After I woke up, I found myself in my bed.
my head was heavy as if I hadn't slept at all.
I hurriedly reached for my phone, still plugged into the charger, and checked the time..
"Thu, December 1st, 3:10 PM."
Wait… that can't be right.
Was I dreaming? If so, that was one freaky dream. It felt too real—every word, every sensation still fresh in my mind.
I pushed the thoughts aside and got up, my legs still stiff. As I made my way to the kitchen, an uneasy feeling settled in my chest.
Is this what déjà vu feels like?
To my surprise, my mother was actually there, wiping the kitchen counter clean like she did every afternoon.
I let out a sigh of relief. Well, I guess it really was just a dream.
Still, something didn't sit right.
"When did you come home?" I asked, my voice unintentionally cautious.
She glanced at me briefly before returning to her cleaning. "I returned 10 minutes ago. Why, what happened?"
"Nothing, actually. I was just asking," I replied quickly, shaking my head.
I tried to dismiss this uneasy feeling, but one thought crept within me—why do I remember every detail so clearly? Most of my dreams fade the moment I wake up.
But this one?
It refused to disappear.
"Anyway, did you buy this fancy hat? I found it on the table," my mother asked, holding up a sleek black top hat.
My stomach dropped.
Oh, hell no…
That's definitely the same hat that the so-called Wish Granter was wearing.
I forced a neutral expression. "No idea where that came from."
My mother narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh. Your face says otherwise. Tell me the truth—did you buy it? Because it looks expensive."
"Y-Yeah, I did," I admitted, scrambling for an excuse.
She sighed, shaking her head. "Why do you keep making these unnecessary purchases when you don't even have a job?"
Thanks for the reminder, Mom.
"And on top of that, I had to drag your unconscious body to your room last night," she added, rubbing her shoulder. "Do you know how heavy you are? I'm getting old, you know!"
"Uh, Sorry? " I mumbled. "I'll return it to the store tomorrow."
She smirked. "You know what? I think I'll wear it someday."
"No chance," I shot back, snatching the hat and placing it firmly on my head.
She clicked her tongue. "Tch."
Without another word, I turned and bolted to my room.
My mother sighed dramatically. "This is why I wanted a daughter."
I can still hear you.
Shaking my head, I walked into my room, flicked on the lights, and stepped in front of the mirror. With a smirk, I adjusted the top hat on my head, striking the most ridiculous pose I could think of.
Then, in the most exaggerated, proper British accent I could muster, I muttered—
"Oh look at me, innit? I'm Bri'ish now. Love me tea n' biscuits, yeah? Might as well go off an' colonize a few countries while I'm at it."
I curled an imaginary mustache and grinned smugly.
"Oi bruv, where's me fish n' chips?"
I let out a laugh, fully committed to the bit—until my phone rang.
The same unknown number from before.
My amusement faded as I stared at the screen. Should I answer?
This time, I did.
"Hello? Who is this?"
A familiar, teasing voice came through the speaker.
"Heya! It's me~"
I frowned. "Who?"
"What do you mean who?? Did you already forget about me? Wow, that's cold. I guess it can't be helped… I'm the one you spoke to in your Dream."
I sat down on my bed, rubbing my forehead.
"Which, let me clarify," she continued, "wasn't a dream. It all happened."
Oh, I see how it is, she wants her hat back.
"If this is about your hat, come get it yourself"
There was a brief silence before she gasped.
"Wait, did I—? Ohhh! So that's what felt off. Don't worry about it, just keep it," she said nonchalantly. Then, muttering under her breath, "Not that I liked the hat... or the outfit anyway..."
"Alright, I'm getting sidetracked," she said, clearing her throat. "I called you before too, Anyway~ about your time manipulation… I assume you've already gotten the hang of it by now?"
Oh no.
I cannot tell her I spent my time playing with her hat, making fun of British people.
"Uh… no? It's literally been 10 minutes."
A beat of silence. Then—
"Oh wow, how useless can a human being possibly be?" she muttered.
"I can hear you, you know."
"Good," she shot back.
I groaned. "Just tell me how to use my powers already!"
"Why are you so worked up? Just calm down already," she said.
What do you mean I'm worked up? Weren't you the one rushing me before?!
"To activate your powers you must first snap your fingers with your left hand twice, This will pause the time."
"I gave your powers in such way it makes it easier for you to understand"
"Why left hand? I cannot snap with it, I'm right handed."
"I made it your left hand for a reason. If your dominant hand ever gets chopped off, you can still use your powers. You're welcome."
"Excuse me—Chopped Off?!"
"Life is unpredictable, you don't know what may happen to your right hand?"
"What if my Left Hand gets chopped off? What then?" I shot back
"Anyway," She said Ignoring me.
"After that, you have to move your hand in a circular motion. To rewind time, rotate it anticlockwise. To fast forward—aka travel to the future—move it clockwise."
"It's not that complicated. You'll get the hang of it~ I made sure of it," she added, almost sounding weirdly proud of herself.
Before I could ask anything else, she continued,
"Alright, I'm ending the call. Go back about 20 minutes and try it out. The next time I call, say uhh, 'O wise one, I just travelled back in time'. I'll know if you succeeded."
I blinked. seriously?
"Huh? Wait, what? That's it?"
"I'm ending the call!"
