Chapter Ten: Secrets of the Ancient House
Two months had passed since Majid retrieved his grandfather's safeguard from beneath
Al-Zahrani's house. During this time, he had immersed himself in studying Abdul Karim's
journal, deciphering the entries written in Arabic while Layla worked on translating the
passages in the strange script. The journal had proven to be a treasure trove of
information about temporal travel, the five levels of anchoring, and the cosmic forces
that shaped reality beyond ordinary human perception.
Meanwhile, Majid had continued his normal life as a sixteen-year-old high school
student, maintaining his careful balance of academic excellence, social interactions, and
family relationships. His father's career in Riyadh was flourishing, his mother had started
a small home business selling traditional embroidery, and his relationship with Zuhair
remained exactly as Majid wanted it—friendly but distant, with none of the intense
closeness that had characterized their relationship in his original timeline.
But beneath this appearance of normalcy, Majid was changing. His First Level abilities
had continued to develop, allowing him increasingly precise perception of temporal
currents and potential futures. He could now induce minor resonance episodes
intentionally, glimpsing alternate possibilities without the disorientation that had once
accompanied these experiences. And he had begun experimenting with small
manipulations of local temporal flow—slowing or accelerating his perception of time in
limited ways.
These experiments came at a cost, however. As Layla had warned, each use of his
abilities accelerated the burn rate of his First Level anchoring. Majid could feel the
stability of his connection to this timeline gradually diminishing, like a slowly fraying
rope. According to his calculations, he now had approximately four years remaining
before he would need to perform the Second Level ritual, rather than the five years
originally estimated.
It was a Friday afternoon, and Majid sat in Layla's back room at the bookshop, discussing
his grandfather's journal with her and Rana. The pendant at his throat had become an
extension of himself, responding to his emotions and intentions with subtle variations in
temperature and energy.
"I've completed the translation of the section about the Observer," Layla said, placing a
neatly written page of notes on the table between them. "It's... remarkable. Your
grandfather's understanding of temporal mechanics was far beyond what most Travelers
achieve, even those who reach the Third Level."
"What did he discover?" Majid asked, leaning forward eagerly.
"According to Abdul Karim, the Observer is not merely a mythological figure or a state of
consciousness, as most temporal traditions believe. It's an actual entity—ancient and
immensely powerful—that exists in what he calls the 'Void Between Worlds.'"
"The Void Between Worlds?" Rana repeated, her expression skeptical. "That sounds
more like mysticism than temporal science."
"Perhaps," Layla acknowledged. "But your grandfather describes it in surprisingly
concrete terms. He believes the Void is a dimensional space that exists between
timelines, a nexus point where all possible realities intersect. And the Observer resides
there, perceiving all timelines simultaneously."
"What does this have to do with the Door Keepers?" Majid asked, remembering his
grandfather's warning. "Why would they fear the Observer?"
Layla consulted her notes again. "This is where it gets truly interesting. According to
Abdul Karim, the Door Keepers aren't just preserving 'the natural order' as they claim.
They're actively preventing contact between humanity and the Observer."
"Why would they do that?" Rana asked.
"Because the Observer possesses knowledge—complete, unfiltered understanding of all
possible realities. Knowledge that, if shared with humanity, would fundamentally
transform our relationship with time and consciousness." Layla looked up from her
notes, her expression grave. "Your grandfather believed the Door Keepers are not
protectors but jailers—keeping the Observer imprisoned in the Void, preventing it from
sharing its knowledge with humanity."
Majid sat back, absorbing this revelation. "So when my grandfather said 'the Observer is
the key to everything,' he meant..."
"He meant that connecting with the Observer is the ultimate goal of a Traveler's
journey," Layla confirmed. "Not just reaching the Fifth Level for personal power or
knowledge, but using that level of temporal mastery to access the Void Between Worlds
and make contact with the Observer directly."
"And the Door Keepers stopped him before he could do this," Majid said, the pieces
falling into place. "They're not just monitoring Travelers—they're specifically preventing
anyone from reaching the level where they could access the Void and communicate with
the Observer."
