The air in the Roman countryside was warm, carrying the scent of wild herbs and sun-baked soil. Lia and Kellan made their way along the narrow path that led away from the city. The hum of the bustling forum faded behind them as the landscape opened into rolling hills, vineyards, and clusters of trees. The peace of the scene was almost jarring after the intensity of their findings and the chaotic energy of the Temporal Operations base.
Lia adjusted her satchel, her eyes scanning the horizon. The village they were heading for, the site of the first known anomaly, was a few kilometers from the city. Though it had been centuries since this moment in history had passed, Lia felt a weight in the air—a tension she couldn’t quite explain. She knew Kellan felt it too, even though he was doing his best to act casual, flashing his usual half-smile as they walked.
“How far to the village?” Kellan asked, wiping the sweat from his brow. He wasn’t exactly built for long hikes through the countryside.
Lia consulted her wrist unit, which displayed a map overlaid with historical data from the area. “Another mile or so. It should be just beyond that ridge.”
“Great,” Kellan said, with a trace of sarcasm. “I was hoping we could get in some cardio with this time-jump.”
Lia smirked, but her mind was elsewhere. As they continued walking, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were stepping into something much larger than they had anticipated. The Echoes—if it really was them—had been carefully weaving their influence through time, making small, seemingly harmless changes. But why start here? Why choose such a subtle event as an early bloom of flowers?
They crested the ridge and saw the village below. It was small, little more than a cluster of stone buildings and farms nestled in a valley surrounded by vineyards. A dirt road cut through the center of the village, where a handful of people moved about, tending to animals or carrying goods to market.
Lia felt her wrist unit buzz gently again, and she glanced down at the display. The anomaly reading had grown stronger, though still marked as “low.” It wasn’t enough to raise alarms in the present timeline, but the disturbance was definitely here.
“This is the place,” she said quietly.
Kellan shaded his eyes with his hand as he looked down at the village. “Doesn’t look like much. You’d think they’d pick something a bit more dramatic if they’re trying to mess with time.”
“Maybe that’s the point,” Lia replied. “The Echoes always work in the shadows. They don’t make big, obvious changes. They start small, unnoticed. And by the time anyone realizes what’s happening, it’s too late.”
Kellan frowned, clearly not liking the sound of that. “So, what’s the plan? We stroll into the village and ask if anyone’s noticed any time anomalies lately?”
Lia chuckled. “Not exactly. We need to keep a low profile. Let’s start by gathering some information. We’ll split up—see what the locals are saying. Look for anything unusual.”
“Subtle and sneaky. Got it.” Kellan gave her a mock salute before heading off toward the village.
Lia watched him go, her mind already racing through possible scenarios. She hadn’t told Kellan everything she suspected, but her gut told her that this disturbance wasn’t a random occurrence. The convergence of anomalies, the increasing frequency of subtle changes—none of it felt coincidental. The Echoes were testing the limits of time, and this village might be where it all started.
As she made her way down the hill and into the village, she kept her head low, blending in with the local population. Her clothing, a simple tunic and sandals typical of the era, allowed her to move without drawing too much attention. Still, she was hyper-aware of every glance in her direction, every whisper she couldn’t quite make out.
The village was alive with the sounds of daily life—children laughing as they played near a well, the braying of donkeys, the clatter of pots and pans from a nearby kitchen. But there was an undercurrent of something else, something more subdued. Lia noticed it in the way people’s conversations seemed to stop when they passed her, in the way eyes lingered on her just a little too long before turning away.
There was tension here. Whether it was connected to the anomaly or not, Lia couldn’t say, but she was determined to find out.
She wandered through the market, feigning interest in the goods for sale—fresh produce, woven baskets, cured meats—while her ears remained tuned to the conversations around her. Snippets of conversation floated by, but nothing out of the ordinary. A dispute over the price of a goat. A woman complaining about the weather. A young man boasting about a recent hunt.
Lia was about to move on when she heard something that made her pause.
“...strange weather...never seen anything like it.”
She turned her head slightly, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. Two men were standing near a cart, their backs to her as they spoke in hushed tones. One of them, a burly man with a thick beard, gestured toward the sky.
“I’m telling you, it’s not natural,” he said. “The seasons are all wrong. First, we had that sudden frost, and now everything’s blooming early. The fields are confused. The crops aren’t growing right.”
His companion, a thinner man with a sunburned face, shook his head. “The gods must be angry. We should make an offering at the temple, ask for their favor.”
The bearded man scowled. “Offerings won’t fix the seasons. Something else is going on here.”
