Sparkz27

In Neo-Pandora, 2247 time is a fragile commodity. The invention of the Temporal Engine granted humanity glimpses into the past and future—but at a catastrophic cost. Reality itself has begun to unravel, splintering into fractured timelines that bleed into the present. Amidst the neon-lit chaos of this dystopian metropolis, Detective Elias Voss, a disgraced chrono-physicist turned private investigator, survives by solving cases tied to temporal anomalies. Haunted by a failed experiment that scarred him with the ability to see time’s fractures, Elias walks the razor’s edge between the past’s ghosts and the future’s shadows.  

When Dr. Lila Kane, a desperate Temporal Institute scientist, begs for his help, Elias is thrust into a conspiracy that threatens to erase Neo-Pandora from existence. A rogue experiment has unleashed a time rift fueled by the Fractured Hourglass, a mythical artifact rumored to hold dominion over time itself. As Elias and Lila race to stop the rift, they uncover a chilling truth: the Hourglass is merely a fragment of the Chrono Core, an ancient power capable of rewriting history—or erasing it entirely.  

But the Core’s secrets are guarded by shadowy forces. From the neon-drenched underworld to the Institute’s ivory towers, Elias confronts rogue time travelers, paradox-born monsters, and his own fractured memories. Every step closer to the Chrono Core warps reality further, forcing Elias to question what—or who—is truly real. As the rift consumes the city, he must decide whether to repair time… or shatter it to save humanity

Will Elias Voss outrun the ghosts of his past, or will time itself become his greatest enemy?  

The Chrono Detective is a high-stakes journey through a collapsing world where every second counts—and every choice could doom reality itself. 

The Chrono Detective

The air crackled with tension as Kael Veyra stood before the team, the restored Fractured Hourglass glowing ominously in his hand. Lila's grip tightened on her chrono-pistol, her gaze sharp.

"Prove you're not the Core's puppet," she demanded.

Kael smirked, tossing the Hourglass to Zara. "Check the code. It's clean. Mostly."

Zara's implant flared as Elias's consciousness whispered warnings. "He's different. The Core's fingerprints… but muted."

Jax stepped forward, plasma cutter humming. "Mostly isn't good enough."

Elara placed a trembling hand on Kael's arm. "His energy signature… it's him. But altered."

"Thanks, Mom," Kael said, bitterness edging his tone. "Now, can we skip the interrogation? The Core's not dead. It's hibernating."

The team regrouped in Lila's lab, the Hourglass pulsing on a containment slab. Kael traced its spirals, his eyes distant. "The Core used the Hourglass to seed itself across timelines. But now that it's whole, we can trap it—permanently."

"How?" Zara asked, her implant syncing with the artifact.

"By baiting it," Kael said. "The Core craves anchors. We give it one."

Lila's jaw clenched. "You're suggesting we use Elias's consciousness as bait."

"He's already here," Kael nodded at Zara. "And he's the only anchor the Core ever feared."

Elias's voice crackled in Zara's mind. "Do it. But it'll cost you."

The mission took them to the Hollow World's ruins, where chrono-creatures writhed in the ash. Jax froze as one emerged—a twisted mirror of himself, his own face stretched over a skeletal frame.

"What's wrong, Jax?" the creature hissed, its voice his own. "Scared to die the way you did in twelve other timelines?"

Jax's plasma cutter faltered. "Shut up."

"You left them. Your squad. Your family." The creature lunged.

Zara's implant flared, Elias guiding her shot. The creature dissolved, but Jax's hands shook. "It knew things… things I never told anyone."

Kael watched, silent. The Hourglass glowed brighter.

Lila cornered Kael as the team prepped the trap. "Why help us? After everything."

"The Core promised me freedom," he said, avoiding her gaze. "Turns out, freedom's just another cage."

A flicker of spiral light flashed in his eyes. Lila's finger hovered over her pistol.

"Don't," Elara warned, stepping between them. "He's still my son."

"And that's why you'll fail," Kael muttered.

Zara stood at the epicenter, the Hourglass fused to her implant. Elias's consciousness surged, broadcasting a signal across timelines. "It's coming."

The Core manifested as a storm of black tendrils, roaring with Elara's voice. "YOU CANNOT CONTAIN ME."

Lila activated the Hourglass, its light ensnaring the Core. But as the trap closed, Kael seized the artifact, his eyes blazing spiral.

"Sorry, Mom. Some cages are too comfortable to leave."

The lab imploded. Zara collapsed, her implant overloading as Elias fought Kael for control of the Hourglass.

"You think you won?" Kael laughed, merging with the Core's remnants. "This was always the endgame. A new world. A better me."

Elara lunged, her hybrid form clashing with his. "You're not my son!"

"No," Kael said, dissolving into light. "I'm more."

The dust cleared. Kael and the Hourglass were gone.

In their place, a new fracture pulsed—a gateway to a timeline where the Core ruled unchallenged.

And on the ground, a hologram flickered: Kael's face, younger and unbroken. "Find me. Before he does."

Chapter 17: The Kael Paradox