The Echo of Tomorrow

Chapter 17: The Abyss Stirs

The moment Lyra stepped through the fractured gateway, a suffocating darkness swallowed her whole. The once-flickering corridors of the Nexus were gone, replaced by an eerie void stretching endlessly in all directions. The only illumination came from the faint, ghostly glows of fragmented timelines hovering like dying embers.

"This isn't right," Selene murmured, gripping her weapon tighter. "We were supposed to emerge at the heart of the Archive Vault."

Lyra swallowed hard, her pulse quickening. "Then where the hell are we?"

A low, resonating hum vibrated through the void, sending ripples through the darkness. The sound felt alive, as if the abyss itself was watching, waiting. A shape flickered in the distance—a towering structure shrouded in shadows, barely visible through the shifting void.

"Something's wrong," Dael muttered, scanning the space around them. His usual cocky demeanor had been replaced by a grim determination. "The TCA's defenses couldn't have done this."

"No," Selene agreed, her face pale. "This place... it's older than the Nexus. Older than anything we know."

Then the whispering started.

A cacophony of voices—layered, distorted, speaking in a language that sent shivers down Lyra's spine. It was like the past and the future were colliding all at once, folding into a single, unrelenting murmur. She could feel the weight of them, pressing against her skull, clawing at her thoughts.

"We need to keep moving," she said through gritted teeth. "Staying here is a mistake."

As they approached the looming structure, the air around them grew denser, thick with a strange, acrid scent. The doors stood ajar, leading into a grand hall lined with colossal pillars wrapped in sinewy, blackened roots pulsing like veins.

Selene moved forward, eyes darting around. "I've seen records of this place. The Abyssal Vault. But it was supposed to be a myth. A forgotten remnant buried beneath the Nexus."

Lyra felt a pull, an invisible force urging her deeper. It wasn't just curiosity—it was something primal, something undeniable. As they ventured further, they came upon a massive obelisk in the center of the hall. It was covered in intricate carvings, shifting like living ink, depicting scenes of devastation, fractured realities, and a great, swirling entity consuming entire timelines.

Dael exhaled sharply. "This place isn't just forgotten. It's been erased."

A sudden, deafening screech tore through the chamber, sending them all to their knees. The shadows around them began to shift, coalescing into towering figures with elongated limbs and hollow, glowing eyes. The Echo Wraiths.

"Move!" Selene shouted, opening fire, but the bullets passed through the creatures as if they were made of smoke.

One of the wraiths lunged toward Lyra, its tendrils reaching for her. Instinct took over, and she raised her hand—energy crackled from her fingertips, blasting the creature apart. But instead of dissipating, it reformed instantly, its shape twisting into something far worse.

Dael cursed. "We can't fight them like this!"

"We don't need to fight," Lyra said, her voice trembling. "We need to escape!"

She turned toward the obelisk, the carvings shifting faster, revealing a single, blood-red symbol in the center. She knew, without understanding how, that it was a gateway. A doorway to something beyond.

"Help me!" she shouted, pressing her palm against the stone. It was freezing, like touching raw void itself.

Selene and Dael hesitated for only a moment before following her lead. The obelisk pulsed, responding to their presence, the red symbol burning brighter. The wraiths shrieked, their forms stretching, distorting, as if the gateway was tearing them apart.

Then the ground beneath them collapsed.

Lyra fell through darkness, through time itself. Images flashed before her eyes—memories not her own. Cities crumbling, timelines unraveling, a figure standing amidst the wreckage.

And then she saw him.

Her father.

Trapped within the abyss, his eyes hollow, his form flickering like a fading ember.

"Lyra..." his voice echoed, barely above a whisper. "You were never supposed to find this place."

And then the abyss swallowed her whole.