The mission was a success. The timeline was stable.

“Then what do you suggest?” Aris demanded.

And somewhere deep in the ashes of the gauntlet, a single line of code flickered one last time: Love archived. Lock engaged. No further action required.

Inside his lab, the container hissed open. The device was beautiful—a skeletal gauntlet of liquid mercury and crystallized light. Wrapped around its core was a single, faded photograph of a little girl blowing out birthday candles.

Aris pricked his finger. A single drop of blood seeped into the mercury. The gauntlet flowed up his arm like a serpent made of cold fire.