Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 172: Timeline

The queen hovered in front of them, her glowing form flickering with fatigue and urgency. Every second that passed weighed heavily in the air around the tomb. The wind had died. The silence had thickened. And her eyes—once clear and regal—now trembled with a mix of desperation and hope.

"We have to do something," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, yet sharp enough to slice through the growing anxiety among them. "We have to alter the timeline."

Jason blinked. "Alter the—what?"

Marcus stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "You mean go back in time? You think that’s even possible?"

The queen didn’t hesitate. "The tomb... it is unlike any place you’ve ever known. Time here doesn’t flow as it should. It loops, fractures, echoes... In some places, it’s paper-thin. If we act fast, we can send someone back."

Sophia took a cautious step toward her. "Back enough for what? What do you want us to change?"

"Liam," the queen said, eyes locking with Sophia’s. "We have to stop him from making the wrong decision."

Eleanor tensed, exchanging looks with the others. "You’re saying he’s going to choose wrong?"

The queen nodded. "He’s going to surrender the treasure to bring his sister back. He’s blinded by love and guilt, and I can’t reach him. But if someone from his past can give him something—an anchor, something small but meaningful—it might shift his heart."

Borik squinted, arms crossed. "And what exactly is this ’something’? A spell? A weapon?"

"No," the queen said. "Something far simpler. A charm. An old keepsake. A token he once gave up to protect someone. I retrieved it, but it was never meant to reach him again. Not in the original path. But if he holds it now, in that critical moment... it might be enough to remind him who he really is."

Von’s voice rumbled with concern. "And we’re just going to sneak this thing to him? In the past?"

"Yes," she answered quickly. "But listen to me—this is important. Whoever goes back must not warn him. You cannot tell him about the mission. You cannot mention the future. If you do, the path diverges too far. Everything collapses."

Jason rubbed his face with both hands. "So... just give him this thing and pretend like it’s nothing? No warning? No message?"

The queen nodded slowly. "Exactly. You hand it to him. Like it’s a coincidence. Like it’s fate. You must plant the seed—but let it grow on its own."

Sophia’s voice cracked. "And you’re sure this will work?"

"No," the queen whispered. "But it’s the only chance we have."

They all stood in silence then. The torchlight trembled against the ancient stone. The queen looked from one face to the next, waiting.

"Someone," she said, quieter now. "Someone has to go."

Sophia stepped forward first, her voice firm despite the tremble in it. "If someone’s going back, it should be me. I’m closest to Liam—he trusts me. He’ll take whatever I give him without question."

But before the queen could respond, Marcus shifted beside her, his expression unreadable. "No," he said quietly, then louder. "No—it has to be me."

Sophia turned sharply to him. "Marcus, what are you talking about? You’re strong, yeah, but—"

"I’m not just strong," he cut in, his eyes locking onto hers. "I’ve got his blood, Sophia. And he’s got mine. There’s a bond between us that even he doesn’t understand. It’s why I can still feel his essence in that tomb. It’s more than friendship—it’s blood. If anyone can get through to him in the right way, without tipping off the timeline, it’s me."

There was a silence. Even Jason, who usually had something to say, stayed quiet. The group all turned toward the queen, waiting for her verdict.

The queen’s eyes narrowed in thought, then she gave a small nod. "Very well," she said. "Come here, Marcus."

Marcus stepped forward, standing tall but visibly tense. The queen reached up slowly, almost gently, and placed her hands on either side of his head. Her palms rested just above his ears, and her fingers splayed across his temples. Her eyes dimmed as she closed them, and for a few moments, nothing happened.

Then the queen’s body flinched slightly—her brows furrowing. She inhaled sharply.

The group tensed. Jason’s hand crept toward his weapon, just in case. But the queen didn’t move violently; she just kept digging, combing through Marcus’s memories like pages of an old, hidden book.

Seconds turned to a full minute.

Suddenly, she pulled back—her face pale, her eyes wide with confusion and alarm.

"What... what is your old self doing in the past?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Marcus blinked, stunned. "My what?"

The others echoed her in disbelief.

"What do you mean, his old self?" Eleanor asked warily.

The queen didn’t respond immediately. She looked genuinely shaken, her gaze fixed on Marcus like he was a puzzle she hadn’t expected to find.

Marcus looked around at everyone else, searching their eyes for understanding, for some clue—but all he saw was the same confusion mirrored back at him.

"I—" he started, then stopped. "I’ve never been sent to the past. I’ve never traveled back... at least, not that I know of."

The queen narrowed her eyes again, this time scanning him from head to toe as though seeing him for the first time. "No... no, I saw it. There’s a version of you already there. You’re older."

Sera stepped closer, frowning. "That doesn’t make sense. We’ve been together since the beginning of this madness. He’s never left our side."

"Unless..." Jason’s voice dropped. "Unless he already went back. Before all this. And just doesn’t remember yet." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"But how could he not remember?" Sophia asked, staring at Marcus. "You’d know if you’d traveled through time, right?"

The queen’s voice came low and grim. "Not always. Especially not if the mind was shielded. Especially if the purpose was greater than the self...or it could be in the future."

Marcus looked at his hands, breathing hard now. "If there’s another me out there... and I don’t remember it..."

The queen nodded slowly. "Then the past has already started shifting. And something... someone in the future.. wanted you to do something in the past."

Silence fell around them, thick and uneasy.

Sophia looked from Marcus to the queen, then back again. "So what do we do now?"

The queen swallowed. "Now, we find out what version of Marcus already did... and whether he helped Liam... or doomed him."