Chapter 05: PARALLEL REALITY
Axel stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. Commander Elara Vex's finger tightened on the trigger, ready to end his father's life.
Time seemed to slow as Axel launched himself forward, desperate to save his father. But before he could reach them, Maya smashed the Chrono Code device beneath her foot.
The room erupted into chaos. A blinding light enveloped Axel, his senses reeling from the distortion. He felt himself being pulled apart and put back together again, his molecular structure rewritten by the device's destruction.
When the light faded, Axel stumbled backward, gasping for air. His vision blurred, then focused on a completely unfamiliar environment.
A desolate, ruined cityscape stretched out before him. The sky was a toxic yellow, and the air reeked of smoke and ash. Buildings lay in rubble, twisted metal and concrete debris scattered everywhere.
Axel's parents stood beside him, faces etched with worry and confusion.
"Axel, what happened?" Maya asked urgently, grasping his arm. "Where are we?"
Axel's mind struggled to comprehend their new surroundings. He looked around, taking in the devastation.
"I think... we're in the secondary timeline Commander Vex mentioned," Axel said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Elliot's eyes narrowed, scanning their surroundings. "One where Omicron won."
The harsh reality of their situation hit Axel like a ton of bricks. They had failed to prevent the catastrophic future – this was the world that would have existed if Omicron had claimed the Chrono Code.
The room erupted into chaos as Axel's family refused to back down. Commander Vex snarled orders at her agents, who moved to surround them.
Axel charged forward, taking down agents with swift kicks and punches. His parents joined the fight – Dr. Elliot Vaughn wielding a nearby fire extinguisher, Maya using her agility to evade attacks.
Commander Vex sneered at Axel. "You're a relic from a failed timeline, boy. You won't save them."
Axel landed a solid punch on her jaw, but she barely flinched. Enhanced augmentations, he realized.
Suddenly, Maya yelled, "The device is initiating self-destruct!"
A countdown timer appeared on the Chrono Code console: 60 seconds.
Commander Vex's eyes widened. "Stop it! We need that technology!"
Dr. Elliot Vaughn stood firm. "It dies with us."
Axel grabbed his parents, pulling them towards the door. "We need to get out – now!"
But Commander Vex blocked their escape, augmented strength pinning Axel back.
The countdown reached 30 seconds...
Since Chapter 4 was not completed, I will actually continue from the end of Chapter 4 and make this Chapter 5 with a minimum of 2500 words.
Axel stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. Commander Elara Vex's finger tightened on the trigger, ready to end his father's life.
Time seemed to slow as Axel launched himself forward, desperate to save his father. But before he could reach them, Maya smashed the Chrono Code device beneath her foot.
The room erupted into chaos. A blinding light enveloped Axel, his senses reeling from the distortion. He felt himself being pulled apart and put back together again, his molecular structure rewritten by the device's destruction.
When the light faded, Axel stumbled backward, gasping for air. His vision blurred, then focused on a completely unfamiliar environment.
A desolate, ruined cityscape stretched out before him. The sky was a toxic yellow, and the air reeked of smoke and ash. Buildings lay in rubble, twisted metal and concrete debris scattered everywhere.
Axel's parents stood beside him, faces etched with worry and confusion.
"Axel, what happened?" Maya asked urgently, grasping his arm. "Where are we?"
Axel's mind struggled to comprehend their new surroundings. He looked around, taking in the devastation.
"I think... we're in the secondary timeline Commander Vex mentioned," Axel said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Elliot's eyes narrowed, scanning their surroundings. "One where Omicron won."
The harsh reality of their situation hit Axel like a ton of bricks. They had failed to prevent the catastrophic future – this was the world that would have existed if Omicron had claimed the Chrono Code.
Axel's gaze fell upon a crumbling skyscraper in the distance, its remains bearing the faded logo of New Eden City's former government. A chill ran down his spine as he realized the true extent of Omicron's domination.
"This... this is what would have happened if we didn't travel back in time," Axel whispered, horror creeping into his voice.
Maya's grip on his arm tightened. "We must find a way back to our original timeline, Axel. This world is... dead."
Elliot nodded grimly. "Agreed. But first, we need to understand this reality. What happened here? How did Omicron gain total control?"
As they spoke, the sound of distant engines grew louder. Axel's heart sank as he saw a convoy of Omicron military vehicles approaching their location.
"Soldiers," Axel warned, pulling his parents into a nearby alleyway between ruined buildings.
They watched from shadows as the convoy halted nearby. Omicron troops poured out, scanning the area with ruthless efficiency.
One soldier spotted something on the ground near where Axel's family had stood moments before – a fragment of Maya's torn lab coat.
The soldier picked it up, eyes narrowing as he examined the fabric. Then, he spoke into his comms device.
"We have evidence of unidentified survivors in Sector 4. Requesting backup and Commander Vex's immediate attention.