Lia’s pulse quickened. This was it. The anomaly was affecting the natural order, just as she had suspected. The early bloom wasn’t an isolated incident—it was part of a larger disruption.
She lingered nearby, pretending to inspect a basket of figs while she listened. The conversation continued, but it drifted into speculation about the gods and other superstitions. Lia knew better. This wasn’t the work of angry deities—it was the work of time travelers who didn’t belong here.
As she moved away from the market, she caught sight of Kellan near the edge of the village, talking to an elderly woman who was sitting on a bench outside her home. Kellan was good with people—better than Lia, she admitted. He had a way of putting them at ease, getting them to open up without realizing they were doing it. Lia couldn’t hear their conversation from where she stood, but she saw the woman gesturing toward the fields outside the village, her face creased with worry.
Kellan caught her eye and gave her a subtle nod before turning back to the woman. Lia took that as her cue to continue her own investigation.
She made her way toward the outskirts of the village, where the vineyards and fields stretched out under the sun. The scent of freshly turned earth filled the air, and the distant chatter of farmers at work reached her ears. Lia walked slowly, her eyes scanning the landscape for anything unusual.
As she approached the edge of a vineyard, her wrist unit buzzed again. Another anomaly reading—stronger this time.
Lia’s heart raced as she followed the signal. It led her to a small grove of trees at the edge of the field, where the shade cast by the leaves offered a respite from the sun’s heat. She stepped into the grove, the air cooler here, and immediately felt a sense of unease.
The trees were old, their branches thick and gnarled, but something about them felt wrong. Lia couldn’t put her finger on it at first, but as she moved deeper into the grove, she realized what it was. The leaves on the trees were the wrong color. They were too green, too vibrant for this time of year. It was as if the trees were in full bloom, despite the fact that the season hadn’t yet reached that point.
She knelt down, running her fingers over the grass at the base of one of the trees. The soil was cool and damp, despite the dry heat of the surrounding fields. Lia’s wrist unit buzzed again, the anomaly reading growing stronger.
This was it—the epicenter of the disturbance.
Lia stood up, scanning the grove for any signs of further disruption. Her mind raced through the possibilities. If the Echoes had been here, they would have left some trace, some sign of their presence. But time was a fragile thing, and the ripples they had created were subtle. Too subtle to be detected by the untrained eye.
She was about to move on when she heard a sound behind her. A rustle of leaves, soft but distinct.
Lia froze, her hand instinctively reaching for the small dagger she kept hidden beneath her tunic. She turned slowly, her eyes scanning the trees for the source of the noise.
There—just beyond the edge of the grove—was a figure.
At first, Lia thought it was one of the farmers, perhaps coming to tend to the trees. But as the figure stepped closer, she realized something was off. The person moved too quietly, too deliberately. They were dressed in a simple cloak, the hood pulled up to obscure their face, but Lia could see the glint of something metallic at their waist.
Her pulse quickened. This wasn’t a local.
The figure paused at the edge of the grove, as if sensing they were being watched. For a brief moment, Lia considered calling out, confronting them. But something held her back—an instinct that told her to wait, to watch.
The figure turned slightly, and for the briefest moment, Lia caught a glimpse of their face beneath the hood. It was a woman, her features sharp and angular, her eyes cold and calculating. Lia’s breath caught in her throat.
She knew that face. She had seen it before—in the restricted files.
The woman was one of the Echoes.
Lia’s mind raced. If the Echoes were here, then they were already deep into their plan. This village, this anomaly—it was part of something larger. Something that had been set in motion centuries ago.
The woman glanced around once more before disappearing into the trees, her movements quick and silent. Lia didn’t hesitate. She moved to follow, keeping her steps light as she slipped through the grove, her eyes trained on the figure ahead.
The woman moved swiftly, weaving through the trees with practiced ease. Lia followed at a distance, her heart pounding in her chest. She had to know where the Echoes were operating from, what they were planning.
The chase led them deeper into the countryside, away from the village and into a dense forest. The trees here were older, their trunks thick and twisted, their branches forming a canopy that blocked out the sun. The air grew cooler, and Lia’s breath came in shallow gasps as she kept pace with the woman.
Just when Lia thought she was losing her, the woman stopped.
Lia crouched behind a tree, her eyes locked on the figure ahead. The woman had come to a small clearing in the forest, where a strange, shimmering distortion hung in the air. Lia’s wrist unit buzzed wildly, the anomaly reading spiking off the charts.
