Chronos’ Compass

Chronos’ Compass

A Journey Through Time’s Fragile Threads

Alexandra Kane

Copyright © 2024 by Alexandra Kane

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

First Edition: December 2024

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Call of the Artifact

Chapter 2 Unraveling Secrets

Chapter 3 The Chase Through Shadows

Chapter 4 Echoes of the Past

Chapter 5 Patterns in the Chaos

Chapter 6 Threads of Time

Chapter 7 Into the Heart of History

Chapter 8 The Philosopher’s Warning

Chapter 9 Fractured Resolve

Chapter 10 The Cost of Survival

Chapter 11 Tides of Influence

Chapter 12 The Cabal’s Grip

Chapter 13 The Artifact’s Purpose

Chapter 14 Reshaping Destiny

Chapter 15 Threads Unraveled

Epilogue The Guardians of Time

​Chapter 1

The Call of the Artifact

​Evelyn Hart stood at the entrance of the workshop, her gloved hand hovering over the doorframe as if afraid to let it touch the grime-covered wood. She adjusted her scarf, not because of the cold, but because the air reeked of burnt metal and machine oil. The faint sound of jazz drifted through the cracked windows, a surprising companion to the occasional clink of tools. She braced herself and stepped inside, her heeled boots clicking sharply against the uneven floor.

The interior was a chaotic symphony of ingenuity and disaster. Gadgets of indeterminate purpose were strewn across every available surface, wires hung haphazardly from the ceiling, and gears lay scattered on the ground like fallen leaves. Evelyn grimaced. This was not her domain of meticulously cataloged artifacts and orderly archives.

Sebastian Cade? she called, her voice crisp and authoritative, honed by years in academic lecture halls. She let her accent—clipped, polished, and distinctly British—carry through the room, cutting through the mechanical hums and groans.

From behind a cluttered workbench, a man emerged, wiping his grease-stained hands on an already ruined apron. His tousled auburn hair and roguish smirk clashed with the sharp, calculating glint in his green eyes. He leaned casually against the bench, a brass cog in one hand and a wrench in the other.

You must be Dr. Hart, he said, his gaze sweeping over her in a way that made her feel simultaneously appraised and dismissed. The historian who thinks she can tell a mechanic how a machine works.

Evelyn arched a brow, tightening her grip on the leather strap of her satchel. And you must be the tinkerer who fancies himself a scientist, she replied. Her words were clipped, her tone icy enough to rival the London fog outside. I’m not here to exchange pleasantries, Mr. Cade. I require your expertise, not your ego.

Sebastian’s smirk widened, and he set the wrench down with exaggerated precision. You wound me, Doctor. My ego and expertise are a package deal. What’s so urgent that it brought you to my doorstep, hmm? Some dusty old clock you couldn’t figure out?

Evelyn snapped open her satchel and produced the artifact—a small, intricate device that seemed to absorb the dim light of the workshop. It was covered in glyphs that shimmered faintly, their edges etched with a precision that defied simple categorization. It looked ancient, yet impossibly advanced, as if it belonged to no time and every time all at once.

This, she said, holding it out like a challenge, is not a clock. It’s a mechanism of extraordinary complexity. The glyphs suggest a hybrid of Greek geometry and mechanical engineering. I’ve deciphered some of the inscriptions, but the mechanics are... She hesitated, as if reluctant to admit her limitation. Unusual.

Sebastian took the artifact from her, his touch unexpectedly careful. He turned it over in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he studied its details. Unusual, he repeated, his tone laced with amusement. That’s one way to put it. And you brought it here because...?

Because, Evelyn said, her voice tightening, it requires precision, not chaos. She gestured sharply to the cluttered workshop, her disdain evident. I doubt this environment inspires much confidence.

Sebastian barked a laugh, setting the artifact on the workbench. Chaos is where the best ideas are born, Doctor. You historians like to tidy up the past, but out here in the real world? Things get messy.

I prefer my messes with clear boundaries, she countered. And I’ll thank you not to compare the pursuit of historical truth to...whatever it is you do.

Whatever it is I do, he echoed, leaning in slightly, happens to defy the laws of physics on a good day. But please, enlighten me—what does your tidy little analysis tell you about this thing?

Evelyn hesitated, her pride wrestling with her need for his help. The inscriptions suggest it’s a navigational device. A map, possibly, though it doesn’t correspond to any known system. The mechanisms, however... She gestured to the intricate gears visible beneath the artifact’s surface. They’re unlike anything I’ve encountered.

Sebastian gave a low whistle, picking up a magnifying glass to examine the artifact closer. Well, well. A mystery. My favorite kind. He shot her a look. And here I thought you bookworms didn’t believe in those.

Evelyn bristled. We believe in mysteries that can be solved through evidence and reason, not blind tinkering.

Blind tinkering, he mused, tapping a finger against the artifact. You keep saying that like it’s an insult. You’re in my workshop, Doctor. Trust me—your artifact’s in good hands.

She crossed her arms, her skepticism clear. We’ll see about that.

As Sebastian began to tinker with the artifact, Evelyn watched, her irritation mingling with a reluctant curiosity. The faint hum of the device filled the room, a sound both ancient and alive. For all her disdain for his methods, she couldn’t deny that Sebastian Cade might be exactly what this puzzle required.

But she didn’t have to like it.

