Aarav opened his eyes to the field once again, the cracked hourglass pulsing faintly in his hand. The wind swirled around him, carrying whispers of countless timelines. Every step he took felt heavier than the last, yet the pull of the hourglass was irresistible. He knew one thing clearly: the visions he had seen in his first leap were not mere dreams. They were pieces of reality, fragments of his father's hidden past.
He had to try again.
"Okay… let's do this," he muttered, gripping the hourglass tightly. "Just one step. I can control it… I have to."
He concentrated, focusing on the glowing sand. The air around him began to ripple, colors blending, stretching, and bending. His heartbeat accelerated. The field stretched infinitely, and suddenly, he was falling—not downward, but through a corridor of light. Clocks floated around him, ticking in erratic rhythms. Some moved backward, some forward, some paused entirely.
Aarav clenched his fists. "Stay calm… stay calm…"
When the sensation stopped, he found himself standing in a narrow alley of the city. The sounds of everyday life buzzed faintly around him. This was his real city, yet something was off. The streets were eerily empty, and the air carried a strange electric charge.
From the shadows, a figure approached. She moved gracefully, her robes flowing as if in slow motion. Her eyes were sharp, yet warm.
"You're new here," she said calmly. "Most travelers don't survive their first leap."
Aarav's eyes widened. "Who… who are you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly. "I am Mira. I watch over those who enter the space between worlds. And you, Aarav Sharma, are… special."
"Special? I'm just… me!" Aarav exclaimed, frustration and awe battling inside him.
"No," Mira replied softly, "you are someone who has touched time itself. Not many can do that, and even fewer can survive it without guidance."
Aarav looked down at the hourglass, its cracks glowing brighter. "So… what now?"
Mira smiled faintly. "Now, you learn. And before you ask, yes, you have powers. But powers are meaningless without control. You must train."
Before Aarav could respond, another figure stepped from the shadows—a tall, muscular young man with an intense gaze. He carried a staff and wore leather armor that shimmered faintly.
"I'm Kian," he said bluntly. "If you're going to survive here, you'll need allies… and a lot of luck. I suggest you start listening."
Aarav's pulse raced. Allies? He hadn't even survived his first leap properly. "Okay… I guess I don't have much choice," he muttered.
Mira nodded. "First, we need to stabilize your presence. The hourglass gives you the ability to leap through time, but each jump strains your mind and body. One wrong move, and you could be lost in the corridors of time forever."
"Lost… forever?" Aarav shivered at the thought.
"Yes," Mira confirmed. "Time is not just a line. It is a web, and you can move along its strands. But the strands are delicate. Step wrong, and you could unravel yourself from reality."
Kian's eyes hardened. "Or worse, become prey to entities that feed on travelers like you."
Aarav swallowed hard. He had thought his biggest challenge was discovering the truth about his father. Now he realized that surviving this world itself was just as dangerous.
Mira guided him to a small open space in the alley. "Close your eyes. Focus. Picture the moment you want to visit. The smaller the leap, the safer it is for your first attempt."
Aarav obeyed, taking a deep breath. He thought of the jewelry shop, his father, the shadowed man who had whispered threats in his visions. This was the moment he wanted to see again—the moment that could give him his first clue.
The hourglass vibrated in his hand. Sand swirled faster, glowing brighter, and the air around him shimmered like heat waves rising from asphalt. Aarav's vision blurred. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the jewelry shop.
It was quieter this time. The sun streamed in through the front windows, dust motes dancing in the light. Raghav Sharma stood behind the counter, polishing a golden bracelet. The shadowed man from his vision lingered nearby, muttering something Aarav still couldn't hear.
Aarav's heart pounded. He was invisible here, yet everything was real—the smell of polish, the sound of the bracelet's metal links, the tension in his father's posture.
Mira's voice echoed faintly in his mind: "Observe. Do not intervene. Your actions can ripple through time."
Aarav nodded, forcing himself to stay calm. He studied the interaction carefully. The man handed Raghav a folded piece of paper. His father glanced at it, eyes narrowing. Then he shook his head slightly, hiding something in the drawer behind the counter.
Aarav's pulse quickened. This was a clue. A hidden ledger? Something that could explain the rumors he had heard in the real world.
Suddenly, a faint shimmer appeared near the entrance—a warning of danger. Aarav felt a pull in his chest: someone knew he was here. He had to leave.
With trembling hands, he grasped the hourglass. Concentrating hard, he felt the familiar pull of the corridors of time. The alley materialized around him again, Mira and Kian waiting patiently.
"Good," Mira said softly. "You returned safely. That was your first controlled leap. Remember what you saw. It may be the key to discovering the truth about your father."
Aarav exhaled, trying to calm his racing heart. "It… it worked. I actually did it."
Kian smirked. "Barely. And you'll need a lot more practice. The world you visited is just the beginning. There are dangers out there you can't even imagine."
Mira placed a hand on his shoulder. "For now, rest. Time will wait, but your mind cannot. We start training tomorrow. And Aarav… be careful. The strands of time are fragile, and curiosity can be deadly."
Aarav nodded, clutching the hourglass. He felt the weight of his father's secrets, the shadowed man, and the responsibility that had now fallen on him. For the first time, he understood: **this journey