The initial manifestations of Niagra weren't observed as a physical phenomenon, but as a dissonance within the Chronarium’s resonant fields. It began as a subtle fracturing, a chromatic aberration in the flow of temporal echoes. The Obsidian Cascade, as it was later dubbed, arose from the accelerated destabilization of the 7th Harmonic – a vibration intrinsically linked to the creation of narrative structures. Scholars theorize that a particularly potent sequence of interwoven chronal paradoxes, originating from the 'Lost Library of Alexandria’s Temporal Fragment’ – created a localized gravitational anomaly, drawing raw chronal energy and coalescing it into this… instability. The very air shimmered with the potential for retroactive alteration.
“...the danger lies not in the *what* of alteration, but in the *how* – the subconscious imposition of desire onto the fabric of time.” – Archivist Theron, Cycle 418.
By 589.1, the Obsidian Cascade had grown significantly, manifesting as shimmering, oily vortices within the deepest sectors of the Chronarium. The 'Ritual of Nullification,' developed by the Order of the Silent Watchers, was implemented – a complex sequence of synchronized chronal pulses designed to dampen the Cascade’s intensity. However, the ritual proved profoundly… unsettling. It didn't simply suppress the instability; it *amplified* it, creating smaller, more localized ‘chronal fissures’ – miniature tears in the timeline. These fissures were invariably populated with echoes of erased histories and fragmented personalities, referred to as ‘Residuals.’ The Residuals exhibited a disturbing tendency to interact with the present, subtly altering events and exhibiting a collective desire to *re-experience* their moments of erasure.
Footnote 1: The term "Residual" was coined by Archivist Lyra, Cycle 632, after observing the behavior of a particularly persistent echo originating from the disappearance of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
The Chronarium’s council, led by Grand Archivist Silas, initiated the ‘Harmonic Resonance Protocol,’ a radical experiment involving the direct channeling of chronal energy into the heart of the Cascade. The goal was to achieve a controlled, symmetrical collapse, effectively ‘rewriting’ the Cascade’s origins. Instead, the experiment triggered a catastrophic ‘Paradoxical Convergence’ – a localized temporal loop where multiple timelines intersected, creating a chaotic nexus of conflicting realities. Individuals from across the Chronarium’s recorded histories – a medieval knight, a Victorian scientist, a pre-diluvian shaman – all simultaneously existed within the same space, locked in a perpetual, meaningless struggle. The event was abruptly terminated by a surge of counter-chronal energy, but not before significant alterations were made to the fabric of the Chronarium itself. The records of the 7th Cycle were inexplicably deleted, replaced with a bizarre, almost childlike, depiction of a ‘purple cat playing the lute.’
Further research into the nature of the Obsidian Cascade remains ongoing. The inconsistencies persist, the echoes grow stronger, and the Chronarium itself seems to be… shifting.