Heartbeats and Time

se

r is e

ysics and poetry. Her mother encoded not just technical warnings about the loop, but emotional cues. An

t just de

gned it

ike a stranger in the middl

cing her necklace like it's a lifeline. "Before I e

low. "She knew exactl

t to th

t in t

on and may

ant, waiting for us to decide what comes next. But I know

ithou

thout

of this blending science and chaos like this but I don't care. They don't

of the mural again,

list

ask, steppi

"To what the world

st tig

answers, Chase. But this loop? It's not a pro

in my throat. "Then

he mural's heart the part

k to where

ry

ore. Maybe it's the truth see

aware of how littl

sonator sleek, me

hine kil

to be the key t

Chase says, but he doesn't so

k I alw

endant into t

sonato

l above

ing inside

ee

mot

ul, terrified

she's standing in this very lab, holding

ts to the strongest signature in the room. That's the anchor.

pa

rgives me for

emory

ink

unde

hor to her. It anchored to me. I was in the room. I w

You've always been th

kes. "And I

pulses harde

cogni

's wak

aches fo

you," he s

no

to close. Not

e

r fully activates, a deep, s

someone doesn't

feels

yes n

utters. "Something still inside

ir th

r a voice that

now

ryw

You figur

in toward

I fr

he shadows of

my m

iv

versio

eyes glowing faintl

ery," she says softly. "But I'm not here to