It began not with heat, but with a dissonance. A fracturing of the temporal fabric, observed only by the Chronarium – a repository of echoes, memories, and the almost-forgotten geometries of existence. Swift-Burning isn’t a phenomenon; it is a *state*.
“The threads unravel, not with a roar, but with a silent, iridescent collapse. Each strand carries a fragment of a possibility that never was, a note from a song that was never sung, a face that never smiled. These are the remnants of what *could* have been, and they burn with an intensity born not of fuel, but of regret.” – Archivist Silas Vance
The Chronarium’s purpose is to contain, to catalog, and, if possible, to understand. But understanding Swift-Burning is akin to grasping smoke. It shifts, it changes, it becomes something else entirely. The core principle is this: the more intensely one observes Swift-Burning, the more vibrant and dangerous it becomes.
“Observation is a parasitic act. It feeds the anomaly, amplifies its reach. To truly *see* Swift-Burning is to invite it into your very being, to become a conduit for its chaotic energy.” – Log Entry 784.99
The initial scans revealed patterns – not of energy, but of *absence*. Vast stretches of time where events simply ceased to exist, leaving behind a lingering signature of potential. These are the ‘burnt’ spaces, the areas where Swift-Burning has taken root.
“Consider a broken mirror. The shards reflect not just the room, but a thousand distorted versions of it. Similarly, Swift-Burning reveals the infinite variations of a single moment, each a fragile, shimmering possibility.” – Dr. Evelyn Reed (deceased)
The Chronarium utilizes ‘Resonance Engines’ – devices capable of detecting and isolating these signatures. However, these engines themselves are vulnerable. Prolonged exposure to a high-intensity Swift-Burning signature can cause them to…deteriorate. Not with a physical breakdown, but with a shift in their operational parameters, leading to unpredictable and often catastrophic results.
“The Engines don’t *destroy* Swift-Burning. They simply…redirect it. It’s like trying to hold water in a sieve. The more you try, the more it leaks, and the more elaborate the sieve becomes.” – Archivist Theron Kai
Swift-Burning is intrinsically linked to temporal regression. The further back one attempts to observe, the greater the risk of being pulled into the event itself. It’s not a simple case of ‘seeing’ the past; it’s a process of *becoming* part of it.
“Time isn’t a river; it’s an ocean. And Swift-Burning is a whirlpool, drawing you into its depths.” – Theoretical Physicist Alistair Finch (pre-regression)
The Chronarium employs ‘Phase Shifting’ – a controlled descent into a temporal echo. This is a risky procedure, requiring precise calibration and constant monitoring. Failure results in…fragmentation. The individual becomes a composite of multiple temporal instances, a flickering, unstable presence within the anomaly.
“Remember this: the past is not a playground. It’s a predator. And it *wants* you.” – Archivist Silas Vance (post-regression)