The Price of Time

The next morning, Kai woke to the same sterile silence of his apartment—nothing out of the ordinary, and yet everything was wrong. The clock ticked relentlessly, echoing in the stillness. His eyes flicked to the calendar on the wall, and he couldn’t suppress the tightening in his chest. It was already the 17th of February. Two days. Only two more days until the world would reset again.

It felt like a bad dream, a nightmare that wouldn't let him wake up. The thought of losing Moia again, of having to go through it all, over and over, made him feel sick. He dragged himself out of bed, the weight of the curse pressing down on him like a stone. But today, something felt different. The darkness that had been gnawing at the edges of his mind—was it getting closer?

He dressed quickly and walked out into the cool morning air. The sun had barely risen, casting a pale light over the city. His footsteps echoed in the empty streets as he made his way toward the park. The familiar route felt like a prison, the same scenery greeting him with unfeeling familiarity. Every corner, every shop, every park bench, was something he’d walked past a thousand times, each moment a fading echo.

But today... today there was a knot in his stomach that wouldn’t loosen.

As he neared the park, he saw the same oak tree, the one he and Moia had passed yesterday. His stomach churned. The feeling was back—the unease, the sensation of something lurking just beyond the veil of reality. He hesitated, staring at the tree for longer than he intended. Was the shadow moving, or was it just his imagination? He shook his head, forcing his feet forward. It was just another trick of his mind, another remnant of the cycle that he couldn’t escape.

But deep down, he knew it wasn’t. Something was wrong.

Kai's phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was a message from Moia: Can we meet today? I was thinking we could grab lunch. I want to hear your surprise.

His heart gave an involuntary jolt. She was excited, unaware of the battle going on inside him, unaware of the curse that had held him captive for years.

I’ll meet you at the usual spot, he typed back quickly. Same time?

A reply came almost immediately. Of course. I’ll be there in an hour.

Kai stuffed the phone back into his pocket, a new sense of urgency settling in. He couldn’t waste any more time. He needed answers. He needed to understand what the figure from the park meant, what it was trying to tell him. He couldn’t keep living in a world of false hope.

His thoughts scattered, piecing together fragments of his past attempts. He’d tried everything—spells, rituals, pleading with the shadows themselves—but nothing had worked. Each time the world reset, it felt like another nail in his coffin, another reminder that there was no way out.

But now... now he had Moia to think about. She deserved more than this. She deserved a life without fear, without the shadow of death hovering over her. She deserved to be free.

He quickened his pace, his steps becoming more frantic as he crossed the park. His eyes flicked nervously to the oak tree, but there was nothing there. Nothing... yet.

He was almost to the café where he and Moia always met when a sudden chill swept over him. His breath caught in his throat as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. It was the same sensation he’d felt before—the unmistakable presence of something watching him. He spun around, his pulse racing.

There, at the edge of the park, standing just beyond the shadows of the trees, was the figure. The figure cloaked in darkness, its form barely discernible against the backdrop of the evening sky.

Kai froze.

For a moment, it felt as if time itself had slowed, the world blurring at the edges as his heart hammered in his chest. The figure didn’t move. It simply stood there, watching him, as though waiting for something. Waiting for him to make a move.

The urge to run surged through Kai, but he fought it. He couldn’t afford to be afraid. Not now. Not when he was so close to finding the answers.

He stood his ground, eyes locked on the figure. "What do you want?" he whispered, his voice strained.

The figure didn’t respond. Instead, it lifted a hand, slowly beckoning him forward.

Kai hesitated. Something about the gesture felt like an invitation to an unknown fate, something that would change everything, for better or worse. He swallowed hard but took a step forward. “I’m listening.”

In a voice that seemed to echo from all directions, the figure spoke. “You have failed, Kai. Over and over, the cycle resets, and you are left with nothing but memories and heartbreak. But there is another way. A way out.”

Kai’s breath caught in his throat. His heart beat faster. “What do you mean?”

“Twenty-two," the figure said, its voice cold but deliberate. "You will complete twenty-two amends. Twenty-two quests, each one bringing you closer to the truth. Succeed in them, and you may break the curse.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of destiny.

Kai’s mind raced. Twenty-two? What kind of quests? What was the price? “And if I fail?”

The figure’s form flickered, like a shadow caught in the wind. “Failure means more than you can imagine, Kai. It is not just your life that is at stake. There are consequences... greater than you understand.”

A cold shiver ran down his spine. The figure’s cryptic warning only deepened his dread. But at the same time, it sparked something inside him. A flicker of hope. A way out of this endless loop, this nightmare of watching Moia slip away, over and over.

“Twenty-two,” Kai repeated softly. He felt the weight of the number, the finality of it.

The figure remained silent for a moment, and then, with a final flick of its hand, it disappeared into the shadows, leaving Kai standing alone, his pulse racing.

When Kai arrived at the café, Moia was already waiting for him, sitting at their usual table. But when she saw the look on his face, her smile faded, and she stood up, concern in her eyes.

"Kai, what’s wrong?" she asked, her voice gentle.

He couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Not when everything was so uncertain. He forced a smile, sitting down across from her. "Nothing. I’m fine. Just… a long night."

She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press. "Well, you’re here now. And that’s all that matters."

He nodded, trying to push aside the weight in his chest. He couldn’t let her see how much he was unraveling, how close he was to losing everything.

"I’ve got a surprise for you," he said, forcing the words out with as much cheer as he could muster. "Something special."

Her eyes lit up. "You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?"

Kai smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "I’ll take you somewhere tomorrow," he promised. "It’ll be worth it. I’ll make sure of it."

As they talked, the shadows of the park still lingered in the back of his mind, the figure’s watchful gaze never far from his thoughts. The clock was ticking, and this time—this time—he had to break the cycle.

He couldn’t lose her again.