The woman reached into her cloak and pulled out a small device—one that Lia recognized all too well. It was a temporal destabilizer, a tool used by time-travelers to create localized distortions in the timeline. The Echoes had used these devices before, to manipulate time in subtle ways.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Lia watched in silence as the woman activated the device. The distortion in the air grew stronger, warping the space around it. Lia’s mind raced. She had to stop this, but if she acted too soon, she would lose her only lead.
The woman began to chant softly, her voice low and melodic. The words were in a language Lia didn’t recognize, but the effect was immediate. The distortion pulsed, expanding outward as the temporal energy rippled through the air.
Lia couldn’t wait any longer.
She sprang from her hiding place, dagger in hand, and rushed toward the woman. The Echo agent turned just in time to see Lia coming, her eyes widening in surprise. She reached for her own weapon, but Lia was faster.
With a swift, practiced motion, Lia knocked the device from the woman’s hand and tackled her to the ground. The two of them tumbled into the dirt, the distortion pulsing wildly around them.
The woman snarled, her eyes flashing with anger as she struggled to free herself from Lia’s grip. But Lia was stronger, pinning her down as she pressed the blade of her dagger to the woman’s throat.
“Who sent you?” Lia demanded, her voice cold and steady.
The woman glared up at her, but said nothing. Lia pressed the blade harder, a thin line of blood appearing on the woman’s neck.
“Talk,” Lia hissed.
The woman’s eyes flickered with something—fear, perhaps, or defiance—but still, she said nothing.
Lia’s patience was running thin. She was about to press the blade harder when a sudden burst of energy rippled through the clearing. The distortion pulsed, growing larger and more unstable. Lia felt the ground tremble beneath her feet.
She glanced at the device, still lying in the dirt, its lights flashing erratically. The temporal destabilizer was malfunctioning, and if she didn’t stop it soon, the entire timeline could be thrown into chaos.
With one last look at the woman, Lia released her grip and dove for the device. Her fingers closed around it just as another pulse of energy surged through the air. Lia gritted her teeth, her hands shaking as she tried to deactivate the device.
The distortion pulsed one last time before collapsing in on itself, the air snapping back into place with a sharp crack.
Lia sat back, breathing heavily as the device powered down. The danger had passed—for now.
When she looked up, the woman was gone.
Lia cursed under her breath. She had lost her lead, but at least she had stopped the immediate threat. The timeline was safe, for the moment. But the Echoes were still out there, still working in the shadows.
And Lia knew they wouldn’t stop until they had what they wanted.
----------------------------------------
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the Roman countryside. Lia and Kellan trudged down the dirt path, the ancient cobblestones beneath their feet worn smooth by centuries of travelers. The fields around them were alive with the sights and sounds of a world that had thrived thousands of years ago—farmers tending to their crops, women carrying baskets of produce, children chasing each other through the tall grasses. It was a peaceful scene, idyllic even, but Lia knew better than to let her guard down.
The mission was never about blending in. It was about finding the hidden thread that didn’t belong—the ripple in time that had started here, in this seemingly ordinary place.
“We should be getting close,” Lia said, glancing down at her wrist unit. The device was old, its screen slightly scuffed from years of use, but it still worked. A small map flickered on the display, showing their position relative to the village. The disturbance was close now. She could feel it, not just in the readouts, but in the subtle shift of the air around her.
Kellan, walking beside her, was less concerned with the finer details. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and cast a sideways glance at Lia. “You know, for once, I was hoping the timeline would take us somewhere with a nice cool breeze. Maybe a lake. Definitely fewer hills.”
Lia allowed herself a small smile, though her focus remained on their mission. “You know it doesn’t work that way. We go where the ripples lead us.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kellan muttered, adjusting the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder. “But a guy can dream, right?”
They crested a small rise, and the village came into view below them. It was small, nestled in the curve of a valley, with vineyards stretching out in neat rows to the north and fields of wheat swaying gently in the breeze to the south. A few clusters of trees dotted the landscape, their leaves already showing the deep green of early summer. The village itself was a cluster of stone buildings with thatched roofs, some of them old and crumbling, others freshly repaired. A dirt road wound its way through the center of the village, where a small market bustled with activity.
Lia stopped at the top of the hill, her gaze sweeping over the scene. The village looked peaceful, untouched by the ravages of time. But something was wrong—she could feel it in her bones. The disturbance was here, hidden beneath the surface.
“This is it,” she said quietly.
Kellan stepped up beside her, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked down at the village. “Doesn’t look like much, does it?”
