The red light from the core of Kronos continued to blink in the room. The increasingly deafening hum of the machines made everyone realize that they were truly almost out of time.
Lyra stood motionless in front of the device.
“What are we supposed to do?”
No one answered right away.
Ezra approached with a serious expression.
“This core is the center of the entire Kronos system.”
“What happens if we shut it down?”
Ezra looked at the device.
“There’s a chance the system will stop.”
“And the other possibility?”
Ezra fell silent.
Lyra understood.
“There’s a major risk.”
Arka immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t.”
Lyra turned to him.
“What?”
“Don’t do anything without knowing the consequences.”
Lyra looked at Arka.
“You always do that yourself.”
Arka fell silent.
“You left without saying a word. You risked your own life to protect me.”
Lyra drew a breath.
“So now it’s my turn.”
Arka looked at her worriedly.
“I don’t want to lose you.”
The words left Lyra speechless.
For a moment, all the fear she had kept buried came rushing back.
But she knew there was no time to hesitate.
Nadia walked over.
“If someone has to make the decision, let Lyra choose.”
Arka looked at Nadia.
“You agree?”
“No.”
Nadia shook her head.
“I don’t agree that she should have to bear everything alone. But I also know she won’t stop.”
Lyra gave a faint smile.
“You know me too well.”
“Unfortunately, I do.”
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Everyone immediately went on alert.
Raven looked toward the door.
“He’s here.”
The door slowly opened.
Dr. Varen appeared.
There was no panic on his face.
He walked casually, as though he had planned everything that was happening.
“Interesting.”
Lyra stared at him.
“What’s interesting?”
“You.”
Dr. Varen smiled.
“Eighteen years ago, you cried and begged me to stop everything.”
Lyra clenched her fists.
“I remember.”
“But now you’re standing here.”
“I’m not that same little girl anymore.”
“That’s what I wanted to see.”
Dr. Varen looked at the Kronos core.
“Can human beings really change?”
Lyra glared at him.
“You did all this for the sake of one question?”
“Not merely a question.”
Dr. Varen stepped closer.
“This is about proving that human beings are always controlled by their past.”
Lyra shook her head.
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
Lyra looked at Arka, Nadia, and Raven.
“Our past does shape us.”
She paused.
“But that doesn’t mean it determines who we are.”
For the first time, Dr. Varen’s expression changed.
As though her answer wasn’t what he had expected.
“You still have the same convictions as your mother.”
“And you still don’t understand people.”
Dr. Varen chuckled.
“You think feelings can overcome science?”
“No.”
Lyra stepped forward.
“But people aren’t machines.”
Dr. Varen glanced at the clock on the screen.
20:05:42.
“Let’s see if you still believe that when you have to choose.”
The large screen behind him lit up.
Two choices appeared.
OPTION A: SHUT DOWN KRONOS
OPTION B: SAVE THE RELATED SUBJECT
Lyra read the words.
“What does that mean?”
Dr. Varen smiled.
“Kronos is already connected to someone.”
Arka’s expression changed.
“No.”
Lyra immediately looked at him.
“Arka?”
Dr. Varen stared at Arka.
“He got too close to the system. When he tried to destroy this project, he became part of the process.”
Lyra moved toward Arka.
“What does he mean?”
Arka said nothing.
“Arka.”
At last, Arka spoke quietly.
“I know.”
Lyra stared at him in disbelief.
“You knew?”
Arka nodded.
“From the beginning.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I knew you’d try to save me.”
Lyra held back her emotions.
“So you chose to hide it from me again?”
“I just wanted you to stay alive.”
Lyra shook her head.
“I hate it when everyone makes decisions for me.”
Dr. Varen smiled as he watched them.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
He pointed at the screen.
“If you shut down Kronos, the system will stop. But Arka might not survive.”
Everyone fell silent.
“If you save Arka, Kronos will keep running.”
Nadia looked at the screen.
“This isn’t a choice.”
Dr. Varen nodded.
“Of course not.”
Lyra stared at him.
“You did this on purpose.”
“Because I want to see your answer.”
“What answer?”
“Whether you’re still the same as you were back then.”
Lyra looked at the Kronos core.
Then at Arka.
Her thoughts were in chaos.
All this time, she had been chasing time to find Arka.
Now time was forcing her to choose between putting an end to all of this and holding on to the person she wanted to save.
Arka walked closer.
“Lyra.”
He took Lyra’s hand.
“I’m ready for whatever happens.”
“No.”
“I’m serious.”
“No.”
Lyra looked at him.
“I won’t let you give up.”
Arka gave a small smile.
“You’re always like this.”
“Like what?”
“Always looking for a way, even when everything seems impossible.”
Lyra looked at the device in front of her.
She began to notice something.
The small text beneath the screen.
PRIMARY ACCESS REQUIRES THE SUBJECT’S ORIGINAL MEMORY.
Lyra froze.
“Original memory…”
Ezra approached.
“What?”
Lyra pointed at the screen.
“Kronos doesn’t need a decision.”
Everyone looked at it.
“It needs a memory.”
Raven understood immediately.
“Dr. Varen doesn’t want you to choose.”
Lyra looked at Dr. Varen.
“He wants me to unlock my memories.”
Dr. Varen smiled.
“You finally understand.”
Lyra stepped toward the Kronos core.
“If I give it my memories?”
“The entire system will open.”
“And Arka?”
Dr. Varen fell silent.
Lyra gave a small smile.
“You never intended to give me a choice.”
She looked at her friends.
“You only wanted to see whether I would do the same thing I did back then.”
Dr. Varen frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Lyra saw the old recording of her mother that still remained in her mind.
Her mother had once said:
“Don’t let them take your time.”
“Not because time can be stopped.”
“But because time belongs to those brave enough to choose.”
Lyra placed her hand on the main panel.
Every alarm immediately began to blare.
“Lyra!”
Arka shouted.
But Lyra continued.
“I’m not going to choose just one.”
Dr. Varen looked shocked.
“What?”
Lyra stared at him.
“I’m going to stop Kronos and save Arka.”
“That’s impossible.”
Lyra gave a faint smile.
“Maybe for you.”
White light began to fill the room.
Old memories began to surface.
Her mother’s voice.
Her small face.
Raven.
And everything that had been locked away all this time.
But this time, Lyra didn’t fight them.
She accepted them.
Because she finally understood.
She didn’t need to forget the past to move forward.
She only needed to accept that the past was a part of her.
And when the countdown reached its final number, Lyra opened her eyes.
A single sentence appeared on the screen.
ACCESS GRANTED.
But at the same time, the entire Kronos system began to change.
It wasn’t shutting down.
It was changing hands.
And Dr. Varen’s voice rang out, filled with fury.
“Impossible.”
Lyra stared at the screen.
Because for the first time, Kronos was no longer following its creator’s commands.
Kronos was following Lyra’s choice.