# UNIVERSE AETERNOV The first book The heart that remembers tomorrow

Андрей Юрьевич Сопельник

The book is written in the genre of space fiction with elements of fantasy, magical realism and philosophical parable. It harmoniously combines:

science fiction (chrono-travel, cyborgs, multiverse);

Fantasy (magic of emotions, reality songs, mythological races);

A humanistic parable (goodness does not win through violence, but through compassion, sacrifice, and faith).

All illustrations in the book were created by the Author, and processed using artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT.

## Глава

UNIVERSE

AETERNOV


The first book

“The heart that remembers tomorrow.”


Andrey Yurievich Sopelnik.

Creative pseudonym: Andrey S.

Rostov-on-Don.

2025.


For everyone who loves Fiction, the Russian heroes of the Universe.

The universe of Aeternes.

(from Latin. Aeternus – eternal, and Greek aither – ether, higher matter).


The basic concept.

The Aetern universe is a multiverse where technology, magic, bioengineering, time travel, and superpowers form a single whole.

Heroism doesn't always win here, but it always requires sacrifice, wisdom, and the ability to go all the way.

Evil exists, but it doesn't last forever— it's just a test that light goes through.

## Names of creatures /races/peoples.

1. Chronos people.

(from the Greek chronos – "time").

• The only race capable of naturally moving through time due to its innate chrono-gift, which awakens in moments of extreme danger.

Their DNA contains a "chrono-code" – reflections of past and future lives, intertwined in one being.

• Representatives of the race can be ordinary people, cyborgs or even magicians – it all depends on the chosen time line.

• Main representative: Andrey Chronosynthez— a mechanic from 1978 who became a guide between epochs and a living bridge between technology, magic and fate.

"I am not the chosen one. I am collected. From the pieces of all who I was… and who I will become."


2. Cyborgs / cyber creatures are mechanical.

(From mechanism + Latin. anima is an animated machine).

– Not just machines with human brains, but souls transplanted into technological bodies for salvation or mission.

– They have a "Core Heart" – a crystal that preserves their humanity. If it is destroyed, they become soulless tools.

– Character: Alexey Mechanic is a former soldier of the Chrono Galaxy, whose body was destroyed in the battle for the Sand of Time. His consciousness and soul were saved and placed in a combat building. Now he is the steel shield of the Aeternes, but at night he reads poetry and repairs old clocks… in memory of what it means to be alive.

"My chains are made of steel. My oath is from the light."


3. Psionic/ magical creatures are etherians.

(From the ether. – the primary element of magic and energy).

– A race living in a Parallel Ether, capable of manipulating reality through thought, emotion, and song.

– Their magic works like the "superpowers" + "Power" from Star Wars.

– They are weak to technology, but they can "infect" machines with emotions: robots cry, ships sing.

– Character: Elira Ethereana is a singer whose song can stop a war or start a star engine. She hides the fact that one day her voice accidentally erased an entire planet from the universe's memory.

"My song is not a weapon. She is a hug for lost souls."


4. The cosmic lords / emperors of the sundran.

(from Dune + Sand + Dynasty).

– The ruling aristocracy of the galaxies, which owns the Sand of Time, a substance that allows controlling the destinies of civilizations.

– They live on the planet of the Aeternes, where sand is a frozen moment in time.

– Not villains, but guardians of the balance. But some are corrupt.

– Character: Inna Sandran is a wise ruler who sees all timelines and chooses a path where goodness wins, even if she loses in battle.

"I don't manage time. I listen to him… and I ask him to be merciful."


5. Superheroes are avatars of light.

– Not race, but rank. Any Chronos, Mechanis, or Etherean can become an Avatar if they pass the "Test of the Heart."

– Possess Combined Power: technology + magic + time control.

– Their symbol is the Winged Atom (wings – freedom, atom – energy, circle – eternity).

– Character: Knox is a former villain (Chrono—Shadow) who redeemed himself and became the protector of all time. The heroes didn't kill him—Elira sang him a song about his mother. He cried… and became a light.

"I was the end of the story. Now I am her new beginning."


The main plot of the story.

"When the Sand of Time began to crumble, and the machines forgot what love was, and magic froze in their hearts— the Chronos awakened.

Their task is to collect Avatars of Light from all eras in order to restore the Chrono-the Heart of the Universe.

Traveling from the deserts of the Aeternes to the streets of the Cities of 2084, from the star temples of the Aetherians to the laboratories where the first Mechanis was created, they will learn:

The main power is not in weapons, not in magic, not in time.…

The point is that you're willing to give anything for someone else to smile tomorrow."


