📖 DIMENSION X
Episode 13: "The Place Between Seconds"
The sound didn't stop.
That high, piercing frequency from Dr. Voss's device cut through the treehouse like glass scraping glass. The shadows froze—but not completely.
They trembled.
Like something struggling to stay in control.
Ryan didn't look away from them. "What is it doing?"
Voss didn't answer immediately. His eyes were locked on Evie.
"…learning," he said finally.
Maya blinked. "That's not comforting."
Zayn tightened his grip on the metal rod. "Make it stop."
"It's not something you 'stop,'" Voss replied. "It's something you survive."
The shadows shifted again—stretching, pulling, almost tearing apart before snapping back into shape.
Arjun stepped closer, voice low but sharp. "Your device—it's disrupting its state, not destroying it."
Voss glanced at him briefly. "…correct."
Maya crossed her arms. "Great. So we're poking it. Love that."
Evie didn't move.
Her eyes were locked on the nearest shadow.
"…it's not trying to kill us."
Ryan turned sharply. "What?"
"It didn't in the forest," she said. "And now—it's not attacking."
Zayn scoffed. "It literally surrounded us."
"…but it didn't strike," Evie whispered.
The shadow closest to her leaned forward slightly.
Ryan stepped in front again. "Stay back."
The air dropped colder.
Voss raised the device higher. The frequency spiked.
The shadows flickered violently—
and vanished.
Just like that.
Gone.
Silence.
No movement.
No sound.
Nothing.
Maya exhaled slowly. "…I hate when it does that."
Zayn lowered the rod. "…it's not over."
"No," Voss said calmly. "It's not."
Ryan turned to him. "You're going to explain. Now."
Voss studied him for a moment.
Then stepped fully inside the treehouse.
"…you're inside a temporal fracture zone," he said.
Maya blinked. "A what now?"
"A place where time doesn't behave normally," Arjun translated quickly.
Voss nodded once. "Events repeat. Damage resets. And certain entities—" he paused, glancing at the window, "—use it."
Layla crossed her arms. "Use it for what?"
Voss looked at Evie again.
"…tracking."
Silence dropped instantly.
Ryan's jaw tightened. "Tracking her?"
Voss didn't deny it.
Evie's fingers curled slightly. "…why me?"
Voss stepped closer.
Not threatening.
Not gentle either.
Just… direct.
"…because you don't belong entirely to one place."
Maya whispered, "That sounds like a therapy issue."
No one laughed.
Zayn frowned. "You're saying it's connected to her dimension?"
"Yes."
Arjun leaned forward. "Asteria."
Voss's eyes flickered.
"…so you've heard the name."
Ryan stepped in. "We've heard enough to know you're hiding things."
Voss sighed lightly.
"…because information without context gets people killed."
Maya raised a hand. "We're already in the getting killed phase, sir."
Layla nodded. "Facts."
Voss hesitated.
Then turned toward the window again.
"…fine."
Everyone went still.
"Short version," he said. "The entity isn't just a creature."
A beat.
"…it's a memory."
Silence.
Ryan frowned. "That makes no sense."
"It remembers," Evie whispered.
Voss looked at her. "…exactly."
Arjun's mind raced. "A residual consciousness? Formed through energy overlap?"
"Closer," Voss said.
Maya blinked. "I am so lost."
Zayn muttered, "Same."
Voss continued. "When the portal between dimensions was forced open, it didn't just allow travel."
"It leaked," Arjun said.
"Yes."
"And that leak created… this?" Layla asked.
Voss nodded once.
"A being that exists between states. Not fully physical. Not fully temporal."
Ryan shook his head. "And it's following her."
"It's tied to her," Voss corrected.
Evie stepped back slightly.
"…why?"
Voss's expression didn't change.
"…because she was part of the original event."
The room went silent.
Ryan's voice dropped. "…what event?"
Evie shook her head quickly. "I don't know—"
"You don't remember," Voss said.
She froze.
"…remember what?"
Voss didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he lowered the device.
The air felt heavier now.
More real.
"…we don't have time for this," Ryan snapped. "If it comes back—"
"It will," Voss said.
"Then we need a way to stop it."
Voss looked at him.
"…you don't stop it by fighting."
Zayn scoffed. "Then what—talk to it?"
Voss didn't react.
"…you break the connection."
Arjun's eyes widened. "Between it and Evie."
Layla looked at Evie. "How?"
Voss's gaze softened slightly.
"…by finding where it started."
Silence.
Maya blinked. "You mean… the lab?"
Voss nodded.
"KlingKinz," Arjun said.
Ryan's heart dropped slightly.
"…we go there."
Zayn stared at him. "Again with the dangerous plans?"
Ryan didn't back down.
"It's the only lead."
Layla hesitated. "…he's right."
Maya sighed dramatically. "Wow. We're really doing this."
Evie spoke quietly.
"…it's getting stronger."
Everyone looked at her.
"…every time it appears," she continued, "it feels closer."
Voss nodded slowly.
"…because it's stabilizing."
Arjun frowned. "Meaning?"
"It's becoming more real."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Ryan exhaled. "…then we don't wait."
Voss stepped back toward the door.
"…you won't be ready."
Ryan met his gaze.
"…we don't have a choice."
A pause.
Then—
Voss gave a small, almost approving nod.
"…then we move before it fully anchors."
Maya blinked. "That sounded extremely bad."
"It is," Voss said.
Zayn looked around. "So what—tomorrow?"
Ryan shook his head.
"…no."
Everyone turned to him.
"…tonight."
Maya choked. "TONIGHT??"
Layla grabbed her arm. "Lower your voice—"
"NO I WILL NOT—"
Arjun stepped in quickly. "It makes sense. The fracture is active at night. We'll get clearer data."
Zayn groaned. "Of course you want clearer data."
Evie looked at Ryan.
"…I'll go."
Ryan nodded once.
"…we all go."
Silence.
Then—
"Fine," Maya muttered. "If I die, I'm blaming all of you."
Layla smirked. "Noted."
Zayn sighed. "Let's just get this over with."
Voss opened the door.
"…be ready in ten minutes."
Ryan frowned. "You're coming with us?"
Voss glanced back.
"…you'd die without me."
Maya whispered, "He's not wrong."
The door closed behind him.
The treehouse fell quiet again.
But not peaceful.
Not safe.
Ryan grabbed the bag of equipment.
"…gear up."
Arjun flipped his notebook open again.
"New objective: locate origin point."
Layla checked the flashlight.
Zayn adjusted the metal rod.
Maya picked up the toy sword.
"…you're still coming with me," she whispered to it.
Evie stood still.
Breathing slow.
Eyes distant.
"…it's waiting."
Ryan stepped beside her.
"…so are we."
Outside—
the wind picked up.
Leaves moved in uneven patterns.
The forest shifted.
Not physically.
But… something deeper.
Like it was preparing.
And far within it—
something stirred.
Not hunting.
Not hiding.
Watching.
Because this time—
they weren't just entering its territory.
They were heading straight to its beginning.
End of episode 13 😌