Chapter 1: Anomalies and Revelations
Zenia’s heart raced as her feet pounded against the treadmill in the gym of the Intergalactic Kaizen School. The sleek metallic walls of the gym reflected the ambient light, casting an ethereal glow as the treadmill whirred beneath her. Sweat trickled down her temple, but her gaze was fixed on the holoscreen ahead, where a news bulletin played in front of her.
"Time anomalies continue to spread across Earth," the news anchor reported, his voice tense. "Citizens report loops and glitches in their daily routines, disrupting everything from transportation to communications. Experts remain baffled, unable to determine the cause of these strange occurrences."
Zenia frowned but kept her pace, her toned muscles moving with fluid precision. "Not my problem," she muttered under her breath. "That’s just not my problem."
“It's very much your problem,” a familiar voice echoed from behind her.
She didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Jarvien, her friend and fellow gifted student, appeared casually in the corner of the gym, his arms crossed over his chest. His entrance was so seamless, so natural that it was easy to forget that just seconds ago, he hadn’t been there at all.
“Hello, Jarvien,” Zenia greeted, though she didn’t stop running. “I haven’t heard from you since the Ice Galaxy. What brings you here?”
“I’ve been busy,” Jarvien replied nonchalantly, his eyes scanning the holoscreen that still flashed updates on the chaos happening back on Earth.
“So, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?” Zenia asked, her tone playful but edged with curiosity.
“The attacks,” he answered bluntly, “are related to you.”
Zenia stopped running. She let out a deep sigh before jumping off the treadmill, her boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. “Great, just what I needed,” she said with sarcasm dripping from her voice. “I suppose I’ve been assigned for a mission then. What do I have to do?”
Jarvien extended his hand to her, his expression serious but calm. “Come with me.”
She raised an eyebrow, but after a moment of hesitation, she took his hand. In an instant, the world around her dissolved into pure energy.
They landed in a place Zenia had never seen before, and yet, it felt as if the very essence of the cosmos itself surrounded her. The landscape was ethereal, an enchanting realm bathed in soft moonlight. Rivers of shimmering light flowed beneath their feet, plants of impossible colors swayed gently, and the ancient castles that towered in the distance looked like something pulled straight from legend.
It was always night here, with constellations of stars hanging low in the sky, their peaceful blue hues mixing with sparkles of white. The mystical place was Jarvien’s realm. His Quantum Realm.
“Where are we?” Zenia asked, eyes wide as she took in the surreal beauty around them.
“My realm,” Jarvien replied. “I created it.”
“Impressive,” she said, her awe barely concealed. She turned in place, marveling at the intricacies of the Quantum Realm’s design. The very air hummed with cosmic energy, like the pulse of the universe itself.
“Shh,” Jarvien hushed her softly, stepping forward. “Watch.”
A shimmering portal, rippling with energy, materialized in front of them. It was like looking through a window into another world. Cyber Planet XYZ appeared on the other side, a planet she recognized from galactic records, a hub for technological advancement and innovation. But what they saw through the portal was far from a peaceful scene.
Inside the facility, Commander Divus, leader of the Intergalactic Military, moved with silent precision through the shadows. Dressed in black with a mask covering half his face, his dark eyes scanned the area as his men followed closely behind. He was tall, muscular, a figure of unwavering command.
In his hand, he held a sleek, high-tech gun, ready for anything. But what he found at the center of the facility made even him pause in shock. Floating above the ground was a pulsating orb of electric blue energy. It crackled with cosmic force, lighting up the room with a strange, otherworldly glow.
“What is that?” Zenia whispered, eyes narrowing.
Divus removed his mask, revealing a look of disbelief. He quickly picked up his communicator, dialing a number.
“Kenny, it’s Divus. I think I’ve found the primordial source of your power,” he said in urgency. “This is urgent. Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”
As he placed the blue energy into a black containment box, he signaled for his men to follow him. They moved quickly, leaving the room in a tense silence.
Zenia crossed her arms, unimpressed. “I don’t think this has anything to do with me.”
Jarvien’s eyes flicked toward her, and with a slight wave of his hand, the portal remained open. “Keep watching,” he said, his tone unreadable.
