The room was still, the air heavy with tension as Elara and Theo sat side by side on Liam’s bed. The notebook lay open between them, the damning evidence staring back at them. Her name, circled in Liam’s neat handwriting, burned in her vision like a brand. Her mind reeled with questions that had no answers. What was Liam involved in? And why was she connected to this mysterious Chronos Labs? She glanced at Theo, who was leaning forward, his brows furrowed as he studied the notebook with intense focus.

“We need to talk to him,” Theo said finally, his voice steady but laced with urgency.

Elara shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “Talk to him? Theo, Liam’s dead. I don’t even know how we’d—”

Theo cut her off, his dark eyes locking on hers. “He’s not dead. Not here, not now. That’s the point of all this, isn’t it? The hourglass brought you back to a time when he was alive. If anyone knows what’s going on, it’s him.”

The weight of his words settled over her. He was right. Liam was still alive in this version of time, and whether she wanted to face him or not, she couldn’t ignore the possibility that he held the key to understanding what was happening. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

“We need to find him,” she said. “But we need to be careful. If he’s involved in something dangerous…” She didn’t finish the thought, but the implication hung between them.

They left the house quickly, Elara clutching the notebook tightly in her hands as they headed to Liam’s usual hangout spot: the small park on the edge of town. It was where they had spent countless afternoons together, sprawled out on the grass or perched on the swings, talking about everything and nothing. As they approached, Elara spotted him immediately. He was sitting on one of the swings, his head bowed as he typed on his phone. For a moment, she hesitated.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Theo asked, his voice soft.

Elara nodded. “Stay close. I don’t know how this is going to go.”

They walked toward Liam, the crunch of gravel under their feet breaking the quiet of the evening. He looked up as they approached, his expression shifting from surprise to guarded wariness when he saw Theo.

“Elara,” he said, standing. “What’s going on?”

She didn’t waste time with pleasantries. Pulling the notebook from her bag, she held it up. “What is this, Liam? What were you involved in?”

His face paled, his eyes darting between her and the notebook. “Where did you get that?”

“In your room,” she replied coldly. “I need answers. Now.”

Liam rubbed the back of his neck, looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. He gestured for them to sit at a nearby picnic table, his voice low and urgent. “This isn’t the place to talk about it. Follow me.”

Suspicion prickled at the back of Elara’s mind, but she followed him, Theo close by her side. Liam led them to a small clearing deeper into the park, away from prying eyes and ears. When they stopped, he turned to face her, his expression grim.

“I didn’t want you to find out like this,” he said. “But I guess I don’t have a choice now.”

“Find out what?” Elara demanded, her voice trembling. “What is Chronos Labs? And why is my name in that notebook?”

Liam hesitated, his jaw tightening. “Chronos Labs is…an experimental research facility. They specialize in time manipulation and memory reconstruction. Your father runs it.”

Elara’s heart stopped. “What?”

Liam nodded. “He’s been working on it for years. They’ve developed technology that can alter a person’s perception of time, even send them into alternate timelines. It’s groundbreaking, but it’s dangerous. And you…” He hesitated, looking pained. “You were part of it.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “What are you talking about?”

“They’ve been using you as a test subject,” Liam said, his voice barely above a whisper. “That’s why your name is in the ledger. Your father thought the technology would be safer if it was tested on someone he trusted. Someone who wouldn’t question it.”

Elara took a step back, her mind spinning. Memories flashed through her head—moments that had seemed insignificant at the time but now took on a darker meaning. The long hours her father spent at work, his vague explanations about his research, the odd sense of déjà vu that had plagued her since she was a child.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “He wouldn’t do that. He loves me.”

“I’m sorry, Elara,” Liam said, his voice heavy with regret. “I didn’t know the full extent of it until recently. That’s why I was trying to reach you before the accident. I wanted to tell you everything, but I was scared. Scared of what it would do to you, scared of what Chronos would do to me if they found out I told you.”

Theo stepped forward, his expression dark. “So you were working for them too? Were you spying on her?”

Liam shook his head vehemently. “No. I never wanted to be part of this. They approached me because of my connection to Elara. They said if I helped them, they’d let her go. But it wasn’t true. They just kept pulling me in deeper.”

Elara stared at him, her anger and confusion boiling over. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”

“Because I didn’t know how,” Liam said, his voice breaking. “I thought I could protect you by staying quiet. But I was wrong.”

The weight of his confession settled over them like a thick fog. Elara turned to Theo, her chest tightening. “We have to go to my father. We have to confront him.”

Theo nodded, his hand brushing hers in a silent gesture of support. “We’ll figure this out, together.”

Liam looked hesitant. “If you go to him, be careful. Chronos doesn’t play fair. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect their secrets.”

Elara’s jaw clenched. “Then it’s time they learned I’m not afraid of them.”

As they left the park, her mind raced with questions. What had her father done to her? How deep did Chronos’s experiments go? And most importantly, could she ever trust him again?

When they reached her house, the windows were dark, and the air felt charged with anticipation. Elara steeled herself, gripping Theo’s hand tightly as they walked up the steps.

It was time to uncover the truth.

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Can y'all ☆, and comment your opinions on my book please? I'm nearly 16 and I don't mind criticism <3