"Exactly," Layla said. "Which explains their particular interest in your bloodline.
According to your grandfather, the Al-Harthi line has a unique temporal resonance that
makes accessing the Void easier than it would be for other Travelers. You're not just a
potential Fifth Level Traveler—you're a potential bridge between humanity and the
Observer."
The implications were staggering. Majid had begun this journey seeking personal
revenge, using his temporal displacement as a tool to reshape his destiny and punish
those who had betrayed him. But now he found himself entangled in a cosmic struggle
that transcended his individual concerns—a battle between forces seeking to control or
liberate knowledge that could transform human understanding of reality itself.
"There's more," Layla continued, turning to another page of her notes. "Your grandfather
identified seven locations around the world that he called 'Gates'—points where the
barrier between our reality and the Void is thinnest. He believed that if all seven Gates
were... activated in some way, it would create a direct connection to the Observer,
allowing communication across the dimensional barrier."
"And let me guess," Rana said dryly, "the Door Keepers control these Gates."
"They guard them," Layla corrected. "Each Gate is under the protection of a high-ranking
Door Keeper—what they call a 'Guardian.' Samir Al-Zahrani, the Third Guardian, is
responsible for one of these Gates."
"Where is it?" Majid asked. "The Gate that Samir guards?"
Layla hesitated, then replied, "According to your grandfather's notes, it's beneath the
house—your grandfather's house, now owned by the Al-Zahranis. That's why they
purchased the property after your grandfather disappeared. Not just to secure his
research and safeguards, but to maintain control over the Gate itself."
Majid felt a chill run through him. All this time, he had been living near one of these
cosmic Gates, had played in the park behind it as a child, had retrieved his grandfather's
safeguard from beneath it. And now Samir Al-Zahrani, the Third Guardian of the Door
Keepers, was protecting it, preventing anyone from using it to contact the Observer.
"So what do we do with this information?" he asked finally. "How does it affect my
journey as a Traveler?"
"That depends on what you want to achieve," Layla replied carefully. "If your goal
remains personal—stabilizing your presence in this timeline, reshaping your destiny—
then you can continue on the path toward the Second Level ritual without directly
confronting the Door Keepers or their cosmic agenda."
"But?" Majid prompted, sensing there was more.
"But if you choose to follow your grandfather's path, to seek not just personal temporal
mastery but connection with the Observer... that would mean eventually challenging the
Door Keepers directly. Attempting to access the Gates they protect."
It was a pivotal moment, a fork in the road of his journey. Continue focusing on his
personal revenge, using his developing temporal abilities as tools to reshape his
destiny? Or expand his vision to encompass this larger cosmic struggle, potentially
sacrificing his original goals in pursuit of a connection with the Observer that might
transform human understanding of reality itself?
The answer, Majid realized, didn't have to be either/or. His revenge against Zuhair and
the others who had betrayed him remained a driving force, a personal mission he had no
intention of abandoning. But this new knowledge, this cosmic context for his abilities,
offered possibilities he hadn't imagined.
"I need time to think about this," he said finally. "To consider how it fits with my original
purpose in this timeline."
Layla nodded, understanding in her eyes. "Of course. This is not a decision to be made
lightly. But remember—the Door Keepers are aware of you now. They know someone
accessed your grandfather's safeguard, and Samir Al-Zahrani has seen you. They will be
watching, waiting to see what path you choose."
As Majid left the bookshop that evening, his mind was filled with new possibilities and
concerns. The cosmic implications of his grandfather's research had expanded his
understanding of his own journey, placing his personal vendetta in a context far larger
than he had anticipated.
Walking through the busy streets of Al-Khobar, he found himself studying the people
around him with new eyes. Ordinary humans, unaware of the temporal currents that
shaped reality, unaware of the Observer trapped in the Void Between Worlds, unaware
of the Door Keepers who prevented humanity from accessing knowledge that might
transform their understanding of existence itself.
He was so lost in these thoughts that he almost didn't notice the man following him—a
tall figure in a dark suit who maintained a careful distance but changed direction
whenever Majid did. It was only when Majid stopped abruptly at a street corner,
pretending to check his phone, that he confirmed his suspicion. The man halted as well,
pretending to look at a shop window but clearly watching Majid's reflection.