Planet: Aeternov is the heart of time.

"Everything starts here. Nothing ends here. Time doesn't rule here, it serves. Even the silence remembers your name here."


Other planets of the aetern universe.

1. Ferronia (the planet of machines) – the planet of machines (the house of Mechanics, including Alexei).

2. Melody (planet of songs) – planet of songs (house of Etherians, including Elira).

3. Infantia (Planet of Childhood) – the planet of childhood.

4. Aquarion (planet of water) – planet of water.

5. Pyrolysis (planet of fire) – the planet of fire.

6. Somnium (planet of dreams) – the planet of dreams.


The main characters of the aetern universe.

1. Andrey Khronosynthez – Khronos, mechanic from 1978, synthesis of soul and silicon.

2. Alexey is a mechanic— a former soldier with the heart of a poet.

3. Elira Efiriana is a singer whose song changes reality.

4. Inna Sandran is the Empress of the Times, who sees all the ways.

5. Knox is the Fallen One who became the Light.

6. Dr. Ziggy “Boom Boom” Future is a chaos genius, the creator of the chrono engine.

7. Kitty-9 “Fluff of Destruction" is Alexey Mekhanik's combat cyber—cat.

The assembled team is “Avatars of Light”:

Andrey is the heart.

Alexey is a steel shield.

Elira is a soul.

Inna is wisdom.

Knox is redemption.

Ziggy is a mad genius.

Kitty-9 is a furry apocalypse.

## Planets of the aetern universe.


1. Ferronia (the planet of machines) – the planet of machines.

"Here, nuts are stronger than oaths, and hearts are made of steel and poetry."

• Type: Techno-organic world / living metropolis-organism

• The Rulers: The Council of Old Testament Mechanics (not religion – the “covenant” as a contract with humanity).

• Description:

Cities here are living structures, growing like trees made of metal and light. Skyscrapers “breathe,” bridges change shape to embrace passersby, and roads choose where to lead – to safety or to adventure.

At night, Ferronia (the planet of machines) glows with blue veins of energy, like a giant cyborg sleeping under the stars.

• Features:

• Machines are born in “Soul Forges" – foundries where not only metal, but also fragments of consciousness are melted.

• There is no “waste” here – everything is recycled into a new life. Even rust is an “old wisdom” that is collected and stored in archives.

• The main law: "No one should lose their Core Heart. Even if the body is a wreck."

• Residents: Mechanics of all kinds, cyber-animals, philosophical engineers, “techno-shamans" who can heal machines with songs.

• A local phrase: "We didn't create the technology. We learned to love them, and they became us."


2. Melody (planet of songs) – planet of songs.

"Here, rain is an aria, wind is a symphony, and silence is the loudest note."

• Type: Emotional acoustic sphere / Live musical instrument

• Rulers: The Keepers of the Last Note are Etherians of the highest rank

• Description:

The whole planet is a giant resonator. Mountains are like strings, rivers are like flutes, forests are like choirs. If you shout here, the sound will circle the planet three times and return as a response from the universe.

The sky changes color depending on the mood of the world melody – lilac from nostalgia today, golden from delight tomorrow.

• Features:

• To get here, you need to sing your true song. If it's fake, the portal won't open.

• Here you can “eat” a note and get its emotion. A note of “Courage" will make you fearless for the day. A note of “Forgiveness" will heal an old grudge.

• The main temple is an Opera of All Time, where voices from the past, present and future sing simultaneously.

• Inhabitants: Etherians, melody spirits, “song eaters” (creatures that feed on harmony), wandering bards from other worlds.

• A local phrase: "Don't tell me who you are. Sing it, and I'll understand you better than you do yourself."


3. Infantia (planet of childhood) – the planet of childhood.

"Time doesn't get old here. It's playing."

• Type: Emotional regressive zone / eternal garden of Wonders

• The Rulers: The advice of the Eternal Guys (children who never wanted to “grow up" – neither physically nor mentally).

• Description:

Cities look like giant toy castles, rivers flow like lemonade, clouds are wadded up but edible. It's impossible to lie here – any fake causes a “shower of soap bubbles” that reflect your real feelings.

The air smells of vanilla, chalk and the first snow.

• Features:

• Any adult who sets foot here begins to “return” to childhood – not with his body, but with his soul. He remembers how he built sand castles, how he was afraid of the dark, and how he believed in miracles.

