Ellis gripped the polished brass handle of the Chronomancer 3000, her latest—and possibly final—attempt at crafting a fully functional time machine. The laboratory around her was dim, lit only by the soft blue glow of the machine’s control panel and the warm flicker of an Edison bulb hanging above. Wires snaked across the room, connecting various components she had scavenged over the years. The air smelled faintly of burnt metal and ozone, a testament to countless failed experiments.
This time, though, she was sure it would work.
Ellis activated the device with a resolute push of the handle. The machine whirred to life, vibrating under her touch. The world outside the bubble of her lab seemed to warp and twist, light bending in ways that defied nature. Then, with a sound like rushing wind, everything went still.
She opened her eyes to find herself standing in the middle of a bustling marketplace. But it wasn’t the modern city she’d left behind. Instead, she was surrounded by cobblestone streets, wooden carts laden with produce, and people clad in tunics and cloaks. The air smelled of freshly baked bread and a hint of smoke from nearby hearths.
A medieval town. She had done it.
Ellis’ heart pounded with exhilaration as she tucked her small handheld tracker into her jacket. The tracker would help her return to her own time, assuming she didn’t lose it. She wandered through the marketplace, marveling at the simplicity and charm of a world long past.
“Oi! You there!” a gruff voice barked.
Ellis turned to see a burly man with a leather apron stained from his work as a blacksmith. He eyed her modern clothing suspiciously.
“You lost, lass?” he asked, his thick brow furrowing.
Before she could respond, a young boy darted past her, snatching her tracker from her jacket pocket. Ellis gasped and instinctively gave chase, weaving through the crowded market. The boy was quick, darting through narrow alleyways and leaping over barrels. Ellis pushed herself to keep up, her breath coming in sharp bursts. She couldn’t lose the tracker—not here, not now.
Finally, the boy darted into a dimly lit cellar. Ellis hesitated at the entrance, catching her breath. She stepped inside cautiously, her eyes adjusting to the gloom. The boy stood near the back of the room, holding the tracker aloft like a trophy.
“What is this thing?” he demanded, his voice quivering between curiosity and defiance.
“It’s… nothing you’d understand,” Ellis replied, taking a cautious step forward. “But it’s very important to me. Please, just give it back.”
The boy hesitated, then shook his head. “Important things are worth money. I’ll take it to the market and sell it.”
“No!” Ellis cried, her voice echoing in the small space. “It’s not valuable in the way you think. It’s… it’s magic. Dangerous magic.”
The boy’s eyes widened slightly, but before he could respond, the air in the cellar began to shimmer. A soft, metallic hum filled the room, growing louder with each passing second. Ellis recognized the sound immediately—another traveler.
A portal opened in the air beside her, swirling with silver light. A tall figure stepped through, clad in a sleek, black suit that gleamed under the portal’s glow. His eyes locked onto Ellis, and a cold smile spread across his face.
“Well, well,” he said smoothly. “Dr. Ellis Grant. I’ve been looking for you.”
Ellis’ blood ran cold. She knew who this was: Adrian Vex, a rogue time traveler who had been hunting her for years. He believed the Chronomancer was the key to controlling time itself, and he would stop at nothing to possess it.
“I don’t have time for this, Vex,” Ellis snapped, backing away. “Leave me alone.”
Vex chuckled, his voice laced with menace. “Oh, but you’ve made it so easy, coming here and leaving your precious machine unprotected. Hand over the tracker, and I might let you walk away.”
Ellis glanced at the boy, who was now frozen with fear. “Run,” she whispered to him. “Now.”
The boy hesitated, then bolted for the stairs, the tracker still clutched tightly in his hand. Vex lunged after him, but Ellis grabbed a nearby chair and swung it into his path, buying the boy a few seconds’ lead.
“You’ve gotten bolder,” Vex said, brushing off the chair’s splintered remains. “But you can’t win.”
Ellis didn’t respond. Instead, she sprinted after the boy, her mind racing. She needed to get the tracker back before Vex did, or they would both be stranded here—at his mercy.
The chase spilled out into the town square, where the boy zigzagged through the crowd, clearly trying to lose both of them. Ellis and Vex followed, causing a commotion as startled villagers shouted and jumped out of their way. Ellis’ lungs burned, but she pressed on, desperate to keep the tracker out of Vex’s hands.
Finally, the boy climbed onto a wooden cart and leapt onto a low rooftop. Ellis scrambled up after him, her hands slipping on the worn shingles. Vex followed, his movements unnervingly fluid and precise. They were now a trio of silhouettes racing across the rooftops, their shadows stretching long in the afternoon sun.
“Give it to me!” Vex growled, his voice cutting through the wind.
The boy skidded to a stop at the edge of the roof, trapped. Below him was a sheer drop into the river that ran through the town. He turned to face his pursuers, his face pale.
Ellis held up her hands in a gesture of peace. “It’s okay,” she said gently. “Just give it to me. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
The boy’s eyes darted between her and Vex, clearly unsure whom to trust. Finally, with a trembling hand, he held out the tracker to Ellis. She stepped forward cautiously, but before she could reach him, Vex lunged.
The boy screamed and slipped, falling backward off the roof. Ellis’ heart stopped as she dove, grabbing his arm just in time. The tracker tumbled from his hand, landing on a ledge below. Vex ignored them and dropped down to retrieve it.
Ellis gritted her teeth, her arm straining to hold the boy’s weight. “Hold on!” she shouted.
With a final surge of effort, she pulled him back onto the roof. They both collapsed, gasping for air. Below, Vex had retrieved the tracker and was activating it, his sinister smile visible even from this distance.
“No,” Ellis whispered. Without thinking, she pulled a small device from her pocket—a failsafe she had built into the tracker. She pressed the button, and the tracker sparked violently in Vex’s hand. He howled in pain as the portal he had been summoning collapsed, pulling him into its chaotic swirl.
For a moment, the town was silent, the only sound the distant babble of the river. Ellis sat up, her body trembling with exhaustion. The boy looked at her, his eyes wide with awe.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Ellis managed a tired smile. “Just someone trying to make things right.”
She retrieved the damaged tracker from the ledge and activated its emergency function. The portal opened, its light wrapping around her like a warm embrace.
“Take care of yourself,” she said to the boy. And then, in a flash of light, she was gone.
Back in her lab, Ellis sat down heavily, the adrenaline fading. She had survived another encounter with Vex, but she knew he would return. Time was a tricky thing, after all, and some wounds never healed.
But for now, she allowed herself a small moment of triumph. She had traveled through time and come back stronger, more determined than ever.
The past had its dangers, but so did the future. And Ellis Grant was ready for whatever came next.