find him, we find our way in."
Lyra muttered under her breath. "So we're hunting a dead man."
Ethan's pulse remained steady. "Good. That means no one else will be looking for him."
Cassandra's gaze sharpened. "Then we find him before they figure out why we need him."
The plan was set. No second chances. No resets.
This time, they would break the loop permanently.