The First Crack
Aria didn't sleep.
She sat on the edge of the narrow bed in the safehouse, arms wrapped around herself, staring at the dim glow of the city bleeding through the reinforced window. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same image—rain pouring down, sirens screaming, blood spreading beneath her body.
"You're spiraling."
Kieran's voice came from behind her.
She didn't turn. "You say that like it's optional."
He moved closer, stopping a few steps away. "You need rest. Your brain just experienced temporal displacement without protection."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" she asked dryly.
"No," he said. "It's supposed to keep you alive."
She finally looked at him. His jacket was gone now, sleeves rolled up, faint scars visible along his forearms—thin, precise, like memories carved into skin.
"How many times?" she asked quietly.
He frowned. "How many times what?"
"How many times have you watched me die?"
The silence that followed was answer enough.
Aria swallowed. "Tell me the truth. All of it."
Kieran exhaled slowly and leaned against the wall. "The first time, it was an accident. You didn't know the Council had reactivated Project Chronos. You thought you could fix the instability alone."
"And the other times?"
"You tried different approaches. Different safeguards. Different allies." His jaw tightened. "Same ending."
Her chest ached. "So why is this time different?"
"Because this time," he said, "you saw me."
She stilled. "What does that change?"
"In previous timelines, I arrived too late. Or you never trusted me." His eyes met hers. "This is the first time you ran."
A sharp knock echoed through the building.
Both of them froze.
Kieran's hand went instantly to the concealed weapon at his side. "Stay here."
Another knock—firmer this time.
Aria's pulse spiked. "You said this place was safe."
"It was," he replied, already moving toward the door.
A familiar voice drifted through the walls. "Aria? It's me."
Her breath caught.
"Luna," she whispered.
Kieran turned sharply. "You know her?"
"She's my best friend," Aria said, already on her feet. "She wouldn't betray me."
His expression darkened. "That's what you said last time."
She stared at him. "What?"
Before he could answer, the door's security panel flickered.
Luna's voice trembled slightly. "Aria, please. They're asking questions. I told them you panicked and ran. I don't know how long I can hold them off."
Aria stepped toward the door. "She's scared."
Kieran blocked her path. "So were you. That didn't stop them."
"You don't get to decide who I trust," Aria snapped.
His voice dropped. "I do when trusting the wrong person gets you killed."
Her hand hovered over the door panel.
"If this is a trap," she said, "then it's already too late."
She opened the door.
Luna stood there, eyes wide, hair disheveled, breathing hard. Relief flooded her face when she saw Aria.
"Oh my God," Luna breathed. "You're alive."
For one heartbeat, everything felt normal.
Then Aria noticed the faint red light blinking behind Luna's ear.
Her blood turned to ice.
Kieran moved instantly—too late to stop the signal, but fast enough to pull Aria back as the light flared bright.
Luna's eyes filled with horror.
"I didn't know," she whispered. "They said it was just a tracker—"
The air outside crackled.
Drones descended from the sky, lights blazing.
Kieran dragged Aria deeper into the room as alarms screamed to life once more.
"This," he said grimly, "is the first crack in tomorrow."