The Silent Guardian — Chapter 13, Part 1: Xia’s Return
This installment is part of The Silent Guardian, a time-travel science-fiction novel. Browse the serialized novel archive. Previous: Chapter 12, Part 2: The Sigma Event.
The uneven cobblestones beneath my boots force me to be careful. A miscalculation comes with the risk of falling into their hands.
Their boots pounding against stones are louder now. The Phylax agents are too close. All three of them refuse to let up. I ignore the burn in my legs and the ache in my side. I catch a glimpse of their shapes elongated on the walls beside me. I can’t outrun them much longer.
I duck into another alley, even narrower than the last. A wooden stall sits overturned in the middle of the path, its contents spilling across the ground. Leaping over the broken pottery expends more effort than I wish to use.
A figure breaks through the crowd, moving toward me with surprising speed. Their dark clothing sends a surge through my nerves—at first, I think it might be the soldier from the desert, back to finish what he started. Or worse, a fourth Phylax I hadn’t accounted for. Realizing who it is does nothing to assuage my fear.
Xia.
“Adam!” she shouts, urgency ripping through the air. “Follow me!”
I don’t slow down. I can’t. My gaze darts to Xia, then to the shadows creeping beside me, calculating my options. The Phylax agents are too close.
If I stop and fight, I’m outnumbered three to one. Xia might be here to kill me as well. If I keep fleeing, my chances of escaping all three are slim. That leaves one option: move forward with Xia. I can’t trust her, but I have no other choice. I make my decision, change course, and run straight for Xia. If she plans to betray me, I’ll encounter that fight soon enough.
When I’m within reach, she extends her arm and grabs my wrist. Before I know what is happening, a sharp, tingling sensation spreads over my limbs. My head spins; a wave of nausea grips me, causing me to stagger. The world around me wavers, the colors bleeding into one another as if the fabric of reality unravels. My ears ring with an almost unbearable pitch, drowning out the pounding footsteps behind me.
Xia had shifted us through time. My heart races as I slow to a walk, breaths escaping in bursts. The sun hangs in the sky as before, and the stones underfoot feel the same.
“It’s a week after the chase,” Xia says. “We’re pretty sure the Phylax agents are gone. For now.”
I straighten myself, anger burning inside. My arms fly up, furiously signing the questions that have haunted me. Who are you? Why are you here? Why should I trust you?
Xia stops me before I can finish. “Don’t bother,” she says, her voice unnervingly calm considering the chaos we escaped. “I don’t understand your sign language. If you’re patient, we’ll explain everything.”
Frustration simmers beneath my skin. She knows something crucial; I can feel it. And why does she keep saying we?
“Come on,” Xia adds, nodding toward the now-empty street. “We’re close to the safe house. Let’s hurry. The Phylax might be gone for now, but they will figure out we’re here soon enough. If they haven’t already.”
I consider walking away from her. Why should I follow?
When I glance at the empty street, a grim certainty settles over me. I already know what comes next—more running, fighting, and unanswered questions piling up. The Phylax and the people who claim to be my allies won’t stop. Every step forward tangles me further into a web.
More than that, she knows something. The way she speaks, the certainty in her voice. I take a breath, suppressing my frustration. For now, I’ll follow. But Xia will have to start talking soon.
The safe house feels frozen in time, its walls steeped in an eerie past. Shelves hold old scrolls with frayed edges and rusted coins from distant eras. Tools are carefully displayed, each bearing the marks of ages past. If this were a time for leisure, I would be fascinated. Everything here tells a story, each object a fragment of time. My talisman pulsates.
People who move through time must use this place. The artifacts tell the story of travelers like me. Yet, there’s something different here that doesn’t align with the Phylax. This space doesn’t carry our rigid order or cold discipline. It feels even more secretive.
The Phylax led me to believe that aside from a few enemies, only we held the power to move through time. They taught me that we were chosen to protect the past and, more importantly, save the future. Ever since this mission began, cracks have started to show. My thinking has been too narrow. I have been blind to the possibility–the probability–that others could do the same. The truth might be much different than I imagined.
There are more people with this ability, although I don’t know how many. Some must be walking through time without the Phylax’s knowledge, slipping between epochs unnoticed. And then there’s Xia—her ability allows her to break the first immutable law of time travel: it should only be possible once every three years.
Xia stands by the door. “She won’t be long.”
I place my palm on the hilt of my knife, preparing to unsheath it if necessary.
The door opens, and a woman rushes in. She sees me, offering a brief smile before her eyes land on Xia. They share a caring gaze.
The woman strides further into the room. She is friendly and distinctly different from Xia. While Xia carefully plans her every move, this newcomer carries herself with brash confidence. It’s clear she thrives on interaction; her presence fills the room instantly.
“Well,” she says with a grin. “Seems like we’ve all made it. That’s something.”
Her casual, almost playful tone sharply contrasts with the tension in the air. I observe her. Something strangely familiar about her tugs at the back of my mind: I should know who she is.
Continue with Chapter 13, Part 2: Clara. New installments publish daily at 5:00 AM.
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