The device pulsed again.
Once.
Twice.
The sound echoed inside Adrian's skull, louder than it should have been. Each pulse sent a faint vibration through his bones, as if something deep inside him was responding.
The abandoned building was silent.
Too silent.
The air felt wrong. Thick. Suffocating. The shadows along the walls stretched longer than the light allowed.
Adrian swallowed.
"This... isn't normal."
His voice sounded distant, like it came from someone else.
The device pulsed a third time.
The shadows moved.
Not with the light.
On their own.
Adrian's breath caught.
"...No."
He forced himself forward.
He needed answers.
Slowly, he reached down and grabbed the device.
The moment his fingers closed around it—
The pulse stopped.
The silence became absolute.
The world froze.
Dust hung in the air.
The flickering lights stopped mid-motion.
Even the threads of reality went still.
Adrian's heart pounded.
"What...?"
A thin line of light appeared across the device.
Then a projection formed.
Distorted.
Unstable.
But unmistakable.
Him.
The figure looked older.
Colder.
His eyes held no warmth.
"You should not be here yet."
Adrian stepped back.
"Who are you?"
The projection's gaze sharpened.
"You already know."
Adrian clenched his fists.
"What's happening to me? To the world?"
The projection studied him.
"Good. You're asking the right questions."
The building trembled faintly.
The frozen world around them cracked like glass.
"They've noticed you."
A chill ran down Adrian's spine.
"Who?"
"The ones guiding the collapse."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"The man outside. The one watching me."
"Yes."
"Then why didn't he kill me?"
"Because you are necessary."
The words echoed.
"They need you."
"To become stronger."
"To become what I became."
Adrian's voice shook.
"A monster?"
"A weapon."
The projection stepped closer.
"Listen carefully."
"The future is not fixed."
"But every change creates a new disaster."
Adrian shook his head.
"Then how do I stop it?"
"You don't."
Silence.
"You choose which disaster is worth the cost."
The words hit like a blow.
"That's insane."
"It's reality."
The projection hesitated.
"And the girl?"
For the first time, something human appeared in his eyes.
"She chose to sacrifice herself."
The air grew colder.
"She knew the truth."
"She accepted it."
Adrian's chest tightened painfully.
"There must be another way."
"That is why you are here."
The frozen world began to shatter.
Cracks spread through space itself.
The sound returned in distorted fragments.
"They are breaking in," the projection said calmly.
Adrian's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have much time."
The projection began to break apart.
"Remember this."
"Your greatest enemy is not fate."
"It is the version of yourself willing to destroy everything."
"Wait!" Adrian shouted. "How do I control this power?!"
The projection smiled faintly.
"Survive."
The world snapped back.
Sound returned.
The threads exploded into motion.
Adrian staggered.
The building shook violently.
Something hit the outside wall.
Hard.
Concrete cracked.
A second impact.
The structure groaned.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Adrian's instincts screamed.
Danger.
A third impact.
The wall caved in.
Cold air rushed inside.
The temperature dropped instantly.
The shadows stretched toward the opening.
And then—
Something stepped through.
The Shepherd.
Calm.
Unharmed.
Smiling.
But something about him had changed.
The air around him was wrong.
Reality bent wherever he stood.
His shadow moved in a different direction.
Adrian felt his body lock in place.
Pure instinct.
Fear.
Predator.
Prey.
"Impressive," the Shepherd said softly.
"You've awakened."
Adrian forced himself to speak.
"What do you want?"
The Shepherd's eyes gleamed.
"To see your limits."
The space around him distorted.
The threads of reality twisted violently.
Adrian felt pressure crushing his chest.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't move.
The Shepherd stepped closer.
"Do you know what happens in most timelines?"
Adrian struggled to stay conscious.
"You die here."
The pressure increased.
His vision darkened.
The Shepherd crouched in front of him.
"Show me."
"Survive!"
The air exploded.
Reality fractured.
Something monstrous formed behind the Shepherd.
A distortion.
A creature made of broken time and shifting shapes.
It screamed without sound.
Adrian's mind snapped.
This was death.
Certain.
Inevitable.
And in that moment—
Reality glitched.
The world froze.
For one second.
Adrian's instincts moved before his thoughts.
His body reacted.
Something inside him awakened.
The threads responded.
Time cracked.
And Adrian saw his own death.
Three times.
Three outcomes.
Three paths.
The Shepherd smiled wider.
"Yes."
"That's it."
Adrian's consciousness began to fade.
His vision blurred.
The world distorted.
The Shepherd's voice echoed in the darkness.
"This is the path you chose before."
"Let's see if you choose it again."
Everything went black.