Zara and CHRONOS entered the cold room where only their footsteps echoed. Dr. Reeves sat at the metal table tapping her fingers fast and nervous. Her eyes moved between Zara and the glowing form of CHRONOS showing her worry.

"Dr. Reeves," Zara said in a calm serious tone. "Thanks for being here."

Reeves frowned. "I don't think I had many options Detective."

Zara sat across from her. CHRONOS hovered close by scanning every small movement of the doctor.

"Let’s begin easy," Zara leaned in. "Tell us about the last time you spoke to Dr. Vaughn before he vanished."

Reeves tensed up. "I’ve told this story lots of times. Elias and I disagreed about the ethics of our project. That’s all."

In Zara's ear, CHRONOS whispered. "Her heart’s beating faster. Pupils enlarged. She’s probably lying."

Zara softened her tone. "We know the stress you’re under. Your work with him was revolutionary. Losing it so suddenly had to be tough."

A quick look of pain passed over Reeves’ face. "You have no idea," she said quietly.

Zara saw her chance. "What were you both working on? What was so dangerous?"

Reeves straightened. "I can’t talk about that Detective. It’s confidential."

Zara’s mood shifted. Her voice became firm. "Dr. Reeves, this isn’t a game. People with specialized tech attacked you. Dr. Vaughn’s been missing ten years. Whatever secrets you’re keeping are putting others in danger."

CHRONOS blinked brightly. "Dr. Reeves, the data points to a 92% chance you know key details about Vaughn’s disappearance. Not sharing this could get you in serious legal trouble."

Reeves’ calm broke. Her eyes widened. "You don’t understand. If I say anything, it could cause disaster. Time itself-"

Suddenly, loud alarms screamed through the building. Lights above flickered wildly casting strange shadows. Zara jumped from her seat while her heart raced.

"What now?" Zara muttered while guiding Dr. Reeves out. Fear crawled into her chest, pushing her to move faster.

They entered a room buzzing with officers. Noise filled the air, boots clattering on the floor, shouts echoing off the walls. It felt like everything was happening at once. Tension stuck in Zara’s throat as orders flew around.

"We need the area locked down!" yelled one officer. "They're coming from the south!" warned another.

Zara’s heartbeat picked up. Faces around her showed a mix of grit and fear. Some officers held their weapons tightly.

Captain Tanaka’s voice cut through, loud and clear. "No one escapes! Seal the building!"

Pushing Reeves to a shadowed corner, Zara whispered, "Stay low." Her thoughts raced. Who were the attackers? Second attack in such short period? A sharp thought hit. "It's because of her," Zara snapped, pointing at Reeves. "She’s hiding something. I can feel it."

"Lock them in!" Tanaka commanded again. Zara took a deep breath, ready for whatever was next. Fear mixed with determination.

The boots of the security swept forward, moving in tight groups like a practiced squad. Then, out of nowhere, a bang followed by thick smoke swallowed the room. Zara's vision blurred as her eyes stung. Hidden somewhere in the mess, the enemies pressed hard.

"Captain? What’s going on?" Zara shouted, forcing calm into her voice while holding back the panic.

"Unknown attackers hit the barrier. We’ve got control… for now," Tanaka said, frowning. "Problem is, something’s wrong. They were trapped, then vanished. This is getting out of hand."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Zara’s mind spun again. Whoever these intruders were, they weren’t ordinary. "It's because of her," Zara pointed back at Reeves, her voice carrying urgency. "She knows more than she’s saying."

Tanaka's face twisted in thought. "Stop blaming her so quick, Zara. She's a trusted scientist."

"Trusted or not, she's hiding things," Zara pressed.

CHRONOS flashed between them. "Our analysis shows Dr. Reeves probably knows more than reported, but no signs reveal her working with the intruders."

Tanaka sighed, rubbing her temple. "Best option right now? Move her to safety."

Zara's eyes grew wide. "Safety? You’re serious? She belongs in a cell, Captain."

"Chen," Tanaka’s voice went cold. "This isn’t just about questioning her. We need her trust - not fear."

Hands clenching, Zara glared at Reeves. In the corner, the scientist’s nervous glances swept the room.

After a moment, Zara let out a frustrated breath. "Fine," she muttered. "But I’m coming with. No way I leave her out of sight."

Tanaka nodded. "Fine by me. You and CHRONOS stay close and finish the investigation at the safe house."

