The lab's lights flickered, casting Mira's shadow long and thin across the floor. She stared at the anomaly's data on Linh's screen, her heart pounding in her chest. The shape in the threads—her childhood home—felt like a challenge. Or a warning.
Felix broke the silence. "That's not random. It's targeting you, Mira."
Linh glanced up, worry etched in every line of her face. "The pattern's stabilizing. Whatever this is, it's… waiting."
Arjun's voice was rough. "You said it took the shape of a name. Whose?"
Mira hesitated, the memory clawing its way up from the depths. The name echoed in her mind, sharp and cold: Elara.
She hadn't spoken it in years.
Kiran's eyes widened. "Who's Elara?"
Mira's lips pressed into a thin line. "Someone I failed. A long time ago."
The knot pulsed, and the lab's temperature dropped. For a heartbeat, Mira saw a flicker—a girl's silhouette, standing in the corner, eyes wide with accusation.
Felix shivered. "Is it… her?"
"No," Mira said, voice barely a whisper. "It's a memory. Or what's left of one."
Linh's fingers danced across her tablet. "The anomaly's growing. If we don't act, it'll breach the lab's defenses."
Arjun stood, determination in his eyes. "Then we face it. Together."
Mira nodded, swallowing her fear. "Prep the Chronocapsule. If the shadow wants my past, I'll meet it there. But I'm not going alone."
The knot's spiral deepened, threads of shadow and gold twisting tighter. The silhouette in the corner smiled, lips curling into something almost human.
As the team prepared for the dive, Mira steeled herself. This wasn't just about saving the tapestry anymore. It was about facing the ghosts she'd tried so hard to forget.
And somewhere, in the heart of the anomaly, the shadow waited—wearing Elara's face.