Microstory 1200: Dilara Cassano

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Also known as The Arborist, Dilara Cassano possesses a time power that is perhaps the most dangerous of all, and for this reason, she makes every effort to not exercise it. Only under extreme circumstances does she agree to someone’s request, and it always requires sacrifice on their part. She has the ability to access old timelines. When a time traveler goes back in time, they create a new reality. This happens in almost every single case. It doesn’t matter whether they get on the radio, and start making predictions about the future. It doesn’t matter if they don’t talk to anyone, or if they avoid younger versions of themselves, or if they cover their face with a trenchcoat. The act of traveling through time destroys the timeline they were in at the exact moment of their departure, meaning that timeline will only ever hold experiences up to that moment. A new timeline branches off at the exact moment they arrive, regardless of what they do—or don’t do—once they get there. These changes are happening on the quantum level, so the point of divergence does not depend on their macroscopic decisions. Accessing an old timeline can have terrible consequences for the universe. They are meant to be left alone. Everything that happened within them has already happened, and cannot be changed. Any attempt to make changes could result in a paradox, and ultimately disrupt the creation of the timeline that came after it. Dilara, therefore, is an instrument of fate, who was always predestined to access any previous timeline that she attempts to reach. In other words, she will become part of each old timeline, so that no paradox occurs. It’s just that she wasn’t before fully aware that any given decision she makes is part of destiny, until she has finally carried out these actions. As stated, she limits the use of her power, so as to protect the so-called fabric of spacetime. She mostly uses it to extract alternate versions of people from other realities who she believes has work to complete in the present reality—in which case, they can only be removed without anyone realizing it—or can eventually return to their branch, and complete their lives unawares. Since changes cannot be undone, or changed yet again, she is not sought after much by others, especially not by those who truly understand how bad things could get with her involvement. When nothing is being asked of her, she likes to knit, and watch association football.