Chapter X: Mysteries

Eva sat on a shaded bench beneath a sprawling cherry tree, her eyes closed as she inhaled the crisp air. The late-afternoon sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon, casting pink hues through the drifting petals above. The wind carried them gently through the air like fleeting memories.

A few feet away, Bart crouched near a patch of soil. He scooped a handful of dirt and fed it into his materialised Gizmo, watching its interface flicker as it analysed the sample.

“I miss the world I once knew,” Eva said softly, still facing forward. “But somehow, I’m glad to have found a place so full of colour.” She opened her eyes and looked down at her lap. “Isn’t that right, Schrödinger?”

A small white cat with long ears and a crown of horns peered up at her. “Yes,” the cat replied calmly, “it is indeed a colourful world.”

He leapt onto her lap, curling against her warmth as the wind picked up. Eva smiled gently and stroked his soft fur, her attention shifting to Bart, who was approaching from the distance, holding his device.

Alice hummed to herself as she strolled through a secluded path in Central Park. The surrounding greenery had taken on an almost otherworldly tranquillity. Animals of all kinds lounged nearby—predators and prey alike coexisting in serene harmony, seemingly unfazed by her presence. Cubs played around her feet, and she gently petted them as she passed. The peacefulness stood in stark contrast to the fragmented chaos beyond the park’s natural perimeter.

Back on the hillside, Gizmo emitted a soft chime as it finished its scan.

“Eva,” Bart called out, his voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of concern. “You’ll want to see this.”

She looked up, her hand resting on Schrödinger’s back. “What did you find?”

Bart double-checked the display before speaking. “The soil’s isotopic ratios align with Earth’s known chemical composition... but there’s a deviation. The decay rates suggest we’re roughly 200 years in the past.”

Eva’s eyes widened. “Two hundred years?” She exhaled heavily. “Then Remy and Ramona were right. This is their timeline, not ours…”

Her voice trailed off, laced with quiet disappointment.

Schrödinger tilted his head, his horned crown catching the last light of day. He stood on his hind legs and gently tapped Eva’s cheek with a paw, a simple act of reassurance. She chuckled softly, the moment lifting her spirits.

Bart continued. “Gizmo’s picked up irregularities in Earth’s gravitational field—stronger in some areas, weaker in others. These fluctuations could explain the time dilation effects we’ve been experiencing.”

Eva nodded. “We’ll need more data. Gizmo can help us understand the structural differences… but we should be careful. I don’t entirely trust Remy or Ramona. Even if they helped me.”

Bart raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“It’s just a feeling… something doesn’t sit right,” she murmured, rubbing her arms as if warding off a chill.

Bart considered her words, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s proceed with caution. We need to uncover what changed in our world—and whether we can use this knowledge to prevent what’s coming.”

The sky dimmed, casting longer shadows across the cherry blossom-strewn hill.

“Hey Bart,” Eva said after a quiet pause. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Alice—who is she? What does she do? She seems to know more than she lets on.”

Bart’s relaxed demeanour vanished. “Honestly? In all my years with NIX as an Intelligence Administrator… I’ve never encountered her. Even running her name through the archives gave nothing. It’s like she doesn’t exist.”

Eva listened intently. Schrödinger curled tighter into her lap, ears twitching.

Bart hesitated before continuing. “She exists, but not within the system’s parameters. She's recognised only through personal memory. That’s why no records exist. She was held in maximum-security. The only reason I know her story… is because I was told to stay away.”

“What did she do?” Eva asked, barely above a whisper.

“She founded H.E.X.A.G.O.N.,” Bart said, his tone half-serious, half-admiring. “The anomalies that are tearing apart our timelines? She’s studied them. Created them. Survived them. She’s… dangerous, and brilliant.”

Eva’s eyes widened—and memories began to return.

Classes at the NIX Symposium had ended, and students flooded out into the crisp autumn evening. Eva walked briskly away from the main building, clearly avoiding the lanky student trailing behind her.

“Eva! Wait up!” Felix jogged after her, ignoring her obvious disinterest.

She turned abruptly. “Just because I fixed your paper yesterday doesn’t mean we’re friends,” she snapped. “Back off.”

She paused. “Or do you want to be thrown again?”

Felix paled. “Ah—no.”

“Then disappear.” She turned sharply and resumed walking.

“Wait!” Felix shouted after her. “You said you’ve heard the name Starling before. Please—what do you know?”

Eva stopped. Her voice dropped, almost lost to the wind. “She’s just a ghost…”

“Please,” he said. “She saved my life. Seven years ago. I was living on the street—hungry, freezing. I thought I’d die there. Then she appeared, out of nowhere. For the first time, I felt… warm. I promised her I’d find her again one day. That’s why I joined NIX. I have to find her.”

