The Library
The Library loomed untouched. Its iconic flying buttresses and conical roof shimmered with residual energy. Gothic windows flickered—shifting between gaslights and LED strobes like the building couldn't pick an era to commit to.
Inside, echoes of footsteps mingled with War of 1812 proclamations, 1970 motions on bilingualism, and future debates over AI governance. Time warped itself within these walls like pages from a book read too quickly.
They reached the rotunda. There, at the locus of every whispered war and celebrated bill, stood the Codex Polohedron—a crystalline device pulsing with radiant blue veins. It floated just above Sir John A. Macdonald’s ancient desk, projecting centuries with each rotation.
"Set the node," MacLeod barked.
Sébastien raised a disc from his belt—silver etched with flickering glyphs. As he inserted it into the slot beneath the Codex, Parliament—not just its present, but its meaning—stilled. Queen Victoria froze mid-gesture in a spectral vision. The Sound and Light show dimmed. Even the whispers of the past inhaled.
"Override in three," whispered Sébastien. "Two. One—"
White.
Reset
The Peace Tower stood again, unmarred. Guards resumed their march. Tourists turned to one another, confused, blinking at their phones. The sky bore no bruise. The Centennial Flame flickered docilely, unaware it had flirted with oblivion.
Sébastien sat on the Library steps, rubbing his head. His clothes had subtly shifted—still navy and crimson, but now in modern fibers, tailored like a sleek travel jacket and dark jeans. His gloves had vanished. The time-sequencer lay inert.
A woman stepped out of the Library. Chestnut hair. Curt smile. She held an archivist’s binder to her chest.
"Sébastien, isn’t it?" Victoria asked. "You looked lost."
He stood slowly, blinking at her, memories not cold but smoldering quietly just beneath the surface. Not quite love, not yet.
"Not lost," he said. "Just... finding my way back."
A slight beat passed between them. Unwritten history hovered there. Then she nodded and walked beside him, as if it were inevitable.
And maybe it was.
Genre: Science Adventure / Time Travel / Political Drama
The Source...check out the great article that inspired this amazing short story: What is the most visited place in Ottawa
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