The path of stardust shimmered under their feet as Kaelen, Nova, Lysara, and Seojun stepped forward, each heartbeat echoing louder than the last. The sky above twisted unnaturally, the sun spinning backward, casting long, fractured shadows that seemed to whisper forgotten secrets.
"Time bleeds," Lysara murmured, her voice barely audible. "I can feel the threads unraveling around us."
Nova adjusted her goggles, scanning the horizon. "The Source said the Locus of Time holds the key to restoring the era—but if time itself is unstable, every second here could be our last."
Kaelen gripped his blade tighter. "We don't have a choice. We press on."
As they advanced, the world began to distort—visions of alternate futures flickered like broken holograms: cities in ruins, people they once knew living different lives, and ominous shadows stalking the edges of their sight.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked open, revealing a swirling vortex of glowing sands—the bleeding hours spilling out like liquid light.
Seojun leapt back. "The vortex! It's pulling at reality."
Nova activated her device, sending out a pulse that momentarily stabilized the ground. "We need to cross before it collapses completely."
Lysara raised her hand, chanting an ancient incantation that wove shimmering threads into a fragile bridge over the vortex.
Kaelen led the way, heart pounding as the bridge trembled beneath each step.
Halfway across, a piercing scream cut through the air—the cry of lost time itself.
From the vortex emerged a figure clad in shifting shadows, eyes burning with temporal fury.
"Who dares to tread in the bleeding hours?" it hissed. "Turn back, or be swallowed by eternity."
Kaelen stepped forward, voice steady. "We are the seekers of the true time. We will not falter."
The shadow lunged.
The battle for time's fate had begun.