Rain poured over the streets of London as Ryder and Anya ran through a narrow alley.
Both of them stopped beneath a flickering streetlight.
Ryder looked down at the glowing shard again.
"Tell me the truth," he said. "Everything."
Anya took a deep breath.
"The Chronos Shard was once a single crystal powerful enough to control time itself."
"Control time?" Ryder said.
"Yes. But centuries ago, an ancient civilization realized its power was too dangerous. So they shattered it into pieces and hid the fragments across the world."
"And the shadow?" Ryder asked.
Anya's voice lowered.
"The shadow is what was sealed inside the Shard."
Ryder's eyes widened.
"You mean that thing… was trapped inside it?"
"Yes."
"And now it's free?"
"Not fully," Anya said. "But every time a node fails… it grows stronger."
Ryder looked at the glowing fragment in his hand.
"So what am I?"
Anya looked directly at him.
"The Shard responded to you. That means only one thing."
"And that is?"
"You are the Keeper of Time."
Before Ryder could answer, the shard suddenly flashed brightly.
A glowing map appeared in the air between them.
Dots of light appeared across the world.
Egypt.
Peru.
Japan.
Iceland.
Nigeria.
"These are the remaining nodes," Anya said.
"And if they fail?"
"The shadow wins."
Ryder closed his hand around the crystal.
"Then we fix them."
Anya smiled slightly.
"Looks like your grandfather's story isn't finished after all."