Shadows Between Time

The Heart of Darkness Beneath Tempus City

The tunnels beneath Tempus City stretched on like the veins of a dead beast, winding through the earth in a network of decay and forgotten history. Corroded pipes lined the walls, some leaking a thick, oily substance that smelled of rust and stagnation. The dim emergency lights overhead flickered at irregular intervals, casting jagged shadows that seemed to move on their own.

Leon adjusted his grip on the Temporal Regulator strapped to his belt, the metal cold against his fingertips. Something was wrong here. The air wasn't just thick with dust and humidity—it carried a weight, a pressure, as if time itself was compressed in these tunnels, bending, folding in on itself.

Selene walked ahead of him, her steps sharp and deliberate, a blade in motion. Even in this oppressive darkness, she moved like she belonged, her body always poised for a fight.

"You sure this is the right way?" Leon asked, his voice barely above a murmur.

Selene didn't slow. "Would you rather turn back?"

Leon exhaled through his nose. There was nothing to go back to.

A faint static hissed in his earpiece. Mira's voice cut through the silence.

"I don't like this," she muttered. "I'm picking up weird fluctuations ahead. Something's off."

Leon shot a glance at Selene. "Define 'weird.'"

"Chrono Corp has tech that bends time in small doses—controlled anomalies. This?" A pause. "This isn't small. Whatever's ahead of you is warping reality like a bad rendering. Like the whole damn tunnel is… flickering."

Leon's jaw tightened. Great.

Selene slowed her pace. She ran her fingers along the wall, stopping at a rusted metal panel half-buried in grime. Numbers were carved into the surface—barely visible but unmistakable. Coordinates.

"This is it," she murmured.

Ahead, the tunnel curved into darkness deeper than any natural shadow. The walls were no longer cracked concrete and steel but something else. Something smooth. Almost organic. Faint lines pulsed beneath the surface, like circuitry embedded in living tissue.

Leon's stomach twisted. He felt the distortion now—full force.

The air shuddered. The ground beneath his feet skipped, just for a second—like a film reel with missing frames.

Then—

A sharp, metallic click.

A pinpoint of red light bloomed against his chest.

Leon barely had time to curse before the shadows moved.

The Hunter's Ambush

Figures emerged from the darkness—silent, fast, precise. Their movements were too smooth, their formation too disciplined. These weren't ordinary mercenaries. Chrono Corp agents? No. Too fluid. Too practiced.

Leon's fingers twitched toward his belt, his pulse hammering.

Then—

A voice.

Smooth. Confident. Amused.

"You really should be more careful where you step, Chronos."

Leon turned toward the sound.

And there he was.

Kael Voren.

He stood at the center of the group, at ease despite the tension coiled in the air. Golden eyes gleamed under the dim lights, reflecting just a touch of amusement. His black coat, lined with silver trim, draped over armor-plated fabric, its edges worn from use but unbroken. Unlike the men surrounding him, he didn't carry a weapon.

He didn't need one.

Leon exhaled through his nose. "Kael."

Kael smirked. "Didn't expect me so soon?"

Selene shifted slightly, just enough that Leon noticed. She was tense.

"You're in our way," she said flatly.

Kael let out a soft chuckle. "No, sweetheart. You're in mine."

His smirk faded just a little as he studied them.

"I'll be honest, I was hoping you'd be smarter than this," he continued. "Hacking Chrono Corp's mainframe? You practically painted a bullseye on your backs. Now their trackers are swarming my city, and I don't appreciate the mess."

Leon clenched his jaw. "If you're here to turn us in, just get it over with."

Kael laughed—a low, easy sound, like this was all just a game to him.

"Please. If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking." He motioned to his men. "Search them."

The moment one of them reached for Selene, she moved.

Fast.

Her hand snapped forward, catching the man's wrist mid-motion. A heartbeat later, she drove her elbow into his ribs—sharp, calculated, brutal. The agent gasped, stumbling backward into the wall.

Another lunged for Leon.

Leon didn't hesitate.

He let the chrono energy surge through him, static crackling through his veins.

Time buckled.

For the briefest moment, the world lagged. The attacker froze mid-motion, his body suspended as if caught between seconds, his eyes locked in startled confusion.

Then, the pressure snapped, and the man staggered backward, disoriented.

Silence.

Kael's remaining men lifted their weapons, fingers poised over the triggers.

But Kael?

Kael laughed.

"Damn," he murmured. "I was hoping for a show, but that was even better."

Leon straightened. "We need access to the Rift Nexus."

Kael arched a brow. "Oh? And why should I help you?"

Selene didn't blink. "Because if you don't, Chrono Corp will come for you next."

Kael considered this. Slowly, he tilted his head.

Then—he sighed, rolling his shoulders.

"You two really have a way of making my life difficult," he muttered.

Finally, he gestured down the tunnel behind him.

"Alright, Chronos." His smirk returned, lazy and sharp.

"Let's talk."