Dr. Arjun Rao rubbed his tired eyes in his messy lab. It was past midnight in Bengaluru, but he didn't care about sleep. His time machine—a big, buzzing pile of wires and glowing parts—filled the room. A small photo of his wife, Maya, sat on his desk. Her smile made his heart ache. "I'll fix it, Maya," he whispered. "I'll bring you back."
Three years ago, a mistake in this very lab took Maya away.
An explosion—his fault—stole her life. If he could make the time machine work, he could go back and save her. He turned a knob, and the machine hummed louder. Blue light flashed, and numbers danced on his computer screen. His heart raced. Maybe this time it would work. But then, the light faded. The machine went quiet. Another failure. Arjun slammed his hand on the desk, knocking over a cup of cold coffee.
Suddenly, a loud crack filled the air—not from the machine, but behind him. Arjun turned, his eyes wide. The air split open like a torn curtain, and purple light poured out, bright and strange. Before he could blink, someone stumbled through the glowing gap and fell to the floor. They looked human but not quite—skin shining like silver, wearing a flowing robe that moved like water. Their big eyes, glowing softly, locked onto Arjun, full of fear.
"Who are you?" Arjun yelled, grabbing a heavy wrench from his desk. His heart pounded. Was this a thief? A ghost? Something else?
The stranger raised shaky hands. "I'm Veyra," they said, their voice soft but scared. "I didn't mean to come here. This is a mistake." They glanced at the glowing gap, which was getting smaller. "They're chasing me. Please, help."
"Who's chasing you? What's that thing?" Arjun pointed at the light. He was scared, but his brain buzzed with questions. The purple glow felt alive, like it was connected to his machine.
"My world… Elyndra," Veyra said, standing slowly. Their robe shimmered in the lab's dim light. "It's not like here. In Elyndra, thoughts make things real. The Council—they control everything, even what we think. I ran from them, but my escape went wrong. I landed here." They took a step closer, and Arjun smelled something odd, like rain and flowers mixed together. "Your machine opened this door."
Arjun shook his head. "No way. This is a time machine, not a… a door to another world." But his computer showed weird numbers, matching the glow's energy. It wasn't possible, but it was happening.
Veyra's eyes softened. "You're Arjun. I know because in Elyndra, we hear thoughts. Yours are loud—full of sadness for Maya." They pointed at the shrinking gap. "Come with me. Elyndra has answers. Time works differently there. You could learn how to fix your machine… maybe save her."
"How do you know about Maya?" Arjun's voice shook. He looked at her photo, her smile pulling at him. This was crazy, but what if Veyra was right? What if Elyndra could help him change the past? The wrench felt heavy in his hand. The glowing door was closing fast, sparking like a fire.
"They'll find me soon," Veyra said, voice sharp with fear. "The Council. If they come here, your world could be in danger too. Please, Arjun, come with me."
Arjun's mind spun. He'd spent years chasing time, losing everything—his job, his friends, his hope. Now, a stranger from another world offered a chance. He thought of Maya, her laugh, her hand squeezing his during late nights in the lab. If Elyndra held even a tiny hope of saving her, he had to try. He dropped the wrench. It hit the floor with a loud clang.
"Okay," he said, his voice steady. He grabbed his notebook, stuffed it into his jacket, and faced the glowing door. Veyra nodded, their silver skin catching the purple light. Together, they stepped forward. The lab vanished as the door pulled them in, and everything went bright.
To be continued.....