​————

The soft glow of the artifact bathed Sebastian’s workbench in an otherworldly light. Evelyn stood a few steps back, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she watched him. Her expression was a mixture of irritation and apprehension as Sebastian’s deft fingers turned the device this way and that, his green eyes narrowing in concentration.

You’re handling it like it’s a trinket from a street market, Evelyn said sharply, her clipped tone breaking the quiet of the workshop. That artifact predates anything you’ve likely ever encountered.

Sebastian smirked but didn’t look up. I’m handling it like it’s an object with moving parts, Doctor. Relax. I’m not going to break your ancient little doodad.

Evelyn bristled. This ‘doodad,’ as you so eloquently put it, could be centuries old. The glyphs alone suggest a blend of Greek mathematical principles and mechanical engineering. Possibly even something predating the Hellenistic period.

Fascinating, Sebastian said dryly, still focused on the artifact. But if you’re done reciting the history lecture, maybe you could tell me what it’s supposed to do?

I don’t know, Evelyn admitted, her voice tight with frustration. That’s the problem. The inscriptions hint at navigation, perhaps something akin to a celestial map. But the mechanics— She paused, gesturing toward the intricate gears visible beneath its surface. They’re unlike anything I’ve ever studied. This device doesn’t fit into any known historical framework.

Sebastian glanced up, finally meeting her gaze. So, let me get this straight. You’re handing me something that doesn’t fit into the tidy little boxes of history, and you want me to what—poke at it until it tells us its secrets?

Evelyn sighed, the tension in her shoulders evident. I’m asking you to approach it with precision and care. We don’t know what activating it could trigger.

Well, Sebastian said with a grin, only one way to find out.

Before Evelyn could stop him, Sebastian turned a small dial on the artifact. The hum emanating from it grew louder, and the glyphs along its surface began to shift, glowing faintly. Evelyn’s breath caught as the room seemed to vibrate with an invisible energy.

Sebastian! Stop! she snapped, stepping forward. You can’t just—

Relax, he interrupted, holding the artifact steady. It’s not doing anything dangerous. Yet.

The glow intensified, casting intricate patterns of light onto the workshop walls. Sebastian leaned closer, his expression shifting from amusement to genuine intrigue. You said something about navigation, he murmured. What if it’s reacting to the environment? Maybe it’s picking up on magnetic fields or—

Or proximity to objects of historical significance, Evelyn cut in, her voice sharp. I considered that theory, but there’s no evidence to—

To prove it, Sebastian finished for her, flashing a grin. No evidence except for the glowing doodad in my hands.

Evelyn scowled, but her eyes remained fixed on the artifact. If you break it, you’ll be dealing with the British Museum, not just me.

Noted, Sebastian said, his tone maddeningly flippant. Now, let’s see...

He gently pressed one of the smaller glyphs, and a faint whirring sound filled the room. The artifact’s glow shifted from a soft gold to a deep blue, and Evelyn felt a strange pull in the air, as if the very atmosphere had changed.

That’s new, Sebastian murmured, tilting his head.

Don’t touch anything else, Evelyn said quickly, stepping closer. This reaction—it’s different. It could be a response to the workshop’s electromagnetic field, or...

Or me, Sebastian offered, raising an eyebrow. What if it’s responding to physical contact? You’ve handled it, and now I’m handling it. Maybe it needs more than one person.

Evelyn hesitated, considering his words. It’s possible, she said reluctantly. But that would imply a level of engineering far beyond its apparent time period.

Which is exactly why it’s interesting, Sebastian said, his excitement growing. Let’s see what else it can—

Don’t you dare, Evelyn interrupted, her voice rising in alarm. We’ve already pushed it too far. If you activate the wrong mechanism, we could—

The artifact let out a sharp click, and both of them froze. The glow pulsed once, twice, then dimmed, leaving the workshop in silence. Sebastian set the device back on the workbench with exaggerated care, flashing her a sheepish grin.

Well, he said, breaking the tension, it didn’t explode. That’s a win, right?

Evelyn glared at him, her fists clenched at her sides. You’re impossible.

And yet, Sebastian replied, leaning casually against the workbench, you’re still here. Which means you need me, Doctor.

I need someone who respects the gravity of what they’re handling, Evelyn shot back. She stepped closer, her gaze fixed on the artifact. This device could be one of the most significant discoveries of the century. If we don’t understand it, we could cause irreparable harm—to ourselves and potentially to history.

Then it’s a good thing I’m here to help, Sebastian said, his grin softening. Because you might know the glyphs, Doctor, but I know machines. And this little gadget? It’s telling us a story. We just have to listen.

Evelyn sighed, the weight of the artifact’s mystery pressing heavily on her. Then listen carefully, Mr. Cade. Because one wrong move, and we might not live to tell the tale.

​————

The faint glow of the artifact had dimmed, but the sense of unease in the room remained. Evelyn adjusted her scarf, a subconscious motion that Sebastian noticed with a smirk.

You’re going to wear that thing out if you keep fidgeting, he teased, leaning against the workbench. What’s the matter, Doctor? Nervous about my tinkering?

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed, her tone sharp. Nervous isn’t the word I’d use. Reckless, chaotic—those feel more appropriate. This isn’t a game, Mr. Cade.

Relax, Sebastian said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. The artifact’s fine. No explosions, no time loops. We’re golden.

She opened her mouth to retort but froze as a shadow flickered across the workshop’s frosted window. Her academic instincts, usually rooted in skepticism, gave way to a sharp