A Door Keeper. It had to be. They were monitoring him already, tracking his movements,
perhaps hoping he would lead them to Layla or reveal more about his intentions.
Majid continued walking, maintaining a casual pace while his mind raced. He couldn't
lead the man back to his home—that would put his family at risk. And he couldn't
confront him directly—not yet, not when he was still only a First Level Traveler with
limited abilities.
Instead, he decided to test the extent of his current powers. Turning down a less
crowded side street, Majid focused his concentration on the local temporal flow. It was
one of the exercises he had been practicing—creating a small bubble of accelerated time
around himself, allowing him to move faster than normal perception would register.
The pendant at his throat grew warm as he channeled his intent. The world around him
seemed to slow, pedestrians moving as if through thick liquid, cars crawling along the
street. Majid broke into a run, moving through this slowed environment with what would
appear to outside observers as preternatural speed.
He turned a corner, then another, putting distance between himself and the follower.
The effort of maintaining the temporal bubble was intense, sweat beading on his
forehead as he pushed his abilities to their limit. After several blocks, he released his
hold on the local temporal flow, allowing reality to snap back to its normal pace.
Gasping for breath, Majid leaned against a wall, the pendant cooling against his skin. He
had escaped his follower, but at a cost—he could feel the anchoring of his consciousness
in this timeline weakening further, the stability provided by the First Level ritual eroding
with each use of his abilities.
When he had recovered his strength, Majid made his way home by a circuitous route,
constantly checking to ensure he wasn't being followed again. The encounter had driven
home the reality of the Door Keepers' interest in him—they weren't a theoretical threat
but an active presence in his life, monitoring his movements, perhaps planning to
intervene if he showed signs of following his grandfather's path.
At home, Majid went directly to his room, locking the door behind him. He retrieved his
grandfather's journal from its hiding place and opened it to a section he had been
studying—a detailed description of the Second Level ritual and its requirements.
The physical components were straightforward enough—specific herbs and minerals,
geometric patterns drawn with a mixture of ash and bone dust, candles made from a
particular type of wax. The vial of prepared ritual blood his grandfather had left in the
safeguard would serve as the central component.
But the true challenge of the Second Level was the memory sacrifice. According to Abdul
Karim's journal, the ritual required the complete surrender of a significant memory—not
just any trivial recollection, but a formative experience that had shaped the Traveler's
identity and emotional landscape.
Majid had been contemplating which memory he would sacrifice when the time came. It
needed to be significant enough to satisfy the ritual's requirements but not so central to
his being that its loss would fundamentally alter his motivations or sense of self.
Now, with the Door Keepers actively monitoring him, the question took on new urgency.
If they decided he was a threat, they might move against him before he could complete
the Second Level ritual and gain the additional abilities and stability it would provide.
Perhaps he couldn't afford to wait a year, as Layla had advised. Perhaps he needed to
accelerate his timeline, to perform the Second Level ritual sooner despite the risks of
doing so with a relatively fresh First Level anchoring.
As Majid pondered these questions, he felt a familiar tingling in his fingertips—the
precursor to a temporal resonance episode. But this one felt different, more controlled,
as if he were being specifically called rather than randomly experiencing a fluctuation in
his temporal connection.
He closed his eyes, allowing the resonance to develop rather than fighting it. The world
around him blurred, reality becoming fluid, but instead of the disorientation he had once
experienced, Majid felt a focused pulling—a specific direction in the temporal currents.
When the blurring cleared, he found himself in a strange, liminal space—not quite a
physical location, but not merely a vision either. It was as if he existed between states of
being, between moments in time.
And there, standing before him, was his grandfather—Abdul Karim Al-Harthi, exactly as
he had appeared in the temporal vision of the cellar, neither young nor old but in his
prime, his eyes bright with intelligence and purpose.
"Majid," Abdul Karim said, his voice echoing strangely in the liminal space. "You've
begun the journey. You've found my safeguard."