Eva turned, tears glistening in her eyes. A melancholic smile formed.

“That… sounds like her. She was a hopeless romantic,” Eva whispered.

“Was?” Felix asked hesitantly.

Eva looked away.

“She’s dead.”

Felix sat curled on the edge of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. The fish below watched him silently, their movements calm, unaware of the sorrow above.

Tetsuo, his friend, stepped onto the water—his badge allowing him to phase-shift across the surface. He sat beside Felix, mirroring his hunched posture.

“Eva told me what happened,” Tetsuo said gently.

Felix forced a smile. “You didn’t know. It’s okay.”

“Are you really okay?”

Felix hesitated, then shook his head. “No. I didn’t know Starling was Eva’s sister.”

“She’s not, biologically,” Tetsuo replied. “Starling was adopted before Eva’s parents were killed. A Void attacked their home when Eva was four. Starling raised her. No one knows what happened to her, but her biometric record… flatlined.”

Silence fell between them until Tetsuo spoke again, patting Felix’s back.

“I’m not good with words… but pull yourself together, will you? Who’s going to share my pizza stash if you spiral?”

Felix laughed despite himself. “You’d get fat without me.”

“Fat? Me? Never. Eva though—”

Suddenly, a voice boomed behind them. They turned.

Eva stood with arms crossed, furious.

Before either could speak, her M.J.O.L.N.I.R. phase-blade sliced their badges into fragments. They screamed as they plunged into the freezing water. Felix struggled to keep them both afloat.

“Belvedere Castle. 1500 hours. Don’t be late!” Eva snapped before phase-shifting away.

Felix dragged Tetsuo ashore, grumbling. “I’ve never swum that fast in my life.”

“I hate cold water,” Tetsuo muttered, teeth chattering.

***

Felix and Tetsuo had dried off and changed at the NIX Polytechnic Dormitory following their frigid plunge into the reservoir. Racing through Central Park, they arrived at Belvedere Castle with a minute to spare, lungs burning from the sprint.

Though the castle had undergone countless renovations, its old-world Gothic charm persisted. Subtle integrations of advanced tech gave it an eerie juxtaposition of past and future. Most Stargazer recruits found the place unsettling—rumoured to be owned by an anonymous benefactor before its inheritance passed to the enigmatic Evangeline Weiss.

Felix knocked. The grand wooden door creaked open automatically. He and Tetsuo stepped inside as the door sealed shut behind them.

“EVA! We’re here! Tetsuo brought a lot of pizzas!” Felix called out, eyes scanning the dim corridor. No reply.

Tetsuo shrugged, and they began exploring. The kitchen and pantry were first—every appliance covered with artificial dustproof drapes. Tetsuo placed the boxes on a sterile counter, admiring the opulent design, while Felix peeked into the fridge—nothing but bottled water.

“It’s rude to rifle through someone’s fridge, Felix,” Eva’s voice announced, startling them both as she entered.

“You do know no one cooks anymore, right? Everything’s auto-prepared. So, why do you even have a kitchen?” Felix asked, genuinely puzzled.

“I don’t cook. Starling did,” Eva replied. Her voice softened. “She made the best food I’ve ever tasted. Every dish had soul. This kitchen’s just a memory now. A tribute.”

Felix blinked. The memory of a warm diner night with Starling returned.

“Follow me,” Eva said, turning. “There’s something I want to show you.”

On the upper floor, near the tower chamber, they entered a large room with a vaulted ceiling painted to resemble deep space—glittering galaxies swirling above. Rows of bookshelves lined the walls, filled not with HoloPads but actual books. Boxes, crates, and labelled storage bins were scattered throughout the space.

“Whoa,” Felix murmured in awe.

“How did you get all this?” Tetsuo asked, matching Felix’s astonishment.

“I didn’t. It was here when I inherited the castle,” Eva said, lifting a feather duster and brushing dust from the covers.

“Do you even know who gave you the place?” Tetsuo pressed, picking up a comic.

“Nope,” Eva replied flatly.

Felix crossed his arms. “Alright, what’s this really about? Showing us a banned archive of forbidden knowledge? Sounds like entrapment. You trying to frame us?”

Eva turned away and mumbled something.

“Huh?” they asked in unison, stepping closer.

“I need help… organising all this,” she said at last.

Felix sneezed. “Bless you,” Eva added with mechanical politeness.

“Well, this place does need it,” Tetsuo admitted, noting that only parts of the room seemed recently dusted. “But…”

“But first,” Eva declared, “you both need to join H.E.X.A.G.O.N. Frisbee!”

“H.E.X.A—what?” they echoed.

