Alternate Gwen turned away from the others, her boots clicking softly on the crystalline floor. Her eyes scanned the sky, but her gaze was distant, locked not on the stars, but on the fractured memories of another Earth."You're not going anywhere yet," Talon said from behind her, voice calm but firm.She didn’t turn. "You brought us here. That doesn’t mean we belong here.""You think Earth Prime has anything left for you?" Talon asked, stepping beside her. "You were protected by the Principals because there was no one left. Gwen, that world fell. You know it."Her jaw tensed. "It was still home." Talon faced her fully. "No, it was a memory. And not a kind one. You said it yourself—you stayed because you had nowhere to go. And now you do.""This isn’t my world, Talon.""Maybe not," he said gently. "But your son just made a friend who understands him better than anyone else ever could. I wonder what would've happened to David if your son didn't interfere. They bonded without needing ex

Alternate Talon remembered falling. Not his body—but his soul. Dragged inward, downward, into a hollow light that pulsed like a second heartbeat. He opened his eyes to a vast empty plain of swirling violet winds. The Astral Plane. But it wasn’t still—it was… alive. It bent and pulled around him like it recognized him. Then a figure stood before him. He wore no armor. Just the simple robes of a monk, hood pulled back. He had Talon's face—but younger, peaceful, unmarred by rage. His eyes were gold, not red. "You," Alternate Talon whispered. “You look like…” “My name is Nolat,” the figure said softly. “I was born when your other self awakened the Astral Codex.” “You're… a system,” Talon murmured. “But you’re sentient?” “I am more than a program,” Nolat replied. “In the Astral Realm, I have consciousness. Choice. I guided the real Talon to temper his hatred. I tried to guide you once. But your system was corrupted. Broken by your thirst for vengeance.” Alternate Talon’s hands curled

The sky split open as twelve figures descended from above, crashing through the ceiling of the chamber where the celebration was taking place. What was supposed to be a peaceful day had turned into chaos, with a string of unexpected events unraveling one after another—from the Alternate Talon incident to this latest intrusion. Now, the problem had escalated beyond anything they were prepared to handle. The twelve mysterious intruders wore smooth, glass-like masks that revealed no features. They stood silently, facing the masked figure of David and the smaller versions of him—children from alternate timelines. The kids quickly ran to their mother, hiding behind her legs. “Mom, I’m scared,” Alternate Little David whispered. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Gwen replied, wrapping her arms around him. She was trying her best to shield him, emotionally and physically, projecting a sense of calm she didn’t fully feel. The Time Regulators began to advance, scanning the crowd. They had i

[Temporal Zone — Unknown Stream]They fell for what felt like minutes through rotating corridors of collapsing stars, until suddenly, they were thrown out into a landscape that should not exist.Massive rivers of molten fire surged through the terrain, not as magma, but as pure temporal decay—the residue of timelines stripped of purpose, burning away in eternal entropy. Above them, the sky boiled in waves of orange and red, streaked with glitched constellations.This was not a realm with rules. This place had no anchor.It was not connected to time. It was time, in its most corrupted, ravenous form.They had landed in the Deadstream, temporal pocket reserved for things not meant to exist. A reality unanchored, where forgotten timelines came to burn.Talon grunted, catching himself as he landed hard on one knee. Gwen collapsed beside him, coughing, her skin already turning pale from the heat. Alternate Gwen let out a sharp gasp and dropped to the ground, her body shaking violently.“Al

The golden path now had a tiny thread that could be seen beneath their feet, through the blackened terrain like a divine artery trying to pulse through a body of ash. Dim flashes of infernal lightning lit up the blood-red sky overhead, growing darker by the minute.“It’s almost night,” Talon murmured, his eyes scanning the surrounding horizon. “We shouldn’t risk following this path in the dark. If we get caught by a patrol or another beast—”l“We need cover,” Alternate Talon cut in, voice steady but eyes sharp. “Somewhere we can blend in. Somewhere luxurious enough to match the kind of wealth we’re flashing.”They had stolen enough demon currency to buy a district if they wanted. That was the benefit of raiding top-ranking guards.Using the demons’ data system, Talon pulled up locations for clothing districts, cross-referencing the top-rated establishments. They were in luck—just half a league away was “Sable Fang Mall,” a prestigious, obsidian-spired mega-market nestled in the heart