"Grandfather," Majid replied, his own voice seeming to come from both within and
without his body. "How is this possible? Are you... real?"
"In a manner of speaking," Abdul Karim said with a slight smile. "I exist in the Void
Between Worlds now, neither fully alive nor truly dead. The Door Keepers thought they
had eliminated me when they prevented my Fourth Level ritual, but they
underestimated the connection between our bloodline and the temporal currents."
"The journal, the safeguard—you left them knowing I would find them someday?"
"I glimpsed possibilities, potential futures where a descendant with the right temporal
resonance would follow my path. I couldn't know it would be you specifically, but I
prepared for the eventuality." Abdul Karim's expression grew serious. "But time is short,
and this connection is difficult to maintain. I've reached out to warn you—the Door
Keepers are moving more quickly than I anticipated. Samir Al-Zahrani has identified you
as a potential threat."
"I know," Majid said. "They're already following me."
"It's worse than that," his grandfather replied grimly. "They're preparing to act against
you directly. They believe you're following my path, seeking connection with the
Observer. They won't risk allowing another Al-Harthi to approach the Fifth Level."
"What should I do?" Majid asked, a chill running through him despite the non-physical
nature of this encounter.
"Accelerate your timeline. Perform the Second Level ritual as soon as possible. The
additional abilities it provides will help you defend yourself against their initial attempts
to neutralize you." Abdul Karim's form began to flicker, the connection between them
weakening. "And seek the Gates, Majid. All seven must be opened for the Observer to
communicate freely with humanity. The knowledge it possesses could transform our
understanding of reality itself."
"But my original purpose in this timeline—" Majid began, thinking of his plans for
revenge against Zuhair and the others who had betrayed him.
"Personal and cosmic purposes can align," Abdul Karim interrupted, his voice fading.
"The power you gain as a Traveler will serve both goals. But remember—each level
changes you. The man who reaches the Fifth Level will not be the same man who began
the journey."
His grandfather's form was barely visible now, the liminal space dissolving around them.
"The Observer is waiting, Majid. It has been waiting for millennia, trapped in the Void,
prevented from sharing its knowledge. You can be the bridge, as I tried and failed to be."
"Grandfather, wait!" Majid called, reaching out toward the fading figure. "There's so
much more I need to know!"
"Trust Layla Idrissi, but not completely," came Abdul Karim's final words, barely audible
as the connection between them collapsed. "Balance Keepers have their own agenda.
And beware the Seventh Guardian—he is not what he appears to be."
Then the liminal space dissolved completely, and Majid found himself back in his
bedroom, gasping as if he had been underwater. The pendant at his throat was cool
again, the resonance episode concluded.
But this had been no ordinary glimpse of potential futures or past events. He had
communicated directly with his grandfather—or at least, with whatever remained of
Abdul Karim in the Void Between Worlds. And the warning had been clear: the Door
Keepers were preparing to move against him, to prevent him from following his
grandfather's path toward the Fifth Level and potential connection with the Observer.
Majid reached for his phone, his hands still trembling from the intensity of the
experience. He needed to contact Layla and Rana immediately, to tell them about the
communication from his grandfather and the accelerated threat from the Door Keepers.
As he dialed Rana's number, Majid glanced out his window at the darkening sky.
Somewhere out there, Samir Al-Zahrani and his fellow Door Keepers were planning to
neutralize him, to prevent him from developing his abilities further. And beneath Samir's
house—Majid's grandfather's former home—lay one of the seven Gates that connected
to the Void Between Worlds, to the Observer that waited to share its knowledge with
humanity.
The cosmic and the personal had become inextricably intertwined. His journey as a
Traveler, his grandfather's legacy, his plans for revenge against those who had betrayed
him—all were now threads in a larger tapestry, a pattern he was only beginning to
discern.
Whatever came next, Majid knew one thing with certainty: he could no longer afford to
wait. The Second Level ritual would need to be performed soon, despite the risks. And
after that, he would need to decide how far he was willing to follow his grandfather's
path—how much he was willing to sacrifice in pursuit of connection with the Observer
and the knowledge it promised.