Lyra fell through a hole in time.
Not forward. Not backward. Sideways.
She landed in a vast hall with no ceiling. Books floated in the air, pages whispering each possible future.
"The Library Between Seconds," a voice said.
It was a librarian with no face. Just a timepiece where its head should be.
"You have one question," it said. "Choose wisely."
Lyra looked around. A book hovered near her. It was titled: The End of Damien Virelli.
She touched it.
The pages exploded open.
Words burned into her skin.
She saw it all:
The betrayal.
The first ChronoCore ignition.
Damien's pact with the When Below.
The child not yet born who would end everything.
Her voice cracked. "How do I stop this?"
The librarian's clock-head ticked twice.
"You don't. You survive it."