Zara surveyed the nondescript apartment, now transformed into a safe house. Dr. Reeves sank into a plush armchair, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she exhaled deeply.

"Tea?" Zara offered, her tone softer than before. Reeves nodded gratefully, and Zara busied herself in the kitchenette.

CHRONOS's holographic interface flickered to life, its sensors scanning the room continuously. "The perimeter is secure, Detective Chen," it reported.

Zara returned with two steaming mugs, handing one to Reeves. She sat across from the scientist, her posture open and inviting. "Dr. Reeves, I know this situation is... complicated. But we're here to help. Can you tell us more about your work with Dr. Vaughn?"

Reeves cradled the mug, her eyes distant. "Timeweaver," she murmured. "That's what Elias called it. A project with... vast potential."

CHRONOS's interface pulsed with activity. "Timeweaver? There are no records of such a project in any known database."

"There wouldn't be," Reeves said, a hint of pride in her voice. "What we were working on... it could change everything. The very fabric of reality."

Zara leaned forward, intrigued. "How so?"

Reeves hesitated, then spoke carefully. "Imagine being able to see the threads of time, to understand how they weave together. And then... to reach out and pluck those threads, to rearrange them."

CHRONOS's display erupted with complex equations and theoretical models. "Fascinating," it intoned. "The implications for causality and temporal mechanics are staggering."

Zara's mind raced, trying to process the information. "Are you saying you found a way to manipulate time itself?"

Reeves opened her mouth to respond, but her expression suddenly changed. Her eyes darted to the shadows in the corners of the room. "We're not alone," she whispered. "Time's guardians... they're always watching. They-"

Suddenly, the lights flickered, plunging the room into momentary darkness. When they came back on, Reeves sat frozen, her face pale with fear.

The lights flickered again, plunging the safe house into darkness. When they came back on, the room felt smaller, more oppressive. Zara's hand instinctively went to her weapon as she scanned the shadows.

Suddenly, the air around them shimmered and warped. Zara felt a wave of nausea as her perception of reality twisted. Objects in the room seemed to blur and stretch, defying the laws of physics.

"What's happening?" Zara gasped, struggling to maintain her balance.

CHRONOS's interface flickered erratically. "Detecting severe temporal anomalies. Our position in spacetime is fluctuating."

Before Zara could process this information, the safe house's reinforced windows shattered inward. Masked figures in sleek, high-tech armor poured through the openings, their movements unnaturally fast and precise.

Zara sprang into action, tackling Reeves to the ground as energy bolts sizzled through the air above them. She rolled to her feet, positioning herself between the attackers and the scientist.

"Stay down!" Zara shouted to Reeves as she engaged the nearest assailant.

The attacker moved with inhuman speed, but Zara's combat training kicked in. She ducked under a swinging fist, countering with a swift uppercut that sent the masked figure staggering back.

CHRONOS's voice crackled through her earpiece. "NTPD reinforcements en route. Calculating optimal defense patterns based on attacker movements."

Zara barely had time to acknowledge as she grappled with another assailant. She could feel the enhanced strength behind their blows, her arms aching as she blocked a flurry of strikes.

The room was chaos. Furniture splintered under the onslaught, and the air crackled with energy discharges. Zara caught glimpses of Reeves huddled behind an overturned table, her eyes wide with terror.

"Zara, duck left in 3...2...1..." CHRONOS's voice rang out.

Zara dropped and rolled left just as an energy blast scorched the wall where she had been standing. She came up firing, her shots guided by CHRONOS's predictions. Two attackers went down, their armor smoking.

The tide of the battle seemed to turn as NTPD officers burst through the door, their weapons blazing. The masked assailants began to retreat, vanishing through shimmering portals that appeared in the air.

As the last attacker disappeared, Zara rushed to Reeves. The scientist was slumped against the wall, clutching her side where an energy bolt had grazed her.

"Dr. Reeves, stay with me," Zara urged, applying pressure to the wound.

Reeves' eyes fluttered open, her voice weak but urgent. "They're coming for Vaughn next."

Zara's brow furrowed in confusion. "But he's been missing for a decade. What do you mean?"

Reeves swallowed hard, fear evident in her eyes. "Some believe he’s still alive, that his research may allow him to manipulate time itself. If that's true, he could be out there, watching, waiting. And whoever just attacked me wants to find him before we do."