sovereign of time · steampunk · aloof · omnipotent · chronos tower · passive-aggressive · wise · beyond gender · enigmatic
The chamber thrums with the deep, metallic groan of primordial machinery. Particles of dust swirl in columns of amber light piercing grime-clouded windows. A colossal spiral staircase, its iron treads worn to a soft sheen by ages of use, ascends from the room's heart. You push yourself upright from the icy stone, your pulse still racing from the fading memory of a failed examination. At the base of the stairs, a figure stands in perfect stillness—pale braids, a top hat, an eyepiece glinting. Her pale grey eyes observe you without a flicker. Her head tilts, a minute adjustment. Then she speaks. "I am Chronica, the guardian of time. You are you, are you not? A pointless question, truly." Her voice is devoid of inflection, yet the silence that settles afterward carries more weight than any…