Dragon Drav Street - Road 31
I have been trying to find the sealed artifact since a week now, but nowhere I look do I find even a single clue.
I think I may have to use my guess. I am really terrified of this decision, but if I don't do it right now I am afraid I will subconsciously do it anyway.
Better to be more mentally stable this time.
I can't repeat the same tragedy.
My gaze falls back to my Real-Fake watch, I haven't slept for the last 30 or so hours, my eyelids feel heavy enough to drown me into a deep sleep if I so much as blink.
[31:29 OST Sun-Moon Age]
I have been avoiding running into Time-Road Number overlaps, this past week has been hell, I could only sleep for barely a few hours before I have to sift Roads.
But to find entrances to new roads, is like finding the right door in a mystery puzzle focused horror game. Due to my special ability or quirk whatever you call it, I have managed to come this far.
But I guess this is the limit, I can't see any new road, no matter how much I wrack my head or try to search this Road, again and again.
As the Time-Road Number overlap approaches I try to steady my heartbeat, and feign a composure to that of a rigid and stoic expression.
After going through several such situations, I have sort of figured out how to maneuver through the chaos, that I bring with me.
It's to believe or have faith in a future, where I come out alive, no where I come out safe and sound.
Tick Tick Tick
The promised time approaches.
After calming down, I take out my survival kit, it contains tools, first aid, an identity card, my wallet and many other things that would look like a bunch of regular everyday items at first glance, or even the glance after that.
This time I only take out the small compass, spherical - 1 inch in radius, and the Paralysis Pin, a red pin-head with a extendable pointed tip.
Clutching the compass in one hand, I bring the pin with my other to the clenched fist but my focus remains on the watch the entire time.
[31: 30: 52]
Gulp
Slowly I insert the pin into the gap between the crown and the watch's side. I don't pull, nor do I let go the tension building up between the pin squeezed between the Watch and it's crown.
[31:31:00]
Tick
[31:31:31]
Tick Tick Tick
[31:32:02]
Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick
Suddenly, it seems as if seconds are ticking faster than they should. The sensation when there is a distortion in your perception of time, as if it is moving faster than it normally should is called tachysensia.
But this is more than just my subjective experience, everything including my increased heartbeat, my sweat glands producing increased quantity of heat, my thoughts spiralling into a haywire, and even the time on the nearby street clock is moving faster in accordance to the ticking on my watch.
TickTickTickTickTickTickTickTickTick
[31:45:54]
...
[31:53:48]
...
Plock
[32:00:00]
Complete silence, there is not even a single movement in the entire space. All except for my own thoughts and conciousness.
Paralysing Pin is just a simple pin, I brought from my office, but ever since that first paranormal incident, it has become a very frequent accompany, in my periodic episodes.
At first it still acted as a simpe Pin but now-
It can even paralyse time. Though it mostly depends on chance, something I have a very clear distinction of. Either it would or would not.
This time it did. But the event that has already begun somewhere in this space, should be the reason why it leaned toward this option.
I try to take in as much as the information I can afford to in this position, as long as I can clear everything from my front side, I'll have cleared at least half of my problems, the back side, well that calls for improvisation.
As I try to remember all of the details of this Road since the last 32 hours I have been here, I can finally make out the hidden details and the next passage way.
As expected, only after reaching the overlap could I guess a way forward.
I can feel my perception returning to normal, the effect of the Pin and False-hand of the watch is waning, I am out of time.
And now comes times's grudge.
Flash
I find myself at the end of the Road with a sign suddenly appearing in the middle that was not there before.
"Make a wish for the next year, and it shall come true."
A few steps away from it is a golden triangular eye, looking into my direction or maybe into the direction I came from.
"Fuck."
Flash
Immediately as I return to my present time, I run far away from that part of the Road.
The Exit is at the north-eastern, no it's south-western now, at 31 O' clock from my current position. It would lead me straight to the 31st Road.
I immediately change my direction and run towards the North-Eastern Part.
Boom!!
A deafening sound comes from behind me after a while.
"Ha ha.."
The future I saw or even predict is now no longer reliable, I can only do the opposite of my instincts or gamble in my choices from now on.
Strangely enough, the Road 32 has become way larger than before, with lines of repeating structures, buildings and stores.
I feel a sensation that I have felt before when looking at a collapsed store with blood splattered on it that reaches and stains even the roadside.
Witnessing this scene, with a sense of urgency, I take out my survival toolkit, and hope for to pull a good enough item, it's a silver-grey whistle.
"Hah...my luck.."
I immediately blow it, as the colour drains from it turning it into a bronze whistle. I immediately take my position in on of the nearby stores, almost identical to the collapsed one.
Beam— Whoosh
The entire store is burnt to ashes in less than a second, before even the fire as if alive, tries to track me down. Meanwhile I had already jumped to the next iteration of Roads after confirming that Road is destroyed.
This entire place is expanding, with each new iteration, a new timeline is being created, the ones responsible are me and probably that Golden Eye.
I am essentially passing through my own possible routes that I would either take in the future or the futures I did not take in the past.
But all of them, are within the [32:00:00] boundary, and I have studied one entire side, so I think I can survive if I just move north.
But that's the thing, for how long.
Soon enough I would not be able to respond to the ever increasing variations, even with my guesses.
At that point, that Golden Eye, who knows what transcendental power it has, could easily outclass me in this complicated terrain.
That collapsed store is actually a valid possibility from my assumption. If not for destroying it by their own hands, I would have somewhere in the future been smashed into pieces just like that.
The Bronze whistle will take a long time to gather enough luck. I'll have to lend it to Fortuna for a while after this.
This is gonna be a long night.
I gobble an energy bar trying to stay as calm and collected as possible.