The light rain turned into a damp mist as Edward and Zeco arrived before the mouth of the Eastern Cave. The cave lay on the edge of a small forest, surrounded by ancient trees whose twisted branches curved like waving hands in the darkness. Above them, the wind stirred the leaves with a rustling sound—too soft, too orderly, as if something were holding its breath, waiting for their arrival.
The glow of the 1920s city sky could barely penetrate this far. What remained was only a dark, cold passage that seemed to beckon them inward.
Edward held a small lantern. Its yellow light danced across the cave walls, revealing ancient carvings that could no longer be read.
"Zeco…"
Edward's voice was low.
"You already know your task."
Zeco steadied his breathing, his tail stiffening. "Take the first artifact. Don't die. Don't get eaten. Simple."
"And stay quiet," Edward added.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Zeco puffed out his small cheeks. "But if something moves, I run first, then think later."
Edward suppressed a smile, though his face remained tense.
The Cave Corridor and the Breath of the Past
They went deeper. The air grew cold, like a room filled with ice slowly melting. The stone walls were damp, releasing droplets of water that fell like a frozen hourglass.
At several points, a faint blue light seeped from cracks in the rock—like glowing veins, pulsing slowly.
"This… isn't an ordinary cave," Edward murmured.
"Obviously not," Zeco replied. "Normal caves don't make sounds like ngg… nggg… nggg, like a hungry stomach."
They stopped.
Because the sound was real.
A low, vibrating noise—like something breathing from within the darkness.
Edward clenched his fist. From his fingertips, small shards of white light emerged—like floating glass fragments, slowly rotating in the air.
"Stay close to me," he said.
Zeco swallowed. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm very fond of my life."
They moved again.
At the end of the long corridor, a greenish glow appeared. The chamber beyond was vast—the cave ceiling opened like a giant dome, with green crystal stone growing from the floor and walls.
And at the center of the chamber…
Stood a stone altar.
Upon it lay a green gem the size of a human hand—the Chronite Seed—pulsing slowly like a living heart.
Zeco whispered, "That's it…"
But before he could step forward, the ground trembled.
A sound emerged from the darkness on the opposite side of the chamber.
"Krrrhhhh…"
Edward stepped back half a pace.
From the shadows, something moved.
Not running.
Not walking.
But… crawling, with twisted legs like bones assembled incorrectly.
It emerged from the darkness—a black humanoid figure, with four long arms, skin covered in open wounds dried like burnt flesh. Its head had no eyes—only empty cavities pulsing like holes in time. Its mouth gaped wide, filled with jagged, irregular teeth.
The creature sniffed the air.
Inhaled.
And turned its head directly toward Edward and Zeco.
Zeco trembled. "Edward. That… that isn't human."
Edward straightened his posture. "That's a Vortelo. A man-eating mutant. Mid-rank."
The Vortelo emitted a low growl.
"Kkrrrr… meaaat… tiiime…."
And it LUNGED forward.
Battle of Shattered Time
Edward swung his arm instantly. Shards of time—glowing glass-like fragments—exploded into existence, embedding themselves into walls and floor, then assembling into a formation before him.
"Zeco! To the altar! NOW!"
"I'M NOT READY!!" Zeco screamed as he ran with shaking legs.
The Vortelo swung its four arms at Edward. Its movements were fast—unnaturally so. Edward dodged, but one arm released a sharp gust that tore through his jacket.
"Attack without touching…" Edward inhaled sharply, his eyes gleaming.
"—Fractura Tempus."
All the time shards ignited.
In an instant, they fired thin lines of white light that sliced through the air. Not energy. Not lasers.
They were temporal pressure—fragments of seconds crushed and hurled forward.
The light struck the Vortelo's arm—and WOOOSH!
The limb decayed within a single second, then crumbled into dust.
The Vortelo thrashed, screaming like metal bells scraped with a blade.
But it did not retreat.
It grew even more feral.
It ran, its body bending like a giant spider, and leapt at a speed that even Edward could barely perceive.
BAMMMM!
The Vortelo slammed into Edward's time formation. The shards exploded, cracks spreading through the air like shattered glass in empty space.
Edward was thrown against the stone wall.
"UGH!!"
The Vortelo turned, targeting Edward again.
Zeco and the Chronite Seed
Meanwhile, Zeco had reached the altar.
He stared at the green gem—shimmering, warm, emitting a sound like a heartbeat.
"Alright… just grab it… quickly…" Zeco lifted his front paw.
But the gem suddenly vibrated.
Green light burst forth, forming ancient symbols in the air.
Zeco screamed, "WHY DOES EVERY ARTIFACT HAVE TO BE SO DRAMATIC?!"
He gathered his courage, lunged forward, and—
GRABBED THE GEM.
The entire chamber rippled.
A wave of green energy spread outward.
The Vortelo stopped attacking Edward and roared in rage like a creature robbed of its prey.
Edward pushed himself up, clutching his chest. "Zeco! Get out of there, now!"
Zeco hugged the gem tightly. "I'M TRYING TO STAY ALIVE HERE!"
The Decisive Battle
The Vortelo charged Edward again, now far more savage. Its scream pierced the air as its body swelled, black veins erupting like rotten roots bursting through its skin.
Edward brought his palms together.
Time shards gathered above his head—dozens, then more—growing brighter and brighter.
"Alright… then…"
He drew a deep breath.
"—Requiem of Shattered Seconds."
WHOOOM!
All the time shards moved at once.
They spun around the Vortelo, forming a spiral of white light that grew tighter, faster, hotter. The air distorted, sound fractured—the chamber seemed to be pulled backward and forward in time simultaneously.
The Vortelo screamed as its body was lifted into the vortex.
"Graaaaa—!"
In the final second—
BOOM!
The spiral exploded into a white flash.
When the light faded, the Vortelo collapsed onto the floor—half its body reduced to dust, the rest shriveled like flesh dried in an instant.
The creature clawed at the air with its remaining arm.
Kkk… tiiime… esccaaapee…
Then its body fully collapsed, leaving only a dark stain on the floor.
Silence.
Only Edward's breathing and the pulse of the Chronite Seed remained.
"E-Edward!" Zeco called, carrying the large gem. "I did it!"
Edward smiled weakly. "Good… very good."
Zeco climbed quickly onto Edward's shoulder, still hugging the gem like a baby. "Please tell Liora my survival bonus should be higher than this."
Reunion with Liora
As they moved to leave the cave, a silver light appeared at the entrance—calm, gentle, yet powerful.
Liora emerged from the mist, the timepiece on her chest glowing brightly.
"You succeeded," she said, her voice relieved yet… uneasy.
Edward raised the green gem. "The Chronite Seed. The first artifact."
Liora stepped closer, but before touching it, she looked at the black dust left behind by the Vortelo.
"…It arrived sooner than it should have. This means the time fractures have widened."
Zeco stiffened. "Sooner? That monster almost ate me!"
Liora looked at them with dimmed silver eyes.
"Vortelo is only a minor guardian."
She turned her gaze to the green gem.
"What comes next… will be far more deadly."
Edward and Zeco exchanged glances.
Liora exhaled, opening her timepiece.
"And now… everything truly begins."
To be continued…