In a large dystopia city called Neon City, there was a huge skyscraper, located at the center of the city.
Inside the building, were the city's elites, who had gathered there for a special event.
They had been told that the event would open their minds to a realm of endless possibilities, and of course, everyone was curious to see what would be displayed today.
The elites, of course, were famous individuals in the city.
Every one of them was currently seated in the large room, but no one had even made an attempt to speak; due to this, the room was as silent as a graveyard.
The large luxurious room had polished marble floors that mirrored the golden lights from the chandeliers above it.
Several massive windows provided a clear view of the city's glittering skyline.
The elites were arranged around a large oval table, with each of them, dressed in tailored suits and sophisticated dresses.
From the look of things, they were waiting for someone, and the atmosphere was tense and taut with expectation.
Just as the distinguished guests began to wonder why the event hadn't started yet, a mature man with grey hair walked into the room.
His name was Dr Eric Moss, and he was the man everyone had been waiting for.
Dr Moss was a scientist, known throughout the city as one of the greatest geniuses of his generation.
He had developed and devised some groundbreaking inventions that had never failed to improve the standard of living of the elites.
One could even say that he had helped to shape the revolutionized world they lived in.
Dr Moss walked across to the centre of the room, his footsteps echoing loudly as he spread his arms wide to welcome his esteemed guests.
"Greetings, everyone. I deeply apologize for the delay, but let's not waste any more time. So, shall we begin?" He announced and turned to the proof of his genius.
"This is why we're here today."
Moss pointed to a spot, and the room instantly became dark as a single spotlight fell on a device resting on a sleek black pedestal.
"I call it 'The Stopwatch'."
"Yes, yes, I know the name doesn't sound as catchy as any of my previous inventions, but this one is definitely an improvement compared to them all,"
He continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing before you isn't merely a device, it is the future of control. It gives anyone the ability to manipulate time itself."
"Envision this… the power to undo mistakes, to replay moments and to ensure that every decision we make is perfect. That is what this device can do."
Dr Moss smiled as he introduced his invention to the guests.
He was pleased with the way he had introduced it and he could hear a few murmurs of awe and admiration amongst the elites.
They seemed to be impressed with the introduction he had made as well, and so, Dr Moss made a decision to tell them more about what the stopwatch was capable of doing.
However, not everyone was impressed by all of his theatrics, and one man in particular wasn't in the mood to tolerate Moss's usual time-wasting antics.
So, he spoke up….
"Cut to the chase, Doctor. How does it work?" The handsome-looking man asked before Moss could waste any more of their precious time.
His name was Leon Thaddeus, and he was one of the wealthiest men in the room. That was why he could speak to the doctor however he deemed fit.
Of course, Dr Moss wasn't happy about this, but in the face of such wealth, he couldn't express his displeasure, so he tried his best to mask the irritation on his face.
He gestured once again, and the spotlight fell on the black, metallic device, which had red engravings that seemed to glow subtly.
"This is just a prototype," Dr Moss explained. "It's the first of its kind, but when activated, it creates a temporal field around its user and time stops for everyone and everything, except the wearer. With a bit more time and further development, I believe the time field can be expanded or focused to allow the user the pleasure of manipulating time selectively."
"Selective manipulation?" A beautiful woman with a slender figure and massive mountain peaks, asked as she drew Moss's attention towards her.
She had pointy elf-like ears, and her alluring voice perfectly matched her stunning appearance.
"Yes, that is correct," Moss replied.
"So, you mean, with this device, I could go back in time in an auction so I can outbid my competitors?"
Dr Moss nodded with a smile on his face. "Precisely. The applications are limitless, allowing you to use it in various aspects of life, like business, politics, personal affairs… and even intimate moments." Moss winked after mentioning his last words.
The crowd exchanged glances and chuckles broke out in the room.
Even Thaddeus couldn't help but smirk as he leaned closer with a greedy smile on his face.
"And are you sure it is safe to use?" The handsome, rich man asked; just for clarification, of course.
Dr Moss hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying with his broad smile. "O-Of course, Lord Thaddeus. Extensive testing has been conducted, and it's perfectly safe to use."
Moss swiftly cleared his throat before gesturing to the stopwatch, once again. "And now, to demonstrate, I'll need a volunteer. Lord Thaddeus, perhaps?"
"Why not? I've always wanted the power to rule the world," Thaddeus laughed as he stood up from his seat.
His fellow elites chuckled and whispered behind him as they watched him approach the pedestal to pick up the watch.
The stopwatch looked like a simple wristwatch, thereby making it difficult to differentiate it from a regular wristwatch.
But at the same time, it had a distinctive feature compared to a regular watch.
Everyone in the room was familiar with the unique feature at this point, and that was the glowing red marks on the side of the stopwatch.
And most people would have been creeped out by how ominous the red markings on the watch looked by now.
But regardless of how scary and creepy the watch looked, Thaddeus graciously picked up the watch and he noticed how unnaturally cold it felt in his palm, but still, he ignored the uneasy feelings creeping up his spine.