“No,” Lia agreed, her eyes narrowing as she studied the buildings below. “But that’s how it starts. Small. Unnoticeable.”
Kellan let out a low whistle. “And this is where the anomaly started?”
Lia nodded. The early bloom, the disruption in the natural cycles of the seasons—it all began here. But the ripples were spreading. The future could already be unraveling because of this seemingly insignificant event. That was how the Echoes operated, after all—subtle, precise, and devastatingly effective.
“We’ll split up,” Lia said, already scanning the path down to the village. “See what we can find out. Stay low, keep your eyes open.”
Kellan flashed her a grin, his usual swagger back in place. “Subtle’s my middle name.”
Lia snorted but didn’t comment further. She was already calculating her next move, her mind sifting through the countless possibilities that the Echoes’ interference could create. There was no room for error here. Time was too delicate.
They descended the hill, blending into the flow of people heading toward the village. The sounds of the market grew louder as they approached—voices calling out in Latin, the clatter of pots and pans, the braying of animals. Lia kept her head low, her posture casual but alert. She had learned long ago how to move through time without drawing attention. Even so, she could feel eyes on her, the occasional lingering glance from a passerby.
She made her way through the market, her senses tuned to the conversations around her. Most of it was the usual chatter—prices of goods, gossip about neighbors, complaints about the weather. But there was something else, a thread of unease that ran beneath the surface.
“...strange weather...never seen it like this before...”
Lia’s ears perked up. She followed the voice to a group of men standing near a stall, their backs to her as they spoke in low voices. One of them, a tall man with a thick beard, was gesturing toward the sky.
“I’m telling you, it’s not natural,” he said, his voice rough with frustration. “First, we had that frost last month, and now the flowers are blooming early. The crops aren’t growing right.”
The man next to him, shorter and older, nodded in agreement. “The gods must be angry. We should make an offering at the temple, before the whole harvest is lost.”
The bearded man scowled. “Offerings won’t fix the seasons. Something else is going on here.”
Lia moved away before they could notice her listening in. The anomaly was affecting more than just the flowers—it was disrupting the entire ecosystem. If the crops were failing, the consequences could ripple out for years. Famine, economic collapse, political instability. The Echoes knew exactly what they were doing.
She needed more information. Lia made her way to the edge of the market, where a small inn stood with its doors open, inviting travelers inside. She slipped in unnoticed, the cool air inside a welcome relief from the heat of the day.
The inn was quiet, with only a few patrons scattered at the tables. A fire crackled in the hearth, though it was more for atmosphere than warmth. Lia approached the bar, where the innkeeper, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, was cleaning mugs.
“What can I get for you, traveler?” the woman asked, her tone polite but wary.
Lia leaned casually against the bar. “Information,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I’m new to the area and heard some strange things about the weather. People saying it’s not natural.”
The innkeeper’s eyes flickered with something—hesitation, maybe, or fear. She set down the mug she was cleaning and leaned in slightly. “Aye, there’s been talk. The weather’s been strange, to be sure. The crops are all wrong for this time of year. My brother’s a farmer—he says the wheat’s not growing the way it should.”
“Has anyone tried to find out why?” Lia asked, keeping her tone casual. “Any priests or scholars looking into it?”
The innkeeper shook her head. “No one’s been able to make sense of it. The priests say it’s the will of the gods, but...” She trailed off, glancing around the room as if to make sure no one was listening. “There are some who think it’s not the gods. They think it’s something else.”
Lia’s pulse quickened. “What do you mean?”
The woman hesitated for a moment, then leaned in even closer. “There’ve been strange folk around, here and there. Travelers, they say, but they’re not like anyone from these parts. They come and go, never staying long, but people talk. They say these folk know things. Things they shouldn’t know.”
Lia’s mind raced. Could the Echoes have agents here, already working to ensure the disturbance went unnoticed? It wouldn’t be the first time they’d used locals to cover their tracks.
“Have you seen any of these travelers yourself?” Lia asked.
The innkeeper shook her head. “No, but my brother has. Said he saw one just outside the village a few weeks ago. A woman, dressed in strange clothes. Didn’t speak to anyone, just watched.”
A woman. Lia’s stomach tightened. The Echoes often used female agents, blending them into societies where women were less likely to be suspected of foul play. It was a smart tactic, one Lia had encountered before.
“Where did he see her?” Lia asked.
“Near the old vineyard, just past the grove of trees on the north side of the village,” the innkeeper said. “No one goes there much anymore, not since the frost killed the vines. It’s bad luck, they say.”
