Chronicles of the Fractured Hourglas

Keeper's warning echoed in their minds-once you open the door to truth, you cannot close it. The words weighe

She buzzed excitedly in the air, her wings catching the light as she circled him. "

don't understand, Lila. This isn't just about finding

wer, and all that. But hey, without the key, we can't even

g. He had already made up his mind. The truth had to come out, whether they were ready or not. The key felt warm in his palm,

ttered under his breath, more

of liquid, and the air hummed with an otherworldly energy. Lila darted closer, h

l made contact, the air around them crackled with energy. The ground trembled, and the room shifted violently as i

!" Cedri

them both in its intense glow. The force of it knocked them off their feet

in a desperate attempt to stay aloft. "What i

his eyes from the blinding light. "It's the

ld around them slowly came back into focus. But it wasn't

was split in two, one half bathed in eternal daylight, the other plunged into a never-ending night. The gro

its silhouette dark and imposing against the strange sky. The air was thick

ly as she hovered closer to Ce

tly, his eyes scanning the landscape. "This is

d been hidden from them all along. A timeline where the hourglass had been shattered long before they even

uttered, his voice filled with grim determinatio

ough the air as she zoomed toward the looming structure in the distance. Cedric followed,

y ground seemed to pulse with an unnatural rhythm. The closer they got, the more the air see

ive," Lila said, her voice tinged wi

ning to every timeline. Betrayal. Time has been manipulate

, the massive doors creaked open, revealing the dark, empty halls inside

" Lila said, hovering at hi

e need to know what's inside. We

they moved, strange whispers filled the air, too faint to understand but still unsettling.

e center. But there was no one sitting upon it. Instead, the throne was empty, and scattered around it

his voice low and tense. "T

expression grim. "What

edestal that stood beside the throne. Upon it rested a book-ancient, weathered, and

he air around them seemed to shift again, a

sed, low and menacing. "Y

ervously behind him as she looked around, but there was no sign of

d, his voice steady despite t

with malevolent amusement. "I am the one who shaped thi

It was a voice he had heard in his nightmares. Th

Cedric w

h his spine. "Ah, you remember. How quaint. Bu

Cedric. "Wait, Astrid? You mean the witch? B

one of disbelief. "No, Lila. Astrid's been

. she's helped us! She's the one who gave us

dric said, his voice cold. "She's b

der, until it echoed off the walls, fi

thought you were the one pulling the strings, but in reality, it was always me. I've k

und his staff. "You've been

rner of the room, Astrid materialized. Her silver hair shimmered

with disdain, "I need the hourglass. I need the power to r

ing in confusion and disbelief. "You...

id you really think I'd help you j

anor replaced by an edge of anger. "So all the help, all the

ila, it was never about trust. It was about control. It was about making sure y

stration. "You've been using us. All of us. All this time, you've been plannin

don't understand, do you Cedric? You think you kno

hot forward. "I'm no one's pawn, you hear me? You've been

u are. You see, Cedric," she said, turning her attention back to him, "I was never meant to be the Guardian.

betrayed the Hourglass Guardian

ne is nothing. Not when you have the power to manipulate time itself. With the Chrono Gem, I can rewr

n planning to rewrite everything? To control the wor

bout being a Guardian. It's about power.

ounding the throne. "But you've destroyed the timelines. Y

's not broken, Cedric. It's malleable. I can

ic of time. She had been playing them both, guiding them toward a trap where she could finally seize the Ge

steel to it that hadn't been there bef

. "You think y

sharp and bitter. "You must

darkened. "You don't

"You've been manipulating the timelines for your own benefit. But we're not go

ls were watching, waiting to see what would unfold. The distant echoes of time rang louder in the chamber, resonating wit

Cedric. "Do we

g. "We have to. If we don't stop her, she'll rewrite

me's ticking, and we're

"You don't understand. You never did. You're too

in front of her like a storm cloud ready to burst. The ground shook beneath t

ing a betrayal-they were up against a force

om. Cedric was thrown back, crashing into the walls with a grunt. Lila barely manag

c roared, strug

shadow. She was no longer the woman they had traveled wi

nted, her voice echoing through the chamber. "

s glowing with an ethereal light. "I don't think so!"

air, like it had never existed. The power radiating from her was

r gaze cold. "You think you can stop me with your fee

t, his voice steely. "We'll fight

smirk. "Very well, Cedric.

ckled with energy as Astrid began to manipulate time itself. Cedric and Lila were suddenly surrounded by

aw a future where he and Lila were alone, the world around them shattered, the timelines lost. He could feel th

ed. "What

d's voice came, distorted by the swirling chaos.

ng pull of alternate timelines making it

d with determination. "We won't. I

time-warping energy. He shouted an incantation, summoning th

for a brief moment, the distortions stopped. Cedric and Lila sto

ou think you can fight me? You'r

member us," Lila said, her w

. And he was willing to fight until the last breath, to