Page 4 of Devil's Night

With effort I returned my focus to the problem before us.

“Good question. You’d think he’d want the safety of his own hideaway.”

Nicole bit her lip, a small crease appearing between her brows. “Well, if he did intend this as a refuge, there has to be an exit. At least back to your timeline.”

I watched her carefully, impressed by the calmness of her logic. But something shifted in her scent, a hint of distress leaking through her composed veneer. She was worried.

The realization struck me like a plasma bolt - I didn’t want her upset. An uncomfortable tightness gripped my chest at the thought of her fear or unhappiness.

Frowning, I shoved the feeling away. Such useless sentiment served no purpose. “When we decipher Doar’s work, I’m sure we’ll find a way to send you home as well.” I gentled my tone, an oddity for me. “To your own place and time.”

She exhaled slowly, giving me a tight nod and straightening her shoulders. “Right. Let’s see what clues this lab can give us.”

I felt a grudging respect as the worried crease vanished, her hazel eyes regaining their keen sparkle. Clever female. She wouldn’t be a hindrance, at least.

I surveyed the lab anew, searching for anything that could unravel Doar’s twisted mind and secure our escape.

Nicole busied herself examining the equipment, occasionally picking up an object to scrutinize it before carefully returning it to its place.

“Over here,” she called out.

I turned to find her standing before a control panel, her fingers hovering over a large red button. Our eyes met andshe raised one inquisitive eyebrow. I gave a slight nod, bracing myself.

Nicole pressed the button and immediately holographic screens flickered to life around us, bathing the room in an ethereal blue glow. Line after line of text rapidly scrolled across their surfaces - Doar’s research notes, if I had to guess.

“Can you read this?” Nicole asked, gesturing at the displays.

I stepped closer, squinting at the unfamiliar script. “Yes, but it’s complete gibberish to me. Advanced theoretical physics and higher dimensional mathematics from the look of it.”

She exhaled a frustrated sigh. “I don’t suppose you have a background in temporal anomalies or something?”

I snorted. “Because that’s always useful as a bounty hunter.”

Reaching out, I waved my hand through the projection, cycling through the different files. Inscrutable equations and diagrams flashed by, none of it meaning anything to me.

“Wait!” Nicole gripped my arm, stilling my movements. “Go back, there was something...”

I retraced the last few screens until she gestured for me to stop. A three-dimensional rendering hovered before us - a sleek, compact device with a titanium alloy casing. It featured a glowing slot on one side and an array of precisely labeled buttons.

“That looks like something I saw,” Nicole murmured.

She turned on her heel, gaze roving around the lab until she spotted something on a nearby workbench. Crossing the room, she snatched up what appeared to be the very device depicted in the diagram.

Nicole carried it back, holding it out for me to examine. “This has to be it, right?”

I took the object, turning it over until I noticed a small display screen on one side. A few taps activated it, and text began scrolling across the narrow panel.

“It says ‘Temporal Reset Initiator’,” I read aloud, the words sending an unexpected chill down to my toes. “And there are instructions “

Giving the device a firm shake did nothing, and neither did pressing any of the buttons. Whatever mechanics allowed it to function clearly required a specific procedure.

Nicole leaned in closer, the sweet floral scent of her caressing my senses. “What do the instructions say? Maybe it can get us out of here.”

I angled the screen so she could see, slowly reading through the convoluted text. “It says the Initiator can reset the local timeline by creating a contained singularity that unravels the surrounding spacetime continuum.”

Her hazel eyes went wide. “You’re kidding. A miniature black hole?”

“Essentially, yes.” I frowned down at the deceptively innocuous device. “Though it claims the effect only extends to a limited radius determined by the amount of power channeled into it.”

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