The clocks scream.
Tick.Tick.Tick.
Faster.
Aria floats in the center of the chamber.
Light pouring from her skin.
Kael reaches toward her.
"Aria!"
Her voice echoes like it is coming from many places at once.
"This happened before."
Jonas freezes.
"…what?"
Aria's eyes glow.
"Many times."
The floating clocks spin wildly.
Different times.
Different dates.
Different worlds.
Future Kael whispers.
"…how many."
Aria breathes slowly.
"Hundreds."
Silence crushes the room.
Elias steps forward.
"That's impossible."
Aria looks at him.
"You built this machine."
Elias shakes his head.
"No."
Aria answers softly.
"You rebuilt it."
Seraphine smiles faintly.
"I knew it."
Kael looks between them.
"Explain."
Aria whispers.
"Every time the universe collapses…"
She touches one of the floating clocks.
"…you restart it."
The clock shatters into glowing dust.
Jonas whispers.
"So we're stuck in cosmic replay?"
Aria nods slowly.
"Yes."
Future Kael clenches his fists.
"…then this time we break it."