The past is fractured. The future is threatened. Welcome to the Axis.
The Axis Tree—the ancient source that binds all timelines—is dying.
Across collapsing realities, three strangers are pulled into a realm beyond time:
Lena, a survivor haunted by loss.
Finn, a rebel scholar preserving forbidden truths.
Jax, a warrior prince from a vanishing empire.
Each carries the echoes of countless selves. Each must choose who they will become. As a sentient Machine begins to rewrite reality itself, only one question remains:
Can connection survive when every thread of existence begins to unravel?
Enter a universe where memory twists, destiny fractures, and hope endures.
Discover the story. Unearth the lore. Begin the journey.
Are you ready to enter the Axis?
The Chronos Machine is nearly complete…
Prologue: The Roots Remember
The universe is unraveling.
The Axis Tree stood at the center of all existence, its glowing roots stretching across time and dimensions, binding the fractured realities together. It pulsed with ancient energy, a heartbeat that kept the multiverse from collapsing into chaos. But something had changed. The hum of stability had weakened. The roots flickered, struggling against an unseen force that threatened to sever them from reality itself.
Far beyond the physical realm, in the space between worlds, shadows moved. Time rippled unnaturally, like a great tide pulling back before the inevitable storm. A hush lay over everything — the tense breath before a scream. Something was coming. Something that had already come before.
Cassian’s name was whispered in the void, though none could remember why.
The Hunt Begins
Kaela Durn knelt in the ruins of a world that no longer existed, her fingers brushing against the dust-covered earth. The energy trails were faint here, but still present. The fractures had spread, leaving behind echoes,remnants of things that should have been erased but refused to disappear entirely.
She adjusted the grip on her bow, its smooth metallic frame humming softly in response to the shifting energy around her. A hunter did not waste time questioning fate. She followed the signs, read the disturbances in the air, and understood what others could not.
The Axis Tree was dying. And its destruction would not come from an accident.
She pulled her hood lower, her sharp eyes scanning the darkened horizon. Somewhere in this unraveling mess of a multiverse, the ones responsible for this catastrophe were still moving, still believing they could fix what had already been broken.
Fools.
Kaela moved like a shadow between worlds, her form flickering between timelines, unseen by those who didn’t know where to look. She had been tracking the disturbance for longer than she could count, always arriving just after the moment had passed, after another crack in time had formed. But this time, she was close.
Closer than she had ever been.
She whispered a silent vow. This time, she would not be too late. This time, she would strike first.
The First Signs
At the heart of a forgotten ruin, the Axis Tree trembled. Its golden roots pulsed with dying light, reaching for something unseen, something lost. And in a desperate moment, it sent out a ripple,a warning.
Elsewhere, across fractured timelines, three lives shifted in response.
A girl in a wasteland clutched the glowing root of a dying tree, her world flickering between what was and what had been lost. The smell of smoke clung to her hair, the echo of a train whistle haunting the edges of her mind.
A scholar in an endless library reached for an ancient tome as letters rearranged themselves, whispering secrets that had never been written. His fingers trembled at the edge of each page, as if afraid they might vanish beneath his touch.
A warrior on a battlefield watched as time rewound itself before his eyes, erasing the death he had just witnessed, rewriting history in a way that should have been impossible. Blood and moonlight shimmered on his armor like a memory he could not hold.
The Axis Tree called to them and in the shadows, Kaela Durn watched, waiting for the moment to strike.
About the author
Dr. T.J. Chatlos
Dr. T.J. Chatlos is a lifelong storyteller who spent over a decade in the U.S. Army as a journalist, living and traveling around the world — including combat zones — where he met world leaders, covered historic moments, and captured the raw human stories at the heart of conflict and resilience.
After his military service, he transitioned into a successful career as an executive in communications and public relations, guiding organizations through complex storytelling and shaping narratives at the highest levels. Holding an extensive academic background, including a doctorate, he draws on this rich tapestry of real-world experience — from battlefield briefings to boardroom strategy — to bring authentic depth and emotional resonance to his characters and worlds.
Now based in the U.S., Dr. Chatlos channels his global adventures and lifelong curiosity into speculative fiction that explores the tension between fate and free will, memory and identity. His writing invites readers to journey beyond the known and discover the echoes of possibility in every choice, blending sweeping world building with intimate human moments.
The Axis of Worlds is the first book in a planned series that will expand into a vast, interconnected universe of echoes, timelines, and hidden cities.
Dr. T.J. Chatlos
What readers said
★★★★★
An unparalleled epic that blends adventure, wisdom, and timeless storytelling.
★★★★★
The foundation of every hero’s journey—a must-read.
★★★★★
Rich, poetic, and alive, defines the essence of fantasy.
The Axis of Worlds 