21

The distorted hum of the Chrono-Sleigh growing louder with every second. The gravitational forces intensify, pressing against them as though time itself is fighting back. Wesley wipes sweat from his brow. "How much longer?"

David doesn’t look up from the controls. "We’re close, but something doesn’t add up. The field signatures are off—almost like the system’s trying to hide something."

Magnus frowns. "What does that mean?"

Before David can answer, the Black king clicks into place. The energy beams around the sleigh flicker and weaken, but instead of stabilizing, a second field begins to form beneath it—a faint, shimmering bubble of time dilation.

A figure appears inside the field.

At first, it’s barely visible, but as the field stabilizes, the group freezes. Inside the shimmering distortion is Wesley Snow—a perfect mirror of the Wesley standing beside them. His face is pale, his expression disoriented as though no time has passed for him.

The Wesley outside the field, the one who has accompanied them the whole time, steps back instinctively, his voice unusually calm. "It’s just another time echo, right?"

David’s scanner beeps wildly, and he pales. "No. That’s the real Wesley. He’s been trapped in a time-dilated loop."

The group turns to the Wesley beside them, who suddenly grins—a grin that twists into something far too familiar.

Magnus stares at him, his voice hoarse. "No. Not again."

The Wesley steps forward, his form glitching momentarily, his voice dripping with mockery. "Surprise."

This is a checkless help-stalemate. Checks are illegal, so if the only moves that would be legal in a normal game of chess are non-checkmating checks, the position is considered stalemate. Both players cooperate. Black moves first, then White. Three moves each. White's last move must be stalemate. Here's the analysis board, and if anything is unclear, ask in our Discord.