Here live “Babysitter Dreams” – creatures that lull nightmares and replace them with good dreams.

• Forbidden: to be bored, to get angry for no reason, to say “it's impossible.”

• Residents: Eternal children, Babysitter Dreams, talking teddy bears, “remembrancers" – creatures that preserve lost childhood moments.

• A local phrase: "You can grow up. You can't stop playing."


4. Aquarion (planet of water) – planet of water.

"Every drop here is a tear, a laugh, or a memory. Drink carefully – you may fall in love with the past."

• Type: Liquid Memory / Oceanic Mind.

• Rulers: The Deep Matriarchs are ancient beings who remember the birth of the first worlds.

• Description:

The planet is almost completely covered with living water, which preserves all the memories of everyone who ever cried, laughed or drank water in Aeternov.

The islands are frozen moments: “The Island of the First Kiss", “The Archipelago of Forgiveness", “The Peak of the Last Breath”.

Underwater are coral—memory cities where those who chose to “drown in the past… to save the future" live.

• Features:

• You can dive into the “River of Tears” and live through someone else's pain to figure out how to help.

• “Sea of Laughter" heals emotional wounds – but only if you are ready to laugh yourself.

• In the center is the “Well of Tomorrow” – if you make a wish and throw a tear there, it will come true… but not in the way you think. But as needed.

• Residents: Water Etherians, “wailers" (guardians of sadness), “smeshinki” (spirits of joy), travelers-healers.

• A local phrase: "Don't be afraid to drown. Water knows when to let you go… and when to hold you to your heart."


5. Pyrolysis (planet of fire) – the planet of fire.

"The flame doesn't burn here, it cleanses. If it doesn't destroy, it regenerates."

• Type: Emotional and transformational sphere / forge of destinies.

• The Rulers: Ash Smiths are creatures of fire and will, forging fates on anvils of stars.

• Description:

Volcanoes here are the “hearts of the planet", spewing not lava, but molten dreams and fears. Deserts are made up of the ashes of past mistakes – but if you listen carefully, lessons are whispered in it.

The sky is always in shades of sunset – orange, crimson, gold. There is no night – only the “hours of coals”, when the fire rests, but does not go out.

• Features:

• To get through Pyrolysis, you need to burn something inside yourself. Pride. A grudge. Fear.

The Forges of Fate allow you to forge your pain into strength – but at a price: you have to give the fire a memory that you no longer want to carry.

• The center of the planet is the “Heart of Flame” – if you touch it with pure intent, you will gain the power to revive even what has been erased from time.

• Residents: Blacksmiths of Ashes, “fire jumpers" (acrobatic children dancing in flames), spirits of determination, wandering redeemer warriors.

• A local phrase: "Fire is not the enemy. He is your most honest judge. And the most faithful friend, if you are ready to burn… to become a light."


6. Somnium (planet of dreams) – the planet of dreams.

"Here, reality is what you believed in the most. Not even for a second."

• Type: Psycho-reactive world / collective unconscious

• Rulers: Architects of Dreams are creatures capable of materializing thoughts into landscapes.

• Description:

The landscape changes every 7 minutes, depending on what most living beings in the multiverse dream of.

Today is a city of clouds and sweets. Tomorrow is a maze of books and mirrors. The day after tomorrow – a field of flying whales with sails of stars.

There are no laws of physics here, only laws of imagination.

• Features:

• In order not to get lost, you need to hold a “thread of reality” in your hand (usually it's something very personal: a toy, a letter, a smell).

• You can “meet” your dream – literally. It will look the way you imagine it to look.

Danger: if you stay too long, you can forget where the dream ends and you begin.

• Residents: Architects of Dreams, “wandering fantasies", “wandering dreams", heroes from other people's stories, seekers of inspiration.

• A local phrase: "Do you think this is an illusion? Look at your heart – it's beating faster. So this is the real reality."

Chapter 1. The awakening of chronos

.

The epigraph:

"He didn't know that time is not sand in a clock.

It's like sand in his palms.

And when he clenched his fist…

The whole world held its breath."

1.

Rostov-on-Don. 1978. 6:47 a.m.

Andrey Chronosynthez was late. As usual.

–Damn…– he swore softly, pulling on a battered jacket and grabbing a backpack with tools. – Ivan Ilyich will definitely kill me with a wrench today if I don't make it in time for the opening.

