Chapter 12: The Failsafe’s Edge Part III

Kai stood before the dome, the pure time stash pulsing beneath it, its light casting long, jagged shadows across the chamber. His mark flickered, weaker with every beat, but the hum from the stash kept it alive—kept him alive, even as his body begged to collapse. Blood crusted his face, his knuckles split and raw, and Mara's whisper—"You can't pay it back"—was a constant ache in his chest, pushing him forward when he had nothing left.

Lena leaned against the wall, her leg a bloody mess, her dagger still up despite the shake in her hand. "We're down to bones, Voss," she rasped, her voice rough. "You sure this is worth it?"

"It has to be," Kai said, his tone steady despite the tremor in his legs. "For Mara—for all of us."

Markus hobbled closer, his cane scraping the cracked mosaic, his breath a wet rattle. "That dome's the last stand. Syndicate's final trick—break it, and we've got the stash. But it won't go easy."

Quiet woman nodded, her gray hair falling into her eyes, her knife steady despite her aged frame. "We've lost too much to back off now."

Tali stayed slumped by the door, her frail hands clutching her broken relic, her whispers barely audible—prayers or pleas, Kai couldn't tell. She was fading, and they all knew it.

The rumble beneath the floor spiked, a deep, grinding roar, and the dome flared—yellow light pulsing, runes glowing brighter. Kai stepped forward, the mark sparking, and the air thickened—time stuttering again, his movements slowing, then snapping back with a jolt that nearly dropped him.

"It's fighting us," he grunted, flexing his hand, the mark glowing faint but fierce. "Like it knows we're here."

"Cause it does," Markus said, his eyes dark. "That's no ordinary lock—it's alive, tied to the stash. Syndicate didn't just guard it; they made it think."

"Perfect," Lena muttered, pushing off the wall, her limp dragging her pace. "So we kill it."

Kai nodded, moving closer, the hum syncing with his mark, pulling him in. He raised his fist, but before he could strike, the dome pulsed—a wave of force blasting out, knocking them back. Kai hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop, his head ringing. Lena cursed, sprawling beside him, her dagger skittering across the floor. Quiet woman staggered, catching herself on the wall, while Markus fell, his cane clattering away.

The dome shifted, its surface rippling, and a form emerged—not an echo, not the failsafe, but something new. It was humanoid, but wrong—its body flickered, half-formed, relic-runes etched into its skin, glowing yellow. Its eyes were empty, voids of light, and when it spoke, its voice was a chorus of grinding metal: "Time ends here."

"Another damn guard," Kai spat, dragging himself up, the mark flaring brighter. "We've got this."

The entity moved—fast, too fast—its hand snapping out, time warping around it. Kai dodged, but the air aged where it struck, stone crumbling to dust. Lena lunged, her dagger slashing, but it caught her wrist—her arm grayed, aging fast, then snapped back as she yanked free, gasping.

"Hit it together!" Kai shouted, charging with quiet woman at his side. She swung her knife, cutting deep, dust spilling, while Kai's mark-lit fist smashed into its chest. The entity staggered, its form flickering, but it swung back—time twisting, quiet woman slowing mid-step, her hair whitening fully before she broke free, cursing.

Markus scrambled for his cane, shouting, "The dome—it's powering it! Break the source!"

Kai nodded, dodging another strike, the mark sparking wildly. "Cover me—again!" Lena and quiet woman moved, slashing at the entity's legs, drawing its focus. It roared, time bending, but they held it—barely.

Kai reached the dome, his mark blazing, and slammed his fist into it. Time shattered—the chamber shook, cracks blasting across the dome's surface, yellow light dimming. The entity froze, its form unraveling, and with a second punch, the dome collapsed, shards raining down. The entity crumbled, dust and echoes fading into silence.

The stash pulsed free now, unguarded, its white-hot light filling the chamber. Kai sank to his knees, gasping, blood pooling under him. Lena limped over, her arm trembling, and hauled him up. "You're insane, Voss."

"Still here," he rasped, meeting her gaze. Markus approached, frailer than ever, his cane tapping a slow beat. "We've got it—the stash. But it's not over."

Kai looked at the pure time, its hum steady now, and felt Mara's ache sharper than ever. "No," he said, voice low. "It's just beginning."