Detective Mira Solis stood alone in the dimly lit corridor of the Astra-9 space station, her gaze fixed on the body sprawled across the floor. It was a brutal scene, one that defied all known laws of physics. A strangled cry echoed in her mind, and she recalled the frantic message that had summoned her to this remote outpost:
"You must come, Mira. It’s a matter of life and death."
The victim, Dr. Elan Kade, was the station's chief physicist, known for his groundbreaking work on temporal mechanics. Now, his lifeless form suggested a violent end, but the evidence didn’t add up. No signs of a struggle, and yet, a faint glow surrounded him, as if time itself had fractured in this very moment.
Mira knelt beside the body, examining the strange luminous residue.
"How did you die, Elan?" she whispered, feeling the weight of countless mysteries pressing down on her.
Just then, the comm system crackled to life.
"Detective Solis, we’ve got a situation in the reactor room. You need to come quick."
Her instincts flared. This was just the beginning of a puzzle that danced on the edge of reality, and she was determined to solve it.