He rushed out of the modest Khrushchev house on Budennovskaya Street. The balconies were hung with linens, and sparrows were already buzzing in the courtyard. My mother's voice sounded behind me.:

– Andrew, you forgot the sausage sandwiches!

– I'll eat them on the way! – he shouted and, without turning around, ran to the auto repair shop "Auto Repair at Andrey's".

The morning was warm, southerly, with a light breeze from the Don. The air smelled of dust, fresh bread from the bakery, and blooming acacia trees.

Muslim Magomayev's velvety voice could be heard from the open window of his neighbor, Uncle Senya, a pensioner. The song that my father adored, as always, was playing in the courtyard. Andrey couldn't help but smile: this voice sounded in their house for better or for worse.

He had been working as a mechanic since he was sixteen. Not because he dreamed of cars, but because his hands knew how to fix what was broken. Sometimes it was the engine of a Lada or a Volga, sometimes it was someone's hope of getting to the sea or on a date in Gorky Park.

He was late today because he had been working too long on his grandfather's old clock, the one with the cracked glass and the hands frozen at 3:33.

"They don't tick," said grandfather, a veteran who was sitting at the entrance with an accordion, "but they remember every second when you were happy.

Andrey didn't understand it then. Even more so now.

But he still carried the watch in his pocket. Like a mascot.


2.

Andrey's Car Repair shop was already smoking from work. Andrey rushed in, out of breath, with disheveled hair and an oil stain on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ivan Ilyich!

"You're twenty—two minutes late," Ivan Ilyich said calmly, wiping his hands on an old rag. —But okay. It's not critical yet. Major Petrov's Volga is over there. He says the car cries in the morning. It's like he knows he's retiring.

Andrey grinned: Major Petrov's cars all "cried" – he loved them too much.

He walked over to the blue seventy-year-old Volga, lifted the hood and sank into his usual rhythm: the clink of keys, the smell of gasoline, the warm metal under his palms. Here, among the engines and oil, he felt whole.

And suddenly – a scream.

Cutting. Child. Shrill.

Andrey jerked and turned to the window.

A crane was swinging at a construction site across the street. One of the hooks broke, the chain jerked, and the steel beam, heavy as a sentence, slowly but inexorably slid down.

A five-year-old boy in a red T-shirt was standing under it, looking at the beam as if it were a toy.

– no! Andrey shouted.

He didn't have time to think. He just ran.

The world has narrowed down to a few steps. The air became as thick as water. My heart was pounding in my ears.

He jumped and knocked the child down, grabbing him and rolling away.

The beam collapsed next to such a blow that the windows of the workshop shook. A column of dust and rusty shavings rose up.

The boy was crying, clinging to Andrey. Andrey himself was shaking as if he had just been pulled out of icy water.

"Are you… are you okay?" – he croaked, trying to unclench his numb fingers.

The boy nodded and snuggled closer to him.

And then there was a flash.

No light.

Not a sound.

Time.

It was as if reality itself had sighed and shifted.

Andrey felt his body losing weight and boundaries. It doesn't hurt. It just… disappears.

The last thing he heard was Ivan Ilyich's voice coming from somewhere far away.:

– Andrey?! Andrey, where are you?!

And then – silence.


3.

He opened his eyes.

Sand. Pale, iridescent, like mercury in the sun.

The sky was not blue, but mirrored: instead of clouds, it reflected his own faces at different ages – a boy, a young man, an old man, a warrior, a poet, an outcast, a savior.

"Where… am I?" "What is it?" he whispered, getting to his trembling feet.

The sand beneath him trembled and whispered, as if a thousand voices were saying at the same time,

"You're late… but you're on time."

"You're not ready… but you're the one who's needed."

"You're afraid… but you're Chronos."

"Who's there?" Andrey shouted.

A woman in a white and gold robe came out of a nearby dune. The fabric flowed like light. Her eyes resembled rotating galaxies, and her hair looked like sand that had come to life in time and was flowing down her shoulders.

"I am Inna Sandran, Empress of the Aeternes, – she said softly, but there was steel in her voice. – And yes, Andrey… You are the last Chronos whose chronocode has not yet awakened.

–Chrono… what?" He laughed hoarsely. – I'm just a mechanic. I'm fixing the Lada, not saving worlds.

"That's exactly why we need you, – a deep metallic voice said.

A tall warrior in steel armor came out from behind the dune. A blue crystal pulsed in his chest, near his heart, like a naked but living "Core Heart."

