The next morning, Aarav woke up feeling something strange.
The air felt… still.
Too still.
He got up and looked outside the window.
What he saw made his heart race.
A bird was hanging in the air—
its wings frozen mid-flight.
A man on the road stood still—
one foot in the air, as if paused while walking.
Even the leaves were not moving.
Everything had stopped.
Except Aarav.
He ran outside in fear and confusion.
"Hello? Anyone there?!"
No answer.
No sound.
Only silence.
Then suddenly—
Tick…
The pocket watch in his hand moved.
And as the second hand shifted—
everything moved again.
The bird flew away.
The man continued walking.
The wind started blowing.
Aarav stood there, shocked.
"Did… I just control time?"
He tried again.
He closed his eyes and pressed the watch.
Tick…
Everything froze.
Now he was sure.
This watch had power.
But he remembered the old man's words—
"Every second you use is borrowed."
Aarav looked at the watch carefully.
On its back, something new had appeared—
A faint line…
like a crack.