The laboratory trembled as warning sirens screamed without pause.
Rahul stood at the center of the fusion chamber, his body suspended in midair, surrounded by streams of crimson and silver energy. Before him floated the massive corpse of the Time Beast God, its shattered body radiating terrifying power even in death.
This is it, Rahul thought calmly. The final step.
He had sacrificed everything for this moment—years of research, countless lives, and even his own humanity. If the fusion succeeded, mankind would finally gain a weapon strong enough to survive the apocalypse.
Suddenly, the control panel flickered.
Rahul's eyes widened as he turned his head. Standing outside the chamber was the woman he trusted most—his wife. Her finger hovered over the emergency release, her expression cold and unfamiliar.
"Why?" Rahul asked, his voice barely audible through the barrier.
She did not answer.
The containment seals shattered. The Time Beast God's corpse began to glow violently.
Rahul felt time itself collapse around him.
In the next instant, the Laboratory exploded.