Bad luck. Or a perfect place to hide.
Lia nodded her thanks and left the inn, her mind already piecing together a plan. She needed to check out the vineyard. If the Echoes were using it as a base of operations, she might be able to find clues—something that could lead her to the source of the anomaly.
As she made her way back through the village, she caught sight of Kellan near the well, talking to an elderly woman who was sitting on a bench. The woman was gesturing toward the fields, her face creased with worry. Kellan, ever the charmer, was nodding along, his expression one of deep concern.
Lia approached, and Kellan glanced up, catching her eye. He gave her a subtle nod, indicating he’d found something of interest.
“Ma’am, this is my friend,” Kellan said smoothly, gesturing to Lia as she arrived. “She’s been traveling with me, helping me look into some of the strange things happening around here.”
The elderly woman squinted up at Lia, her hands folded in her lap. “Strange things, indeed,” she muttered. “The weather’s gone mad, the crops are dying, and the animals are restless. It’s like the earth itself is sick.”
Lia crouched down beside her, keeping her voice gentle. “Have you seen anything unusual? Anyone who doesn’t belong?”
The woman hesitated, then nodded slowly. “There was a woman, not from around here. I saw her in the fields a few nights ago. She was just... standing there. Watching. I didn’t go near her—something about her didn’t feel right.”
“Where did she go?” Lia asked.
The old woman pointed toward the north, the same direction the innkeeper had mentioned. “Toward the vineyard. She disappeared into the trees.”
Lia and Kellan exchanged a glance. It was enough. They had a direction, and the trail was fresh.
“We should go,” Kellan said quietly, his playful demeanor gone, replaced by the serious edge that came when they were closing in on something dangerous.
Lia nodded. “Let’s move.”
They left the village behind, heading toward the vineyard. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the fields as they walked. The air grew cooler, and the faint scent of grapes and earth filled the breeze. The vineyard itself was a ruin—twisted vines clung to broken trellises, the once-vibrant rows of grapes now a tangled mess of dead plants and overgrown weeds.
They approached cautiously, keeping to the shadows as they moved through the trees. Lia’s wrist unit buzzed softly, indicating the presence of a temporal anomaly nearby. The distortion was stronger here, more focused. Whatever the Echoes were doing, it was happening here.
Kellan moved ahead, scouting the area while Lia hung back, her eyes scanning the treeline for any signs of movement. The vineyard was eerily quiet, the only sound the rustle of leaves in the wind.
Then, from the corner of her eye, Lia saw it—a figure, moving through the trees on the far side of the vineyard. She tensed, her hand going to the dagger at her belt.
The figure stepped into the clearing, and Lia’s breath caught in her throat.
It was the woman from the files, the Echo agent she had seen before.
Lia motioned for Kellan to stay back as she crept forward, her heart pounding in her chest. The woman was standing in the middle of the clearing, her back to Lia, her attention focused on something in front of her. Lia couldn’t see what it was, but the air around the woman shimmered slightly, the telltale sign of a temporal distortion.
Lia crouched behind a tree, her eyes locked on the woman. She couldn’t risk confronting her directly, not yet. She needed to see what the Echo agent was doing.
The woman raised her hands, and a faint glow appeared in the air in front of her. Lia’s wrist unit buzzed wildly, the readings spiking off the charts. The distortion was growing stronger, warping the space around it.
Lia’s pulse quickened. This was it. The Echoes were trying to destabilize the timeline, to create a fracture that would spread through history, altering the course of events in subtle but catastrophic ways.
She had to act now.
Lia rose from her hiding place, dagger in hand, and moved swiftly toward the woman. But just as she was about to strike, the Echo agent turned, her eyes locking onto Lia’s.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, with a cold smile, the woman disappeared into the shimmering distortion, vanishing without a trace.
Lia cursed under her breath, but there was no time to dwell on the loss. The device the woman had left behind was still active, its lights flashing erratically as the distortion continued to grow.
Lia rushed forward, her fingers closing around the device just as a surge of energy rippled through the air. She gritted her teeth, her hands shaking as she worked to deactivate it. The distortion pulsed, growing larger and more unstable with each passing second.
Finally, with a sharp crack, the device powered down, and the distortion collapsed in on itself.
The air snapped back into place, the vineyard falling silent once more.
Lia sat back, breathing heavily as the adrenaline slowly faded from her system. She had stopped the immediate threat, but the Echoes were still out there, still working in the shadows.
And Lia knew this was only the beginning.