The moment Divus and his soldiers were gone, another group entered the facility. They moved silently, like shadows, cloaked in dark hoods. At first glance, they appeared human, but as they turned, Zenia noticed something unsettling. Their hands gleamed as though covered in metal, and their eyes, reptilian and cold, glinted in the dim light.
One of the men, larger than the others, spoke in a deep, guttural voice. “We must capture King Norman’s daughter,” he said. “She is the key to that which we seek.”
Zenia's breath hitched. The leader’s words rang ominously in her mind. King Norman's daughter. Her.
The portal closed abruptly, leaving them in silence.
“Now do you see?” Jarvien asked, turning to face her.
Zenia took a deep breath, her heart heavy with the weight of realization. “Looks like it is my problem after all,” she muttered, her voice tight.
Jarvien stepped closer, his face calm but filled with resolve. “Not to cause any alarm but we also have to stop them before they tear apart the fabric of reality itself.”
Zenia’s jaw tightened. She had known there was something brewing, but this was far bigger than she’d imagined.
“I’m in,” she said.
Chapter 2: The Chronomancers
The shadowy expanse of the Chronomancer lair stretched before Aethelwulf, hidden beneath the surface of an ancient, desolate moon. His heart raced, not from fear, but from the sheer magnitude of the mission at hand. The Chronomancers, beings who could manipulate time itself, had emerged from the deepest reaches of the universe, wielding technology so foreign, so advanced, that not even the most brilliant minds of The Cosmos could comprehend it. Not even Jarvien, with all his quantum powers, could recognize its origin.
Aethelwulf, disguised by a simple yet effective black eyepatch and a nondescript uniform, stepped into the base. His combat boots echoed against the metallic floor, blending in with the murmurs of rogue hackers and strange alien beings that filled the dimly lit chamber. He was here to gather intelligence, but he knew one misstep would mean certain death. These Chronomancers were not mere enemies. They were gods of time, hell-bent on rewriting history itself.
Their plan was terrifying in its audacity: to erase the cosmic deities, including Adam and Eve, from the timeline, preventing the creation of mankind. Aethelwulf’s chest tightened as he processed what that would mean. A universe without humanity. A universe without Zenia. He pressed forward, his senses heightened.
A hologram projection flickered in the centre of the room, displaying a distorted image of the past. Massive Chronomancer beings stood in a circle, their robes trailing like shadows, their faces obscured by hoods. Above them, a swirling vortex of temporal energy crackled with power. Time loops, glitches, and anomalies. They were responsible for the chaos that had begun to plague Earth.
"They want to rewrite the beginning," Aethelwulf muttered under his breath, piecing together the fragmented information he'd overheard. "They're planning to stop the creation of all life."
Suddenly, a figure approached from the far side of the chamber. Aethelwulf stiffened, his hand moving instinctively to the hidden blade strapped to his side. The figure was tall, draped in a black cloak, their face concealed by a mask. But there was something off about this one. A hacker, no doubt, yet not fully aligned with the Chronomancers. There was a tension in their steps, a secrecy in the way they moved.
"You don't belong here," the hacker whispered as they stepped closer, their voice modulated by the mask. "But I won't expose you."
Aethelwulf’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
The hacker hesitated for a moment before pulling back their hood. Beneath the mask was a face familiar to Aethelwulf—one he had seen only in secret archives of the Intergalactic Military. Pale skin, dark eyes, and an aura of mystery. The hacker was one of the rogue quantum engineers of the Intergalactic Military thought to be long gone. But why was he here, among the Chronomancers?
"You’re here for answers, just like I was," the hacker said, his voice calm but intense. "But the truths you'll uncover are darker than you think. The Chronomancers aren’t just rewriting time. They're searching for something. Or rather, someone. Someone tied to the beginning of all this."
Aethelwulf’s thoughts raced. “Who? What do they want?”
The hacker looked around, lowering their voice even more. “Zenia Norman. Her origins are more complicated than you know. They think she holds the key to undoing the existence of the Chronomancers.”
Aethelwulf’s blood ran cold. Zenia? Linked to the Chronomancers? It made no sense. She was powerful, yes, but how could her existence threaten an ancient race that controlled time itself?
"Why her?" Aethelwulf demanded, barely able to contain the storm of emotions rising within him.
