Chapter 11: The Edge of Time

Time itself bends under the sway of The Shaper as Arin and Cassiel are pulled farther into the twisted labyrinth of the dungeon's center. As the uncanny echoes of previous adventurers seem to murmur warnings from the shadows, the very fabric of reality becomes more and more unstable; walls and floors pulse with an odd, otherworldly energy that seems to breathe as if alive.

As they go, Cassiel starts to see terrible, startling visions—flashes of memories that aren't their own. They see themselves fighting to prevent Earth's annihilation in several lives in each recollection. However, they perceive their failure in every reality: the planet disintegrating, friends and allies dying, cities burning to ash, and everything sliding out of their control. Cassiel finds himself nearly submerged in the never-ending flow of life, each one contributing to the debilitating burden of sorrow and regret.

Cassiel quickly discovers that these memories are weapons, a direct attack from The Shaper, rather than merely visions. The Shaper is eroding Cassiel's soul by making them experience these different versions of their own lives and sowing doubt and hopelessness in their minds. They begin to wonder if their efforts will actually alter the course of events or if all routes would ultimately end in disaster.

Arin uses their time fragments in a desperate attempt to find direction after observing Cassiel's waning determination. Arin sees glimmers of a way forward as the pieces flash before her eyes. However, each piece depicts a future marred by suffering and sacrifice. Every potential achievement appears to depend on painful choices, those that demand more of Arin than they ever thought they could provide. As each piece comes to light, Arin comes to terms with the sobering fact that the only way to defeat The Shaper could be to give up on ever leading a tranquil existence again. They might have to give up their own freedom—possibly even their lives—in order to preserve the globe.

The terrible stakes overwhelm Arin, but he is determined to continue. Every image of a destroyed planet and every image of Cassiel lost and hopeless bolsters their resolve. Arin knows that if they can break the loop, there might be a chance for them and Cassiel to live in a world free from darkness in the future—one where they are not constantly haunted by the weight of failed futures.

Arin removes Cassiel from the mental trap that The Shaper is attempting to place by taking their hand and holding on to it with a comforting grasp. Speaking steadily, they conceal the terror that is eating at them as they gaze into Cassiel's eyes.

Arin responds in a quiet but firm voice, "We've seen failure; we've seen endings." But we weren't like that. Not now. Not only for ourselves, but for everyone who has ever been caught in this never-ending nightmare, we will battle this and prevail.

The last of the uncertainty leaves Cassiel as they collect themselves with renewed resolve. As they proceed down the dungeon together, Arin's Time Fragments now display glimpses of what could have been, brief pictures of sunshine penetrating the pitch-black sky, and the two of them standing together, a world spared. Arin holds onto these looks, allowing them to serve as fuel to combat the mounting fear.