And just like that—she actually hung up.
I stared at my phone in disbelief.
Well, I guess I have no choice but to try this now.
…Wait.
If she's teaching me how to rewind time, can she do it herself?
That thought lodged itself in my brain, but I shook it off. First, let's see if this even works.
Taking a deep breath, I stood up and snapped my fingers twice.
Instantly, everything around me froze.
The room plunged into eerie silence with stiff air. No movement. No sound. No hum from the computer fans. No ticking from the clock.
I turned to look at it.
The second hand wasn't moving.
Holy shit… it actually worked.
I swallowed, stretching out my hand carefully. With a slow, controlled motion, I rotated it anticlockwise while keeping my eyes locked on the clock.
The hands jerked backward—and suddenly, time unraveled in reverse.
The clock wound itself back way too fast.
2:00 PM.
Shit. Overshot it.
I took another deep breath and spun my hand clockwise instead. The hands moved forward again.
3:15 PM.
Perfect. Alright, time to call her back.
But then… I froze.
Wait.
How do I resume time?!
…She never told me that part!
I picked up my phone and checked my recent dialed history.
Wait… she didn't even call me 20 minutes ago.
How the hell am I supposed to call her back if the call never happened in this timeline?
A wave of panic set in. Did I just mess up time completely?
I tried everything—I spun my hands clockwise, anticlockwise, fast, slow—but nothing worked.
I was stuck.
My heart pounded as I attempted every possible hand gesture I could think of. Circles, flicks, even random waving, gang signs and naruto jutsus—nothing worked.
Then—a thought clicked in my head.
What if I just snapped my fingers again?
Taking a shaky breath, I raised my left hand and snapped twice.
Click. Click.
The world came back to life. The air felt normal again, the soft hum of appliances returned, and the second hand on the clock started ticking.
Oh, thank god.
I slumped back into my chair, exhaling in relief.
I waited. Few minutes passed. Then—
RING!
I grabbed my phone and stared at the screen. Unknown Number.
I picked it up.
"Heya! It's me~"
She said it in the exact same tone as before.
I stared at the wall, my brain struggling to process.
"Hello? Anyone home?" she chimed in again, sounding amused.
I swallowed my pride and muttered, "O wise one, I just travelled back in time."
Instant regret.
A small chuckle came from the other end. "Wow, you actually said it."
I sighed. "This time travel thing is messing with my head… I think I'm actually starting to freak myself out."
She giggles. "As you should be! Your life just flipped upside down, reality is breaking, and now you can't ignore it. With great power comes great respons—"
I groan. "Oh God, don't you dare."
She gasps like I just insulted her entire bloodline. "Excuse me?! That was wisdom from a fallen legend!"
I sigh. "Yeah, yeah. What's next? You're gonna tell me 'One Piece isn't about the treasure, it's about the journey'?"
She suddenly sounds cheery. "Oh, that's a good one"
"Anyways… Can I ask you something?" I hesitated before continuing, "Why me? Wh—why exactly did you pick me to give this power?"
Her voice came through, a little softer than usual.
"You asked for it yourself…" she said.
Fair Enough. But I feel like she is hiding something.
She Continued " Anyway, Focus on your training if you don't want to get stuck again like that"
Wait… what did she mean by that?
How did she know I got myself stuck in frozen time?
Before I could press her for answers, she quickly added, "Alright, I've said too much already—I'm ending the call."
"Wait—"
Click.
The call disconnected.
If I got ₹100 every time she annoyed me, I'd still be broke—not because she's any less annoying, but because I'd probably blow it all on unneeded things and regret it later.
A week later—
It's been a week since that weird girl gave me powers.
I'd like to say I've been training hard, mastering my abilities like some kind of sci-fi story prodigy… but honestly?
I haven't practiced much at all…
Instead, I got caught up with my new job at the bookstore. Working, stocking shelves, dealing with customers—it's kept me busy.
Well… that's just an excuse.
The truth is, I've been too scared to use my powers too much. Something about them feels unnatural, like if I push too far, I'll end up somewhere I can't come back from.
A customer approaches, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Excuse me, where can I find the novel about a guy riding a sandworm in a desert? I recently watched the movies but I forgot the name, and now I'm interested in reading the books."
Wow… someone actually reading the source material after watching the movies? That's rare.
"Great choice, sir," I replied. "Sci-fi books are on Shelf Number 7."
The customer nods and walks off.
I glance at the clock.
5:00 PM.
I sigh in relief.
"Ah, finally. My shift's over—time to head home."
I left the bookstore and headed toward the market to buy groceries for my mother—now that I actually have money.
It's not like I never use my powers. I use them here and there—pausing time to cross roads, getting to work early… small things.
After reaching home, I placed the grocery bags on the dining table before heading upstairs. Without a second thought, I snapped my fingers, freezing time once again, and collapsed onto my bed like a fallen tree in a forest.
I've been sleeping way better lately, thanks to the extra time I give myself.
0 minutes passed in the real world.
But for me? Who knows. I could've been out for hours.
When I finally opened my eyes, exhaustion still clung to me. I sat up, yawned and snapped my fingers again, unpausing time.
Lately, it feels like every time I use my powers, my body gets weaker.
If that's the case, I need to start using them wisely—only when necessary.
…Or maybe, just maybe, I should actually train for once.