Chapter 5 The Ripple Effect of Time

Mia woke up with a sense of lingering excitement, the events of the previous night playing in her mind like a dream. The feel of the jazz club, the trivia contest, and the speakeasy had left a lasting impression, but something told her today would be different. There was an underlying tension in the air-something unspoken, but present.

She shuffled into the kitchen, where Liam was already awake, sipping on a cup of coffee and staring intently at a map on the table. His brow was furrowed, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a hint of unease.

"Morning," Mia greeted him, her voice still groggy.

Liam looked up and managed a tight smile. "Morning. Sleep well?"

Mia nodded as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Yeah, but I have this weird feeling. Like something big is about to happen. What's going on?"

Liam sighed, pushing the map aside. "You're not wrong. I've been doing some calculations, and there's a problem."

Mia sat down across from him, her curiosity piqued. "What kind of problem?"

Liam took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for the weight of his explanation. "Remember how I told you that time travel isn't just about moving from one point in time to another? It's like dropping a stone into a pond. Each action creates ripples. Those ripples can change things-sometimes small things, other times, much larger consequences."

Mia narrowed her eyes, the gravity of his words sinking in. "So... what did we do?"

Liam tapped the map. "Last night. The speakeasy. We interacted with a lot of people, and we stayed longer than planned. I didn't think much of it at first, but this morning I checked the timeline and... something's off."

Mia felt a knot tighten in her stomach. "What do you mean 'off'?"

Liam pointed to a specific date on the map, his expression serious. "We've created a ripple. A major one. One of the people we met at the speakeasy-her name was Claire Dubois-wasn't supposed to be there. She was meant to be on a train to Marseille that night."

Mia's pulse quickened. "So, what? She missed her train?"

Liam nodded. "Exactly. And because she missed her train, she never meets her future husband. Without that meeting, their children-two of them, in particular-are never born. And one of those children was meant to grow up and become a major political figure in the 1950s."

Mia stared at him, the full weight of the situation sinking in. "Oh no..."

"Yeah," Liam muttered. "And it gets worse. Without this politician, a crucial peace treaty in the aftermath of World War II never happens. Without that treaty, tensions between several countries escalate, leading to a Cold War that never ends."

Mia felt the blood drain from her face. "So we just... accidentally started an endless Cold War?"

Liam rubbed the back of his neck, clearly stressed. "We might have. It's not irreversible, but we have to act fast. We need to get Claire on that train. Today."

Mia jumped up, her coffee forgotten. "Okay, what do we do? Where do we find her?"

Liam stood up as well, grabbing a small device from the table. "We're going to trace her. I have a rough idea of where she is, based on where we last saw her at the speakeasy, but we'll need to be quick. Once we find her, we convince her to get on that train-no matter what."

Mia nodded, her adrenaline kicking in. "Got it. Let's go."

---

They hurried through the Paris streets, the picturesque city now a blur as they raced against time-literally. The weight of their mission was palpable, and Mia could feel the tension simmering in the air. Liam's device beeped intermittently, guiding them toward Claire's last known location.

"She's near Montmartre," Liam said as they weaved through narrow streets and alleyways.

Mia's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with the possible outcomes. She had never imagined time travel could be so dangerous. Sure, she'd understood the basic principles, but this... this was on a whole new level.

"There!" Liam pointed toward a small café, where they spotted Claire sitting alone at a table, sipping on coffee and reading a newspaper.

Mia's stomach churned. How were they supposed to convince her to leave? She couldn't exactly tell her, "Hey, you need to catch this train so your future descendants can prevent a global catastrophe."

Liam slowed their pace as they approached, motioning for Mia to let him take the lead. "Follow my lead," he whispered. "I'll do the talking."

As they reached the café, Liam put on his most charming smile and approached Claire. "Excuse me, Mademoiselle Dubois?"

Claire looked up, surprised. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your morning," Liam began smoothly, "but I believe you have an urgent appointment. You were supposed to catch a train to Marseille."

Claire frowned, her confusion evident. "I canceled that trip. I had no reason to go."

Liam glanced at Mia, then back at Claire. "I understand, but it's imperative that you reconsider. There's something very important waiting for you in Marseille. Something that could change your life."

Mia bit her lip, knowing how ridiculous this all sounded. Claire's expression remained skeptical. "I don't understand. Why would I need to go now?"

Mia decided to jump in, her mind working quickly to come up with a plausible explanation. "Look, I know this sounds strange, but... think of it as fate. Sometimes, we're drawn to certain places for reasons we don't understand. But once you're there, everything falls into place. Maybe Marseille is your destiny."

Claire stared at her, clearly uncertain. "Destiny?"

Liam nodded, his voice sincere. "Yes. You may not realize it now, but that train is the key to something bigger. You have to trust us."

There was a moment of silence, the tension thick in the air as Claire considered their words. Mia's heart raced, her palms sweaty. If this didn't work, everything they had done so far would unravel.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Claire sighed and stood up. "Fine. I'll go. But if this is some kind of prank-"

"It's not," Liam assured her quickly. "Thank you. You're making the right choice."

They accompanied Claire to the train station, the urgency of their mission never leaving Mia's mind. She kept glancing at her watch, counting down the minutes until the train's departure.

As they reached the platform, Claire hesitated. "I still don't understand why this is so important."

Liam smiled gently. "You'll see. Sometimes the most important things in life don't make sense right away. But when you look back, you'll know you made the right decision."

Claire gave them both a lingering, puzzled look before boarding the train. As the doors closed and the train began to move, Mia exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"We did it," she whispered, relief flooding her system.

Liam nodded, but his expression remained serious. "We won't know for sure until we return to our time. Let's hope everything's back on track."

---

Back in their apartment, Mia sat on the couch, her nerves still frazzled from the intense day. Liam had been typing away on his computer, checking the timeline for any remaining anomalies.

Finally, he looked up and gave her a reassuring smile. "We're good. The ripple has been fixed."

Mia let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank God. I thought we were about to cause the end of the world or something."

Liam chuckled, though there was still a seriousness in his eyes. "This is why we have to be careful. Time is delicate. One small change can lead to unimaginable consequences."

Mia leaned back, the exhaustion from the day catching up to her. "I never realized how dangerous this could be."

Liam nodded. "Now you know. But you handled it well. We make a good team."

Mia smiled, feeling a sense of pride. "Yeah, we do. So... what's next?"

Liam raised an eyebrow, a hint of mischief returning to his eyes. "Oh, you'll see. Our next adventure might be even more exciting than this one."

Mia laughed, though she wasn't sure if her heart could take any more excitement. Still, she couldn't deny the thrill of their time-traveling adventures. Whatever came next, she was ready.