Chapter 10: The Failsafe’s Edge Part 1

Kai's eyes snapped open, the taste of blood sharp on his tongue. His head throbbed like it had been split open, and for a heartbeat, he couldn't remember where he was. The air was thick, choking with the scent of dust and something metallic, and the hum—that damn hum—pulsed through his skull like a second heartbeat. His paradox mark burned, a searing reminder of the chaos unfolding around him.

"Voss, move!" Lena's voice cut through the fog, sharp and desperate. She was somewhere to his left, her words half-swallowed by the scream of twisting time.

Kai scrambled to his feet, boots slipping on slick stone, his vision swimming as the chamber tilted. The failsafe loomed ahead—a towering figure cloaked in shadow, its form flickering like a broken relic, aging and rewinding in brutal waves. Its eyes glowed a dull red, locked on him, and with a slow, deliberate motion, it raised a hand. Time bent, the air warping, and Kai felt his body slow, his muscles locking as if trapped in tar.

"Shit," he muttered, gritting his teeth, forcing his arm to move. The mark flared, wild and uncontrolled, and time snapped back—he stumbled forward, barely dodging as the failsafe's hand swept through the space where he'd been standing. The stone floor aged beneath its touch, crumbling to dust in seconds.

Lena darted past, her dagger flashing as she slashed at the entity's side. It barely flinched, its cloak rippling like liquid shadow, and with a flick of its wrist, time twisted again. Lena's swing slowed mid-arc, her curse dragging into a low groan. The failsafe's other hand snapped out, grabbing her arm, and she screamed as her skin wrinkled, aging a decade in a blink.

"Get off her!" Kai roared, lunging forward, his mark blazing. He swung his fist, time accelerating around him, and connected with the failsafe's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, dust exploding outward, and the entity staggered back, releasing Lena. She collapsed, gasping, her hair streaked with gray, but alive.

"Nice hit, Voss," she panted, forcing herself up, her dagger trembling in her grip. "But it's not enough."

Markus hobbled forward, his cane cracking against the floor, his face pale and drawn. "It's tied to the stash—pure time's keeping it strong. We've got to break its link."

"Easier said than done," Kai muttered, wiping blood from his nose. The mark pulsed, hotter now, syncing with the hum in a way that made his head spin. He glanced around—the chamber was a wreck, cracks spidering across the walls, relic-light flickering erratically. Tali and the two remaining Fades—quiet woman and jittery kid—were huddled near the door, their faces pale with fear.

"Get back," Kai barked at them. "This thing's not playing."

But the failsafe wasn't done. It straightened, its form stabilizing, and the hum spiked—a scream now, piercing through the air. The ground trembled, and from the floor, relic-spikes erupted, sharp and jagged, thrusting upward like teeth. Kai dove to the side, narrowly avoiding one that shot up where he'd been standing. Lena rolled, her leg buckling as she hit the ground hard, a spike grazing her thigh.

"Damn it!" she hissed, blood seeping through her pants. "Voss, we're running out of time—literally."

Kai's heart pounded, his mark sparking wildly, and he felt it—a crack in the air, deeper than before. Time wasn't just bending; it was breaking. "Markus, how do we stop this thing?"

The old man's eyes darted to the pedestal behind the failsafe, where the pure time stash pulsed faintly through a barrier. "That lock—it's feeding the failsafe. Break it, and we might have a shot."

Kai nodded, dodging another spike as it thrust up from the floor. "Cover me," he shouted, sprinting toward the pedestal. Lena and quiet woman moved in tandem, slashing at the failsafe's legs, trying to draw its attention. It swung at them, time warping, but they ducked and weaved, their movements desperate but precise.

Kai reached the pedestal, his mark glowing bright, and slammed his fist into the relic-lock. Time shattered—hard, real, the chamber shaking violently. The barrier flickered, cracks spreading across its surface, and the failsafe roared, its form flickering faster, aging and rewinding in a frenzy.

"Almost there," Kai grunted, hitting it again, his knuckles splitting from the force. The lock groaned, relic-runes dimming, and with a final punch, it shattered. The barrier collapsed, and the failsafe froze, its red eyes dimming.

For a heartbeat, silence fell. Then the entity crumbled, dust spilling to the floor, its cloak falling empty. The hum softened, the stash's light pulsing steady now, unguarded.

Kai sank to his knees, gasping, blood dripping from his face. Lena limped over, her leg bleeding badly, and hauled him up. "You're a mess, Voss."

"Better than dead," he rasped, meeting her gaze. Markus approached, his cane tapping slower now, his breath ragged. "We did it—but the stash… it's still locked. There's one more barrier."

Kai looked at the pedestal, where a second, smaller lock glowed faintly. "Then we keep going," he said, voice steady despite the shake in his legs. "No stopping now."