In the cold cells of the Time Variance Authority, Lee Stark leaned against a metal wall, calmly surveying his surroundings. The pale overhead lights flickered from time to time, emitting a teeth-grinding electrical hum. Beads of water condensed on the walls and slowly trickled down their uneven surfaces, gathering into tiny puddles on the floor. He knew that if he wanted to break out of this situation, he first had to find a flaw in the TVA system. Scenes from the shows he had watched in his previous life kept replaying in his mind. He recalled the truth behind the TVA's Time-Keepers and the altered timelines, turning over every detail again and again.
Just as he was considering his options, a TVA agent dressed in black passed by with mechanical steps. The Reset Charge hanging at the agent's waist gleamed coldly in the dim light. This was undoubtedly a crucial opening. Lee Stark immediately straightened up and called out, "Hey, you arrest 'time criminals' every day. Have you never wondered about the truth behind it all? Are the Time-Keepers really as righteous as they claim?" The agent halted. A flicker of hesitation passed through the eyes beneath the mask, but it was quickly replaced by indifference. After adjusting the device at the waist, the agent continued on, leaving Lee Stark alone in his cell to ponder another plan.
After several days of observation, Lee Stark noticed that a young agent named Mobius often wandered the corridor alone. His steps were not as rigid as those of the other agents, and there was a confusion in his eyes that the others lacked. Seizing an opportunity when Mobius passed the cell again, Lee Stark said, "You're doubting them, aren't you? Doubting whether everything the TVA does is truly right. I can tell you the truth—about the Time-Keepers, about us 'time criminals.'"
Mobius stopped, cautiously approaching the cell with one hand resting on the weapon at his waist. "What are you trying to say? This is not a place for you to discuss such things."
Lee Stark lowered his voice and said slowly, "The TVA does not maintain temporal order as it claims. The Time-Keepers are merely puppets of the true mastermind, and we are all chess pieces they move about at will. Have you never wondered why no time criminal ever gets the chance to resist? Why we do not even have the right to explain ourselves?" Mobius's expression changed noticeably. He looked around, and after confirming no one was nearby, he remained silent for a long while before finally opening Lee Stark's cell in secret.
Elsewhere, Amora was imprisoned in another cell. She curled up in a corner, restless purple magic swirling around her and repeatedly striking the energy barrier with piercing shrieks. Every impact sent violent tremors through the air in the cell. The floor was already covered in cracks caused by her rage, while scorch marks from magic remained on the walls. When Lee Stark found her, she stared warily at this "companion" who had been captured alongside her. Her gaze was full of vigilance and hostility, like a beast ready to strike at any moment. "I know you don't want to be controlled by the TVA. We can work together and get out of here," Lee Stark said sincerely.
Amora sneered. Purple magic gathered at her fingertips, forming sharp spikes of energy. The violet light pulsing across them seemed to mock Lee Stark's naivety. "Work together? Why should I trust you? What makes you self-proclaimed righteous people any different from the TVA? You're merely fighting over the so-called 'correct' timeline! For all I know, you're approaching me now just to gain my trust and then claim credit from the TVA!"
Lee Stark did not bother arguing. He merely said calmly, "We are both trapped here now. The TVA will not spare anyone who threatens them. If you keep fighting alone, there is only one road ahead—death. Look at this cell, then look at our current situation. Do you still not understand? With our individual strength, we cannot possibly stand against the TVA."
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside Amora's cell. Boots pounded against the metal floor as a large group of TVA agents rushed in, weapons raised in an encircling formation. "Time criminals Amora and Lee Stark, you have conspired illegally. Your crimes have worsened!" the leading agent said coldly, already aiming the weapon at them.
Amora's gaze sharpened as she realized the danger. She gritted her teeth and withdrew the magic from her fingertips, though her face remained defiant. "We'll cooperate for now, but don't think I'll take orders from you! Once we get out of here, we go our separate ways!"
With Mobius's help, Lee Stark obtained a Reset Charge and also discovered the entrance to the TVA's core database. The database doors were made of a strange metal, their surfaces flowing with mysterious runes as though guarding unspeakable secrets within. The three of them slipped inside. The database was filled with complex machinery and flickering screens, and the air reeked of burnt electronic components. Drawing on memories from his previous life, Lee Stark quickly found the falsified records declaring him and Amora to be "time criminals." Just as he was about to alter the data, a shrill alarm suddenly rang throughout the space. Red warning lights flashed wildly, illuminating everyone's tense faces.
