Amergar, who considered himself a master of time manipulation, was sentenced to be imprisoned in this singular-time nihility zone for millions of years. “I merely stole several hundreds of general years from the Eagle Nebula,” he thought to himself, “What a cruel punishment for a trickster of time!” He felt aggrieved. His resentment accumulated and accumulated, finally to a point he couldn't take it anymore.

He must get out.

More sparkles in the sky began to shine. He was pleased with his work. Millions of years' efforts finally paid off.

“The abnormal signals you detected,” Elara asked. “mean the gate of two dimensions is going to open, and let out a scary time criminal?”

“Exactly.”

“But how does the altar break down? Because it's old, or--” she looked at Mr Greer before finishing her sentence.

“Don't look at me!” Mr Greer exclaimed. “I did nothing!”

“Maybe that's the reason,” Elara retorted. “You did nothing. Check your book and you may find there is a rule of chanting beside the altar every three months!”

“The facilities of the Universal Time Planning Bureau are supposed to be solid,” Kairos chimed in. “I don't think it requires additional operations or can be damaged by forces. It must be the doing of the criminal inside. He wants to escape!”

“So in what circumstances will the gate open?” Elara asked.

“Normally a key will do,” Kairos gave her a quick glance and went back to examine the altar for possible clues for strengthening the seal. “which is owned by the Universal Time Planning Bureau. But I once spotted a similar key at a ghost market. Nasty.”

“What does it look like, the key?” a feeling of guilt rose in Mr Greer's heart, and he started to look just in case he was accidentally carrying one.

Kairos thought for a second and said, “Bit like the fridge magnets you sell, only it's glittering. It's like a trans-dimensional bridge.”

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“Is it possible for the criminal to get access to the key?” Elara asked.

“No, I rather doubt that. Also the key can only be used in our dimension. So there must be something else...Something else...like a bridge...which can perform the equivalent effect...” Kairos suddenly gave a chuckle.

“What?” Elara asked curiously.

“Nah, that's impossible. Well, remember the missing Oneirogéfyra infant I told you about? They are hyper-dimensional life forms. The only thing I can think of to be the replacement of the key, is the dreamland of that species. But how can an infant of...Wait a minute...”

He turned around and met Elara's innocent face.

“Oh my Phingas!” he cried.

His frightened exclamation got both their attentions. And the alarm of his sensor chose this moment to scream.

“Oh, no! The radial bursts are intensifying! The gate is about to open!”

All of a sudden, Elara shouted and crumpled to the ground. Kairos hurried to her and scammed her head with a device.

“She is the missing Oneirogéfyra species I'm looking for! She told me about her dreams before! That's very similar to the zone! I'm such a fool! Her missing time is exactly 26 if converted to your Earth years! She must have slipped through the gap of time-space! It must be the work of the criminal! Oh millions of years’ subtle influence on every particle he can reach like flicking the ripples of the universe...Finally a gap! Such talent!”

Violent shakes wiped the basement like an earthquake.

“There is no time for admiration!” Mr Greer shouted. “I can see a black mass forming in the arch! What can we do to stop him?”

“Check your book for guidance!” Kairos went back to check on Elara, who was trembling fiercely in unconsciousness. “I will try to shut down the dream regions in her brain, but we must act quickly!”

Mr Greer's hand shook as he browsed the book. “I...I don't recognize--”

“Give me the book!” Kairos exclaimed. “You check out the altar for image of devils!”

But Mr Greer didn't move. He hesitated for a while before he spoke, “I think there is only one way...”

“What?” Kairos quested agitatedly.

“We have to sacrifice the girl, I mean, to cut down the bridge of her dreams once and for all.”

“What?! Are you insane?” Kairos roared with anger and confusion. “Why don't we sacrifice you instead? Maybe the devil prefers older men! Just give me the book!”

As they turned the pages, a word singled out and caught Kairos's attention.

“Wait!” he yelled. “There! ‘Reboot’. Take my UV lamp out...in my coat...Right, now scan that page...Holy Phingas!”

“What?” Mr Greer asked. “What does it say?”

Kairos cleared his throat and read, “Press the green button on the altar to reboot the system in case the criminal attempts to escape by colliding the two dimensions using the power of the Oneirogéfyra species.”