Chapter 5: The Price of Changing Time
396 Words
Lyra could barely breathe.
Everything Orion had said felt impossible.
"The flow of time is beginning to break."
Those words echoed inside her mind.
She looked at him in disbelief.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Orion remained calm.
"The world follows a natural order. When something that should happen is changed, time tries to correct itself."
Lyra clenched her fists.
"So saving someone is wrong?"
For the first time, Orion's expression softened slightly.
"No."
"But changing fate always comes with a price."
The glowing crystal behind them pulsed once again.
Orion's silver eyes immediately became serious.
"We don't have much time."
Before Lyra could ask another question, Orion raised his hand.
A strange symbol made of silver light appeared in the air.
The ruins around them suddenly changed.
Images appeared one after another.
Broken cities.
Burning skies.
People disappearing like dust.
And in the middle of the destruction—
Cassian.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"No…"
The image vanished.
"What was that?" she whispered.
"A possible future," Orion answered.
"One of many."
Lyra's voice trembled.
"Then saving Cassian caused this?"
Orion shook his head.
"Not yet."
"But every change creates new paths."
"The greater the change, the greater the consequences."
Suddenly, Orion looked behind him.
His hand immediately moved to the sword at his side.
The air around them became cold.
Red eyes appeared within the darkness.
The same eyes Lyra had seen before.
A low laugh echoed through the ruins.
"So this is the girl who changed time."
Lyra stepped back.
The voice continued.
"Interesting."
"Very interesting."
Orion moved in front of her.
"Leave."
The red eyes narrowed.
"Still protecting the timeline, Guardian?"
Orion's voice became colder than ice.
"I said leave."
For several seconds, silence filled the ruins.
Then the red eyes slowly disappeared.
But before vanishing completely, the mysterious figure whispered:
"The Master is waiting."
"And soon…"
"He will bring her to him."
Everything became quiet again.
Lyra stared at the darkness.
"The Master?" she asked.
Orion slowly lowered his hand from his sword.
His expression was unreadable.
"I hoped we still had more time."
Lyra looked at him.
"Who are they?"
Orion closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he answered.
"The enemies of the Wraith Guardians."
"The beings who wish to control time itself."
And for the first time since meeting him…
Lyra saw fear in Orion's eyes.
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To Be Continued..
- Writer