"Alert! Unauthorized intrusion detected!" A cold mechanical voice echoed through the database. TVA agents swarmed in from every direction, the sounds of their footsteps and weapons scraping together like the tolling of a death knell. The leading agent's eyes were filled with murderous intent. "You've got some nerve! You dare tamper with timeline records? Today is your end!"
Lee Stark clenched the Reset Charge and stood back-to-back with Amora and Mobius. Amora's purple magic flared again, brighter than before as she prepared to attack at any moment. Mobius also tightened his grip on his weapon, though a trace of hesitation still lingered in his eyes. But before they could make a move, the space around them suddenly warped, and a powerful suction force enveloped them. Lee Stark felt as though his body were being torn apart, his skin pricked by countless needles. He saw Amora and Mobius struggling in pain as well. Amora's hair was whipped wildly about by the immense force, and she bit down hard enough for blood to seep from the corner of her mouth.
When the light faded, the three found themselves in a pitch-black, empty space. There was no up, down, left, or right—only endless darkness. Beneath their feet seemed to lie a bottomless abyss, offering no support no matter how they tried to touch it. Terrifying roars came from afar, sometimes near and sometimes distant, as though countless monsters roamed through the darkness. Twisted shadows flickered in and out of view in the Void. At times they became savage faces; at others, enormous claws. They were filled with an unknown terror. "This is... the Void..." Lee Stark's face went pale. Memories from his previous life told him that this was where the TVA exiled its most dangerous time criminals. It was said that no one who entered this place had ever left alive.
Amora warily scanned her surroundings, purple magic glowing in her palm, but the light appeared so feeble against the boundless darkness. She forced herself to remain calm, though her voice carried an almost imperceptible tension. "What do we do now? We can't just wait here to die!"
Lee Stark clenched his fists and looked at the two of them with unwavering determination. "Since we're here, we deal with it. This place is dangerous, but it is also our chance to escape the TVA's control. Look—those shadows may be terrifying, but they avoid certain areas. There may be clues to escape hidden there. As long as we find a way out, we can strike back. From now on, we must stand united. Any infighting could doom us beyond redemption."
Mobius looked down at the weapon in his hand, its metal surface reflecting his somewhat lost expression. "But we don't even have a direction. How are we supposed to find clues? Everything here is... too strange."
Lee Stark walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Do you remember what I told you before? The TVA has hidden too many secrets. This Void may hold truths they do not want anyone to see. Let's head in the direction the shadows avoid first. In my original world... I learned about the characteristics of similar spaces. It might come in handy." He did not fully reveal that he was a transmigrator, but the certainty in his words made Mobius nod slightly.
As they moved forward, a massive shadow suddenly surged toward them like a tidal wave. Mobius reacted quickly, raising his weapon and releasing an energy blast in an attempt to stop it. However, the shadow merely paused for a moment before lunging at them again with claws bared. Lee Stark came up with an idea in the nick of time and shouted, "Attack the center of the shadow! That's where its physical body is!" At the same time, he released a strange pulse from the Reset Charge, disrupting the shadow's trajectory. Mobius followed his instructions and concentrated the energy blast on the shadow's core. Purple light and darkness collided violently, finally driving it back.
"That was close. We almost died here," Mobius said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken.
"That's why we need to work together even more closely." Lee Stark looked at the device in his hand, which had begun to warm slightly. "I can feel that this place has a special kind of energy. Maybe we can use it to find a passage out. You worked at the TVA—have you heard anything about energy nodes in the Void?"
Mobius thought for a moment before recalling, "I only know this is a chaotic region outside the timelines. Legend says there is an energy core capable of warping space-time, but no one knows where it is. Still, I remember a classified document in the archives mentioning similar energy fluctuations. It may be connected to this place."
"Then we'll search in that direction." Hope lit up Lee Stark's eyes. "Once we return to reality, we still need to expose the TVA for what it truly is and make them pay for everything they've done."
Mobius looked into Lee Stark's resolute eyes, and the confusion in his heart gradually faded. He tightened his grip on his weapon. "All right. I'm with you!" The two advanced side by side through the darkness. In this perilous Void, their cooperation was beginning to deepen.
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