"The Chronomancers believe that she’s not just a product of the cosmos, but a direct descendant of primordial forces. From her mother's side, she’s tied to the first generation of mankind. From her father’s side, she's tied to the first spark of life on Earth. The very aspects that the Chronomancers want to erase. If they succeed in rewriting that history, Zenia, her power, and everything connected to her will vanish." The man said.
Aethelwulf’s mind spun. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let Zenia, couldn’t let humanity be erased from time. His eyes hardened, his mission clearer than ever.
Before he could speak, the room trembled. The air around them rippled with raw temporal energy, a signal that the Chronomancers were about to activate their next phase. Their type of time manipulation was ancient. It was real, tangible, and about to be unleashed. The lair’s walls shifted, the lights dimming as the Chronomancers chanted in a strange, ancient language.
“All hail, ancient pendulum of Neith. Grant us the power to control time as we speak.” The chronomancers chanted as they looked at a painting of Ziz Neith- Lilith Neith's earliest ancestor. They seemed to be in possession of a rare technology that Ziz Neith had used to control time.
The hacker turned back to Aethelwulf, urgency in their gaze. “You have to go. Now.”
But it was too late. From across the room, a group of Chronomancers locked eyes on Aethelwulf. One of them raised a hand, and time itself seemed to freeze. The sensation was overwhelming, like being suspended in thick air, unable to move or breathe.
With sheer force of will, Aethelwulf fought against the time freeze, his body trembling with the effort. His disguise had been blown, and now he was face-to-face with the very beings who could tear apart the universe.
With a burst of strength, he broke free from the temporal hold, drawing his blade in a fluid motion. But there was no way he could fight them all right there. He needed to escape and warn Zenia.
The hacker stepped between him and the Chronomancers, buying him a precious few seconds. "Go!" they shouted.
Aethelwulf didn’t hesitate. He turned on his heel, sprinting toward the exit as the lair collapsed into chaos. The Chronomancers' voices echoed behind him, filled with fury and power. But he couldn’t stop. Not yet.
As he soared away from the moon, the weight of his discovery pressed down on him. Zenia was in danger. The entire galaxy was in danger. And the Chronomancers wouldn’t stop until they had rewritten reality itself.
As the stars blurred past his ship, Aethelwulf knew one thing for certain: the battle for time had only just begun.
Chapter 3: The Truth
Zenia and Jarvien stood side by side in the Quantum Realm, the stars and planets swirling in the eternal night sky above them. After what they had just witnessed through the Quantum Watching Portal, their next move was clear. They had to find Aethelwulf. His mission, whatever it had uncovered, had put him in serious danger. They needed answers. And fast.
"Can you track him?" Zenia asked, her voice steady, though her mind churned with worry.
Jarvien nodded, his eyes narrowing as he concentrated. "It'll take a leap, but I can sense his quantum signature. He’s on Cyber Planet XYZ."
Zenia felt a rush of adrenaline. "Then let's go."
Jarvien grasped her hand. The world blurred and folded around them as they Quantum Leaped through space-time. In an instant, the serene and ethereal beauty of the Quantum Realm disappeared, replaced by the sleek, metallic skyline of Cyber City on Cyber Planet XYZ. The city stretched endlessly before them. Towers of gleaming chrome and digital interfaces flickered across the streets like living advertisements. Above, sleek hover cars zipped by in the bright neon haze.
“Let’s split up,” Jarvien suggested, scanning the crowded streets below them. “I’ll find Santino. Find Aethelwulf.”
Zenia nodded and leapt from the roof of the building they had appeared on, landing gracefully on the street below. Her bio-hacked muscles absorbed the impact, her landing light as a feather. She didn’t waste any time. Her senses were sharp, finely tuned to Aethelwulf’s presence.
As she rounded the corner, she saw him. There he was, tall, imposing, his blonde hair catching the light of Cyber City’s neon glow. His blue eyes and flushed pink cheeks accentuated his defined jawline. Zenia instantly relaxed, a wave of ease flowing over her as she looked at him. Aethelwulf was in the midst of a conversation with a tall man, Santino, a brilliant strategist known for his intellect in both technology and warfare.
Without a second thought, Zenia sprinted toward him. “Aethelwulf!”
His head snapped up just in time to see her barreling toward him. Zenia threw her arms around him in relief. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Aethelwulf smiled, his hand resting gently on her back. “You too. I was worried.”
