IN ANOTHER WORLD

By 2065, the world had become a tapestry of innovation, woven together by the limitless potential of artificial intelligence. Flying cars roared through metallic skies, AI-controlled hotels catered to every human whim, and factories operated with the precision of clockwork, eliminating the toil of manual labor. Yet, despite these monumental achievements, humanity had yet to conquer one ultimate frontier: time.

The time machine had become the unattainable dream, the elusive masterpiece of science. Every scientist yearned to crack the code, to be remembered as the one who turned the impossible into reality. It was the obsession of young minds and seasoned experts alike. But among them, Dr. Ren Tomson stood apart.

In his fifties, Dr. Ren's body bore the wear of decades of relentless pursuit—gray hair framed his weathered face, and failing eyesight hinted at countless sleepless nights. Yet his spirit was undiminished. With the passion of a dreamer, he toiled in the isolated confines of Dogtough Laboratory, undeterred by failure. His companions in this audacious journey were two brilliant yet contrasting young researchers: Sou and Rema.

They were close, tantalizingly close, to breaching the veil of time.

"Rema! Where's the outlet design for the machine?" Sou's sharp voice echoed across the sterile lab.

At 28, Sou was the epitome of charm and ambition. A Stanford-educated software engineer, his dark, unruly hair, athletic build, and piercing eyes had made him the heartthrob of his college days. His confidence bordered on arrogance, a trait that often irked his colleagues.

"It's not ready yet," came Rema's clipped reply.

Rema was the yin to Sou's yang—composed, methodical, and pragmatic. Her life had been forged in hardship: born to an Indian father and an Italian mother, she had been orphaned at five when a car crash claimed her parents. Raised in an orphanage, she had shed the vulnerability of youth, her steely resolve replacing the fleeting warmth of her childhood.

Sou leaned back, smirking. "Why am I not surprised? You can't seem to get anything right."

Rema's icy glare could have frozen the sun. "First of all, it wasn't my task. Secondly, you're not my boss. Why should I listen to you?" She turned to Dr. Ren. "Correct, Doctor?"

Before Dr. Ren could respond, he threw his pen down in frustration. "Enough, you two! I'm on the brink of a breakthrough, but I can't focus with your constant arguing!"

"Doc, you've been stuck on this for weeks," Sou teased, his tone light but laced with a hint of exasperation. "At this rate, the time machine will remain a dream."

Dr. Ren's glare was sharp enough to cut steel. But then his expression softened—his brow furrowing as if trying to grasp an elusive thread of thought.

"Wait... What did you just say?" he asked suddenly.

"What? That you'll need infinite time to finish?" Sou raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Infinite time..." Dr. Ren's voice was barely above a whisper, but his eyes widened with sudden clarity. "That's it! Infinity! That's the missing piece!"

"What are you talking about?" Sou asked, bewildered.

Dr. Ren didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed a stack of papers and scribbled furiously, his movements fueled by new found inspiration. "Prepare yourselves!" he exclaimed. "We're working through the night. The thesis is complete. We're going to finish this machine!"

Two weeks later, the machine stood in the center of the lab—a clunky, unassuming contraption brimming with potential.

"It looks... odd," Rema remarked, tilting her head as she examined the structure.

"You mean incredible," Sou corrected, defensive.

"It looks like a soapbox," Dr. Ren quipped, earning a scowl from Sou.

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Sou shot back. "What matters is how it works."

"Fine," Rema said, folding her arms. "Where are we going?"

Dr. Ren hesitated, then set the coordinates. "April 3, 2043," he said softly.

Rema froze. "That's the day my parents..."

"Yes," Dr. Ren confirmed, his voice is gentle.

Rema said nothing, her silence is heavy with unspoken emotion.

Dr. Ren activated the machine, and the lab trembled. Colors spiraled into a vortex on the screen, and the hum of countless ticking clocks filled the air. Images of the past flickered around them, a kaleidoscope of history.

"It's working," Sou murmured in awe.

But suddenly, the machine sputtered. Smoke began to pour from its circuits, and alarms blared.

"Something's wrong!" Rema shouted, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

"I can't stabilize it!" Dr. Ren's voice cracked with panic.

The machine jolted violently. A black hole appeared ahead, its gravitational pull is inescapable.

"Hold on to something!" Sou shouted, throwing himself over Rema and Dr. Ren.

The machine hurtled forward, swallowed by the void. A brilliant light consumed them, and the world disappeared.

Sou awoke to the sensation of water dripping onto his face. Groaning, he sat up and blinked against the sunlight streaming through a canopy of unfamiliar trees.

"Rema? Doc?" he called, shaking them awake.

Rema groaned while rubbing her temples. "Where... are we?"

Dr. Ren staggered to his feet, staring at the crumpled remains of the machine. "My machine..." he whispered, his voice breaking.

"Guys," Sou said as his voice trembled. "Look ahead."

Before them stretched an alien landscape—a world untouched by human hands. Mountains rose like jagged teeth in the distance, and strange creatures moved silently through the foliage.

They stared in silence, a mix of awe and fear gripping their hearts.

They had crossed the threshold of the known world. Whatever lay ahead, their journey had only just begun.