Chapter 1: Into the Unknown

The cold, damp ground beneath Bernyce’s palms felt real, but everything else was a blur of confusion and fear. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she struggled to push herself up, her head spinning. Around her, the air was thick with damp earth and the sharp tang of burning wood. Distant shouts echoed through the air, followed by the unmistakable clash of steel.

She blinked hard, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was the lab—bright lights, sterile walls, the ancient artifact glowing under the microscope. The bracelet. The artifact that had somehow… She couldn’t remember exactly how, but she knew it had sent her here, wherever she was.

As her vision cleared, Bernyce’s heart raced. She wasn’t in the lab anymore. She was in a forest, but it wasn’t any forest she knew. The trees towered over her, gnarled and twisted, their branches casting long, eerie shadows across the ground. And in the distance, beyond the trees, she could hear the sounds of a battle—metal clashing against metal, war cries piercing the cold air.

What is happening? she thought, scrambling to her feet. Her legs were shaky, but she forced herself to stand, brushing the dirt from her clothes. She looked down at herself and gasped. Gone were her jeans and t-shirt, replaced by a rough woolen dress that felt foreign and constricting against her skin.

Where am I?

Before she could gather her thoughts, a figure emerged from the trees, charging toward her. The man was clad in armor, with dirt and blood smeared across his face. His eyes widened when he saw her, confusion flashing across his features.

“You there!” he barked, his sword raised. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Bernyce stumbled back, her heart pounding. “I—I don’t know!” she stammered. “I—”

The man’s gaze darted behind her, and his expression darkened. Without another word, he grabbed her arm and yanked her to the ground, pulling her behind the cover of a large tree. “Stay down!” he hissed.

Bernyce’s head spun, but she obeyed, crouching low behind the tree as the sounds of the battle grew louder. She peeked around the trunk, her eyes widening as she saw figures clashing in the clearing ahead. Warriors in armor fought with swords and axes, their faces grim, their movements brutal.

“What is this?” she whispered, panic rising. “Where am I?”

The man beside her glanced at her sharply. “You don’t know? You’re in the middle of a battle, woman. Stay quiet, or you’ll get yourself killed.”

She clutched her knees, trying to calm the rising tide of fear. This can’t be real. This has to be a dream. But the cold air against her skin, the rough bark of the tree beneath her fingers, and the acrid smell of blood and smoke told her otherwise. This was real.

The man beside her shifted, his eyes scanning the clearing. “We have to move,” he muttered. “It’s not safe here.”

Before Bernyce could respond, another shout rang out, and a group of soldiers burst from the trees, their eyes wild with fury as they charged toward the battlefield. The man beside her cursed under his breath, then looked grimly at her.

“Can you run?”

Bernyce nodded, though her legs felt like jelly. “I think so.”

“Good.” He grabbed her arm again, pulling her to her feet. “Stay close to me.”

They bolted from their hiding spot, weaving through the trees as the sounds of battle raged behind them. Bernyce’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep up. She didn’t know where they were going but knew she had no choice but to follow this stranger. He was her only chance at surviving whatever madness she had stumbled into.

As they ran, Bernyce’s mind raced. How did I get here? She had been studying the ancient bracelet in the lab, trying to decipher its strange markings. But then something had happened—an energy surge, a flash of light—and now she was… where? When?

They emerged from the forest into a small clearing, and the man slowed, scanning their surroundings. He raised his sword, his muscles tense as he listened for any sign of pursuit.

“Who are you?” Bernyce asked, her voice trembling. “What is this place?”

The man turned to her, his expression stern. “You’re in Gwynneth, and that,” he said, gesturing to the distant sounds of battle, “is the war for the throne. I am Bleddyn, a captain of the guard.” He narrowed his eyes at her, suspicion flashing in his gaze. “And you? Who are you? You don’t belong here.”

Bernyce swallowed hard, her mind spinning. How could she explain any of this? “I—I’m not from here,” she admitted. “I don’t know how I got here. I was… somewhere else one minute, and the next, I was in the forest.”

Bleddyn’s eyes narrowed further. “Somewhere else? What are you talking about?”

Bernyce opened her mouth to explain, but before she could speak, a group of soldiers burst into the clearing, their weapons drawn. Bleddyn’s expression hardened, and he shoved her behind him, raising his sword as the men advanced.

“Stay back!” Bleddyn shouted, his voice commanding.

One of the soldiers, a tall man with a scar running down his face, sneered at Bleddyn. “You think you can stand against us, Captain? You and that… woman?”

Bernyce’s heart raced as the soldiers closed in, their eyes gleaming with malice. She had no idea what was happening but knew one thing: she was over her head.

Bleddyn shifted his stance, his sword glinting in the morning light. “Get behind me,” he muttered to Bernyce. “Whatever happens, stay close.”

Bernyce obeyed, fear tightening her chest as the soldiers charged. Bleddyn met them head-on, his sword clashing against theirs with a fierce, ringing sound. The battle was swift and brutal, and despite her fear, Bernyce couldn’t help but watch in awe as Bleddyn moved with deadly precision, taking down one soldier after another.

But even as he fought, more soldiers poured into the clearing, their numbers overwhelming.

“We have to go!” Bernyce shouted, her voice barely audible over the sounds of the fight.

Bleddyn grunted in response, his face grim as he dodged another blow. “There’s no way out!”

Panic surged through Bernyce, her mind racing. They were trapped and outnumbered, and she didn’t have the first idea of how to fight. But then, out of her eye, she saw something—a glint of metal on the ground, half-buried in the dirt.

The bracelet.

Her bracelet.

Without thinking, she dove for it, her fingers closing around the cold metal. The moment her skin touched it, a surge of energy shot through her, and the world around her seemed to freeze. Time itself, she slowed, the sounds of battle fading into a dull hum.

Bernyce’s breath caught in her throat. What is this?

She looked up, her heart pounding, and saw Bleddyn frozen in mid-strike, his sword raised, his face a mask of concentration. The soldiers, too, were frozen in place, their weapons hovering in the air.

The bracelet in her hand pulsed with energy, the strange runes on its surface glowing faintly. She didn’t know how or why, but somehow, she had stopped time.

For a moment, she stood there, staring in disbelief at the frozen scene around her. But then the energy from the bracelet surged again, stronger this time, and the world around her began to blur, shifting and twisting.

Bernyce’s pulse quickened. Whatever power she had tapped into, it wasn’t stable.

She had to get out of there.

With a deep breath, she focused on Bleddyn, willing him to move. The bracelet pulsed in her hand, and the world around them slowly shifted back into motion.

Bleddyn blinked, his sword still raised as the soldiers charged toward him. But before they could strike, Bernyce grabbed his arm, her voice urgent.

“We have to go! Now!”

Bleddyn hesitated for only a second, his eyes locking onto hers. He saw the fear, the determination, and the strange energy that seemed to swirl around her. Without a word, he nodded, turning and following her as they bolted from the clearing, disappearing into the forest’s shadows.

As they ran, Bernyce clutched the bracelet tightly in her hand, her heart racing. She didn’t know what had just happened or how she had stopped time, but one thing was clear:

This was only the beginning.