"I'm Alexey the Mechanic, – he introduced himself. – Former soldier of the Chrono-Galaxy. Now it's someone who makes sure that the machines remember why they were created. You're the person who fixes what's broken. I am a machine that learns to be human again. None of us knows how to be a hero. We'll learn together.

Andrey was silent. His shoulders were shaking.

–I… I can't, – he gasped. "I'm afraid."

"It's okay, – Inna said, and knelt down in front of him so that their eyes were on the same level. – Heroes are not born fearless. They are born alive. And the living are always afraid. But they're moving forward anyway.

She held out her hand. In her palm lay a handful of the Sand of Time—it shimmered, as if every grain contained someone's moment.

–Take it, – Inna said softly. —And remember.

Andrey, as in a dream, held out his hand.

The sand touched his skin and exploded with light.


4.

Memories hit him like an avalanche.

Not his. More than one time.

He is a child in the year 2047, hiding from hunting drones in an underpass and clutching a battered teddy bear.

He is an old man in 3012, planting a thin sprout on the charred ruins of the Land where his house once stood.

He is a soldier in 2155, kneeling in front of his friend's body and unable to find words – just a silent scream inside.

He is a boy in 1923, holding out a flower to a stranger at the train station and not understanding why her smile makes the whole world warmer.

He is a young man in 2089, kissing his beloved for the first time under the neon of a metropolis where the stars have long been hidden by domes.

He is a mechanic in 1978, rescuing a child on Budennovskaya Street… and disappearing in a flash of time.

–No… it's not me…" he whispered, falling to his knees. "This can't be happening."…

"It's you, – Inna said. "It's you. All lives. All the chances given to one soul. In every time, you are the one who fixes what is broken. People. Cars. Worlds. You are the one who carries time within you. And now… time has chosen you.


Andrey's hands were shaking. He automatically reached into his pocket and took out his grandfather's watch.

They were ticking.

In the opposite direction.

"What should I do?" "What is it?" he asked in a whisper.

–Here you go," Inna said, and placed a small, warm crystal in his palm, shimmering with all the shades of dawn. – This is the Core of Chronos. Your connection to us. From the Aeternes. With time itself. Now get up. The others are waiting for us. Alexey. Elira. Knox. Ziggy. Kitty is 9.

–To… fluffy what?!" Andrey couldn't stand it.

"Later," Elira smiled, stepping forward as if she had stepped out of the very song of the wind.

"We don't have much time, – Alexei said. His voice rang like metal. – The Chrono-Shadow is already moving towards the Heart of the Aeternes. If she gets there first, everything will disappear. Even the memories of goodness.

Andrey squeezed the crystal as if it could give an answer. I looked at my reflections, past and future. To Inna. On Alexey. On Elira.

He took a deep breath.

–Okay, – he said. "First what?" And… where are we anyway?

"We're on Aeternum, – Inna replied. – On a planet that remembers all possible tomorrows and cherishes every "if." This is the heart of the Aeternes. And it believes that you can save even what hasn't broken yet.

"And… how do I get home?" To Rostov? "What is it?" he asked softly.

Inna smiled softly, almost motherly.

"You're already home, Andrey, – she said.

It's just… the house got a little bigger.

And a little more eternal.

## Chapter 2. Valley of the whispering machines.


The epigraph:

"He came to fix the engines.

I stayed behind to teach them to dream again."

1.

The Aeternov sand is still warm underfoot when Inna Sandran raises her hand and a portal opens right in the air.

Not from the fire.

Not made of lightning.

From the sound.

At first, there was a single metallic clang. The hum of the engine is added to it. Then there is the cautious whisper of gears and the quiet song of rust, which for some reason does not sound dead, but alive.

"This is the Valley of the Whispering Machines, – says Alexey the Mechanic, looking into the opening almost tenderly. – The home of those who have not forgotten what it means to be alive.

"And if I… break something?" Andrey asks cautiously, tightening his grip on his grandfather's watch in his pocket. "I'm a mechanic, not a magician."

"You are Chronos, – Elyra Aetheriana says softly, standing behind him. – And Chronos repair more than just iron. They fix things that others consider hopeless. Even if they don't know about it yet.

Inna smiles:

"Go ahead." They're waiting for you.

Andrey takes a step and falls… into the sound.


2.

He lands softly on something warm and throbbing. It's not earth or cold metal.

Living metal.

A city of steel and light sprawled around.

The factories here are like cathedrals: arches made of titanium, domes made of tempered glass, towers-pipes, from which not steam pours, but the melody of the wind that came from the planet of Melody Songs.

