The Clock of Memories

Episode 3: "The Call of the Past"

The watch pulsed in his hand, each second dragging as if it were waiting for the right moment to reveal its power. Victor stared at the object, the weight of his decision overwhelming him. He had promised himself not to use the watch again, but the thought of losing Gabriel forever consumed him. The desire to fix what was broken was almost irresistible.

“What if I can change this?” he murmured to himself, his heart racing as the memory of Gabriel's smile lit up in his mind. “What if I can save him?”

With one last look upward, Victor activated the watch. A bluish light enveloped his body, and in an instant, the reality around him distorted. He was sucked into a whirlwind of colors, sounds, and emotions that transported him straight to the day of the accident. The disorientation was intense, but soon he found himself standing on the familiar sidewalk, exactly where it had all begun.

It was a sunny day, and laughter echoed in the distance. He looked around, recognizing the place: the park where he used to play with Gabriel. A wave of nostalgia mixed with determination washed over him. “I will save him,” he whispered, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

The sight of Gabriel, with his tousled hair and bright smile, appeared before him. He was playing ball with friends, carefree and happy. Victor felt a sharp pain in his chest seeing his brother so alive. “Gabriel!” he shouted, running toward him. The boy turned, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Victor? You're here!” Gabriel exclaimed, his smile widening.

“Yes, I’m here. Listen, you need to get out of here now,” Victor said, urgency lacing his voice. “There’s something you don’t know. You can’t stay here.”

Gabriel looked at him, confused. “Why? What’s happening?”

Before Victor could respond, a shadow passed overhead. He looked up and saw a car speeding toward them, the image unfolding in slow motion. Victor's heart raced. “Gabriel, watch out!” he screamed, but it was too late. The car veered onto the sidewalk, and all Victor could do was reach out for his brother.

“Victor!” Gabriel shouted, his eyes widening in fear.

The scene unfolded before Victor like a nightmare he was determined to avoid. He lunged forward, trying to grab Gabriel and pull him out of the way of the car. The impact was thunderous. The force of the accident knocked Victor and Gabriel to the ground, and Victor immediately found himself enveloped in darkness.

When Victor opened his eyes, he was back in the basement, the watch still in his hand, his heart racing uncontrollably. He had done it. Gabriel was safe! But the joy lasted only a moment. A familiar voice sliced through the air, deep and resonant.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

Victor turned quickly, and there stood the guardian of the watch, his imposing presence and piercing gaze overwhelming. “You cannot play with the lines of time without paying the price.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Victor retorted, trying to mask the uncertainty in his voice. “I saved my brother!”

“But you don’t understand, do you? Every action has a reaction. You may have saved Gabriel, but it does not come without costs.”

Victor furrowed his brow. “Costs? What do you mean?”

“You have no idea what you’ve altered,” the guardian continued, his voice grave as thunder. “Every time you travel through time, it has consequences. The timeline is a delicate web, and you’ve tugged at it.”

“So what happened? What did I lose?” Fear gripped Victor. “What did I do?”

The guardian tilted his head, as if assessing the impact of his words. “You didn’t just save Gabriel. You altered the fate of many around you. What you wish to preserve may cost you something you never imagined losing.”

A sense of despair began to take hold in Victor. He had done something noble, but the guardian’s words left him unsettled. “It can’t be. I just wanted to save my brother.”

“And now?” the guardian challenged, his gaze probing. “Are you prepared to face the consequences of your actions?”

Victor felt a wave of anger and confusion. “I don’t know what to do. I just want everything to go back to normal.”

“Nothing will return to normal,” replied the guardian, his voice smooth but firm. “The change has already been made, and you must accept that. Now you need to decide if you’re willing to bear what is to come.”

The conversation hung in the air, and Victor felt the weight of the guardian’s words pulling him down. He thought of Gabriel, of his life, and all the little things that mattered. “What will happen now?” he asked, doubt and fear rising raw within him.

“Only time will tell,” said the guardian, as he began to fade into the mist. “But remember: you cannot go back. You’ve already made your choice.”

Victor stood still in the basement, silence settling in. He felt the energy of the watch vibrate in his hands, but now there was an underlying fear. The decision he had made could be a condemnation disguised as salvation.

“Gabriel…” he whispered, the pain of his actions sharpening. “What have I really done?”

As the mist dissipated, a sense of unease enveloped him. He knew something was about to happen — something that would change not only his life but the lives of everyone around him. And then, in the dim light of the basement, a familiar figure emerged in his mind: the image of Gabriel, who was now not just a memory but a reality that could change again.

What he might have saved could very well be the gateway to a new tragedy.