Not far from them, Jarvien had spotted Santino and greeted him with the same enthusiasm, pulling him into a tight hug. The reunion was brief, but amidst the turmoil of The Cosmos, every moment of peace felt like a victory.
But their reprieve didn’t last long.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the air. “It ends here.”
The four of them turned as a group of quantum hackers approached, led by a tall, menacing figure draped in dark, flowing robes. His eyes gleamed with the unsettling glow of pure temporal energy. Behind him, a dozen Chronomancers materialized, their presence warping the very air around them.
The leader stepped forward, his voice laced with menace. “We’ve been waiting for you, Zenia Bizunesh-Norman.”
Zenia raised her eyebrows and looked around sarcastically before asking: “I'm sorry, do I know you?”
The Chronomancer leader smirked. “No. But we know everything about you. You carry two bloodlines of those we were created to destroy.”
Zenia’s pulse quickened. “What are you on about?”
As the rogue hackers readied their weapons and the Chronomancers manipulated time to shift the battlefield, the leader’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “You don’t know the truth of your lineage, do you? You, Zenia Bizunesh-Norman, are the descendant of not one, but two powerful bloodlines. Ziz Neith, the ancient warrior king, created us to hunt your ancestors down and erase their very existence from history.”
Zenia’s stomach dropped. Ziz Neith, A warrior had been a legend, known for eliminating the greatest threats to his rule. But why had he targeted Zenia’s bloodline? What did he fear?
“Great. And I thought I had enough opps already.” Zenia whispered to herself. “Can't I catch a break? How am I supposed to move forward with my training when The Cosmos is this crazy?”
“Ask your father, King Norman. He knows,” the Chronomancer leader taunted. “But first, you’ll have to survive us.”
“Okay, blah blah blah, yada yada yada. You know what, I really hate small talk. I don't do well with chit chat. Let's get this over with, shall we?” Zenia said as she stretched and prepared for combat.
With a flick of his wrist, the battle began. Time itself fractured as the Chronomancers unleashed their temporal powers. Around them, reality bent and twisted, as soldiers blinked in and out of existence, their movements erratic and disjointed. Quantum hackers fired bursts of energy at the group, forcing them to scatter.
Zenia felt the pressure of time warping around her, trying to freeze her in place, but she pushed back. Something inside her stirred, an untapped well of power. She could feel her bio-hacked cells vibrating at a faster pace, reacting to the energy around her. She clenched her fists, focusing on the sensation. Her body was adapting.
Aethelwulf was already deep in the fight, moving with brutal efficiency as he disarmed several hackers and sent them sprawling. Santino used his technological prowess to hijack the enemy’s tech, turning their own devices against them. But it was Jarvien’s time manipulation that kept them one step ahead, his Quantum Leaping allowing him to dodge attacks before they even happened.
Zenia, however, was something else entirely.
As a group of rogue hackers charged at her, she focused her bio-hacking abilities, forcing her muscles to harden and expand. Her strength surged beyond anything she had ever felt before. She lunged at the attackers, her fists colliding with their armored suits, shattering them like glass. One by one, they fell, unable to match her raw power.
But it wasn’t enough. More Chronomancers appeared, their time manipulation throwing the battlefield into chaos. Zenia’s vision blurred as reality itself began to tear apart, but she gritted her teeth and pushed forward. Her body was changing, faster than she could comprehend, but she knew this was her only chance to stop them.
With a roar, Zenia unleashed a new extent of her bio-hacking abilities. Her skin shimmered with a metallic sheen as her cells hardened into titanium-like scales. She charged at the Chronomancer leader, her fists glowing with raw energy. As she reached him, time slowed to a crawl. The leader sneered, raising his hand to stop her.
But Zenia was faster.
With a single, devastating punch, she shattered the leader’s temporal barrier. His eyes widened in shock as her fist connected with his chest, sending him flying across the battlefield.
Zenia stood there, panting, her heart racing. The battlefield fell silent, the remaining hackers and Chronomancers retreating into the shadows.
But the leader’s words echoed in her mind. Her lineage. Ziz Neith. What did it all mean? She had no time to think about it, but the questions lingered in her mind.
Aethelwulf approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
Zenia nodded, though her mind was far from settled. “I’m fine. But this isn’t over.”
Jarvien and Santino joined them, the four of them stood together as they watched the shiny constellations above the Cyber City sky.
The End.
Comentários