Something zipped past their heads, narrowly missing them. They stumbled backward and fell face-first into a pile of boxes. A small hovering robot, shaped like a winged disc, hovered above.

“HELLO!” the bot chirped. “My name is Frisbee! I assist new participants in joining H.E.X.A.G.O.N.—that’s the Hub of Enlightened Xtraordinaries: an Analytical Guild for Oddities in the Nexuscape! As a member, your job is to collect, protect, and appreciate all things tabooed by the NIX system! Treasures, artefacts, banned literature—think of it as a nerd’s secret museum!”

Frisbee's tone brightened unsettlingly.

“But be warned: H.E.X.A.G.O.N. membership is permanent. You cannot withdraw. Refusal to comply may result in… disciplinary action. And by that, I mean: termination and interment beneath this castle’s catacombs. So! Join us, won’t you?!”

Felix and Tetsuo exchanged flat stares.

“Nice recruitment pitch,” they thought sarcastically as they stood back up.

“I can pay you both $100 an hour,” Eva added. “More if you actually help clean.”

Felix lit up instantly and signed the projected contract.

Tetsuo scratched his neck. “I’ve already got a job at NIX Bistro. I won’t have much time. But… I’d like to join. Just as a member. No pay needed. I love this stuff. I don’t get why NIX banned it—it’s amazing.”

“You’re exactly the kind of person we treasure,” Frisbee twirled. “One who preserves imagination when the world wants to erase it!”

Tetsuo signed.

He immediately zipped around the room, sorting and stacking books with uncanny speed. Within an hour, a third of the room had been reorganised. But then his Gizmo buzzed—time for his night shift. Several bistro employees had fallen ill, and his manager had requested backup.

He made his way out. Near the door, he paused—eyes catching a dusty photo on a desk. A man, his face faded beyond recognition, stood beside two young girls. The younger was Eva. The taller one—he realised—must have been Starling.

Before he could investigate further, his Gizmo buzzed again. Sighing, he dashed off, forgetting to ask.

“I see,” Eva said, nodding as she absorbed Bart’s findings.

“Do you… not trust Alice?” Bart asked carefully.

“I don’t trust anyone,” Eva said. “Not even you. Trust isn’t about what’s true—it’s about whether someone’s worthy. Worthy of being relied on when things fall apart. Worthy of standing by someone, even if they don’t know you’re there. Like guardian angels.”

Bart was silent for a beat, then smiled. “You’ve grown. I’m proud of you.”

Eva shrugged. “I made friends.”

She scratched behind Schrödinger’s ears. He stretched, purring contentedly.

Without warning, Alice appeared beside them.

“Found anything interesting?” she asked casually.

They jumped. Schrödinger yowled.

“Yes,” Bart said, recovering. “Gravitational irregularities confirm this Earth is from 2023. And… I found something else. Alice, how did you know Central Park has a ley line network?!”

Alice tilted her head, smiling faintly.

“Ley lines—myth to most, reality to few. Invisible threads of energy that connect sacred sites and landmarks. Some believe they anchor reality itself. And Central Park? It's one of the few places where several lines converge.”

Eva furrowed her brow. “So… in 2203, the lines are broken?”

“They can’t be broken,” Alice corrected. “But they can be overloaded. When that happens, like an electrical fuse, they shut down. What we need to do is find the tripped fuses and reset them.”

Eva glanced at her suspiciously. “I take it this is part of your H.E.X.A.G.O.N. research?”

“Obviously. Have you reviewed the material yet?”

“Felix drooled on page five. I sneezed through half the pile. Comics were easier,” Eva muttered. Bart chuckled.

Alice’s eye twitched. “No respect for physical media.”

Leaves rustled.

Remy and Ramona emerged, cautious.

Alice turned, her eyes like blades beneath a veil of charm. Remy briefly saw Elizabeth’s broken, pleading face in his mind’s eye. He swallowed it down.

“Remy. Ramona. Lovely of you to join us,” Alice said, her smile sharp and hollow.

“What’s going on?” Remy asked, keeping his tone even.

“We have a situation,” Alice replied. “And you’re both part of the resolution.”

Ramona’s nerves tightened. Something in Alice’s tone made her skin crawl.

Alice stepped closer. “Think of this as a continuation of your last mission.”

Remy tensed. “What do you mean?”

Alice’s gaze turned cold, then—surprisingly—confused. “Please tell me you both checked the news.”

Ramona nodded quickly and held out her phone. “We… did. Here.”

Alice read the national emergency alert. Her smile returned. This time, it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Excellent,” she whispered. “Now. Here’s what we all have to do...”

As Alice laid out their next steps, Ramona couldn’t shake the sense that a door had just closed behind them. And whatever awaited on the other side—there would be no turning back.