Rivers flow like liquid metal, and at sunset they sing – in a low, thick melody, as if the very soul of the planet of the Ferronia machines comes to the surface to breathe.


There are Rats walking the streets.

Some are huge, like Alexei, in heavy battle armor with blue crystals in their chests.

Others are small, with light—bulb eyes and key‑like hands. They fix the lanterns, softly singing lullabies to them – and the light becomes softer.

Andrey feels that everything is breathing here. Every bolt, every wire, every crystal.

–Hello, Earthling," a voice says from behind him.

He turns around abruptly.

In front of him is a cat.

But not the usual one.

The size of a panther. The coat is made of iridescent nanofibers, and the tail is long and segmented, like a flexible cable through which soft flashes of light run. There is a collar with a tiny reactor around his neck, and the tip of his tail flickers with a status indicator, although now it is coiled up like a contented pet.

"Are you… Kitty—9?" Andrey asks cautiously.

The cat comes closer, rubs against his leg and starts purring. This sound is more like a steady frequency of a working reactor than a purring sound.

–Murr…– he drawls. – Alexey said you can fix hearts. I hope it's true. Because mine is… creaking today.


3.

The cathedral stands in the very heart of the valley – a giant structure made of copper, crystal and light.

Its walls are not walls, but thousands of Core Hearts floating in the air and pulsating in a single rhythm. Each one is like a frozen beat of someone's heart, taken off pause.

There is silence inside.

But not empty. Saturated.

Andrey takes a step and feels the air around him getting thicker. Even breathing echoes here.

Every Core-Heart remembers.

One thing is the first timid kiss somewhere under the neon rain of a distant metropolis.

The other is a last, barely audible "sorry" by the hospital bed.

The third is the sonorous laughter of a child who was saved at the last moment.

"This is where the Mechanics come to confess, – Alexei says quietly. His voice sounds especially muffled in the Cathedral. "We're wrong, too. We sin too. We're afraid. We're angry. Crying. It's just that our tears are made of butter.

At this moment, one of the crystals hanging slightly to the side cracks subtly.


Barely audible.

But for Alexey, this sound sounds louder than any shot.

He jerks as if he's been electrocuted and takes a step forward.

–No… – he whispers. "Not again.

Andrey sees that the crystal is dimming. An alarming, jagged light pulsates inside him. Like a heart that has long been tired of beating.

– what is it? Andrey asks.

"My Heart is the Core, – Alexey replies. "The part of me that remembers… her."

He does not specify who exactly. And so, it is clear.


4.

– Will you fix it? Kitty-9 asks almost inaudibly, flattening her ears.

Andrey looks at the cracked crystal.

On its surface, as in a curved mirror, fragments of pictures flash by: a children's room, a small palm, the shadow of a big man in the doorway, a promise that they did not have time to fulfill.

He comes closer.

He puts his palms on the cold edge.

He closes his eyes.

And he stops listening with his ears.

He listens to the chrono code.

There is no sound inside. And the memory.

–Dad… why don't the stars fall to earth?" "What is it?" a thin voice asks.

"Because they're afraid of crashing, honey, – replies a tired but warm laugh.

"Don't be afraid, – the girl whispers. "I'll always pick you up."

Tears come to Andrey's eyes.

He understands that he was not asked to fix the crack.

He was asked to return what was lost.

"I'm not going to fix the crystal," he says in a whisper. "I'll give him his memory back."

It's like he's untying a knot in time.

The crystal freezes.

A moment.

Then it flashes with light, warm and soft, like the arms that once hugged a child. The crack does not disappear, but it ceases to be a wound and becomes a scar.

Alexey falls to his knees.

–Thank you…" he exhales. "You gave her back to me."

"I didn't return it, – Andrey answers softly. "I just helped you remember that she never left."


5.

Later, on the porch of the Cathedral, Kitty-9 lies at Andrey's feet, purring heavily but steadily.

"You're ours now, – he says lazily. "Even if you're from the past." Even if you're still afraid.

– why? – Andrey is genuinely surprised.

"Because you don't see us as cars, – the cat replies. "You see people.

Andrey looks at the sunset.

The sky above Ferronia is painted in copper and blue tones. Somewhere in the distance, a river of metal sings. Somewhere in the depths of the Cathedral, Mechanis is still sobbing, not believing that his heart has the right to a second chance. Knox is waiting somewhere on the Aeternum. My mother is somewhere in Rostov.