Time Heals All Wounds

Saif followed the… person? They seemed human enough, with long black hair tied back into a pony tail, thin glasses with thick lenses, and typical human office wear. It would have been normal, but that’s why they stood out too much.

The clacking of heels on marble, the scratching of pen on paper, and the persistent ticking noise from the other room echoed through the maze of large hallways as they walked. A glimmer of shadows followed behind them, disappearing when Saif tried to look at them directly. The only way to see them was to peek out of the corner of his eye. They looked like ghosts from the barren field, though more familiar.

The worshipers, Instinct whispered to him. The ones that perished were now following him around.

“Um, why are you following me?” They asked, finally noticing Saif. “I thought you would have left by now.”

Saif blinked. They fidgeted with their pen, glancing around to avoid looking Saif in the eyes.

“I apologize for the bluntness of my question, but you wouldn’t happen to be a Great Being, would you? I’m new here, I don’t know how to tell a Great and Greater apart...” Saif blinked, not sure where exactly to take this conversation. They waited. Tick, tick, tick, tick.

“You’re right, the title of Greater Being is yours. Who am I to doubt it, when you stand here so greatly.” The person flushed, rushing away with Saif hot on their heels.

“I- I take it you’re here for our Being of Time.” They tried to make polite conversation, but were clearly listening to the pounding of their own heart in their chest instead of expecting a reply.

“Of course it would be, Amargo. Pull yourself together.” Amargo muttered to themself, walking even faster. “You’d think that a Greater Being that walks out of the Sacred Room would be doing it for fun?”

They continued through the halls passing by other seemingly ordinary office workers who paid them no attention. They took flights of stairs upwards until the pressure between his ears finally eased. Amargo paused at the start of a long, dark corridor.

“Protocol forbids any Lesser Being from stepping through this hallway, so I apologize for not escorting you right up to the door. Greater Time should be in their gardens.” They gave a shaky smile, waiting for a sort of response. Saif nodded, giving them a pat on the back of the hand as thanks.

It helped Amargo ease up a little more, curtsying in return. “I’ll take my leave. If you need anything else, I’d be happy to help.”

Saif skittered down the hall, the ghosts and shadows keeping their distance as he wondered what scene would await him beyond those doors. Would it be a bloodbath with the Being of Time painfully slain? Or would it be empty, with the true Greater of Time lost without a trace?
Whatever he expected, it wasn’t this.

The doors opened to a garden. A real one, though small and dark, contained by stone walls and a wall of trees to keep it hidden. It was landscaped with the foliage of the Earthen Fields rather than the forest, gentle flowers and tall grass. The air above was thick and damp with frozen rain just as the outside of the temple. It was nearly silent, with Saif bringing the ticking with him.

Up ahead was a little gazebo protecting a metal garden bench from the rain. It was occupied by a mountainous figure slouching over, occasionally heaving a heavy sigh.

“Why must you leave me? Alone in my sorrows,” they sighed, “with nary a creature to console me.”

What greater cue for Saif to approach?

Saif took the small space beside the grieving being rather than the empty bench across from it. The being didn’t even notice, not until Saif placed his pincer over one of the being’s fingers which were tracing over a time-worn design on the metal bench.

“Hm?” They shifted, getting a better look at Saif. “Visitor, today is not a good day. Should you request my services, I ask that you do it some other time.” Time’s voice was wobbly and raspy, the sound someone makes when they’re holding back their tears.

They hunched back over, heaving yet another sigh, a couple of large teardrops dripped down to shower Saif. The garden was enveloped in near silence again, aside from the ticking. Saif hopped down from the bench and went to wash the salty tears off.

To his surprise, the rain started to fall for a moment before freezing again. Time was watching him now. Giant, all-seeing eyes glued onto Saif’s bug form.

“It has been too long since I’ve had a guest. Or no time at all, I suppose. How curious.”

The ticking grew stronger.

“How… How long have I been here, little one?” Saif came up to Time, pulling out his map to show the time, but for whatever reason, the parchment was completely blank. “It has been a while since I've seen one of those. I believe we had plans to look into the issue. The magic of our work collides with the magic of the map somehow, I recall Chronos-”

Time took in a stuttering breath, “oh, Chronos. Where have you gone?”

The being sobbed, a booming noise followed by the rush of rain. “I need them. I've always been terrible at keeping time. You’d think me a natural, but no- I get so lost in the moment… Chronos was always there to pull me along. I took them for granted. I'm not sure what I could have done.”

Tick, tick, tick, tick, a clock ticked on. Time stopped crying, bringing the rain to a standstill. “I suppose I’ve dilly-dallied for far too long, or no time at all. I could never tell.” The being hunched over again, finger once again tracing the bench’s designs.

Saif finally realized where the ticking was from. He unpinned his beetle from his cloak, showing it to Time.

“Hm? What’s this, little creature? Kin of your own?” Saif shook his head, pushing the small beetle into Time’s giant hand. They grasped it gently, feeling the ticking of its gears first hand.

“Why, what a familiar tune.” They listened for a moment. As they swiped over the golden shell, they opened up one of the wings, revealing part of the clock inside. They did the same to the other side, seeing the clock in its entirety. “How novel, little creature. To hear the ticking of time aloud rather than in my mind, truly grounding.”

Time straightened upright, bringing the clock to their face, their back creaking in symphony with the movement. “How long have I been here? Goodness. My goodness, I’ve been away far too long! I only meant to take a break.”

“Your little kin ticks steady and true. The beat of my time cannot compare. I suppose this is yet another sign that I should have been the one to leave Chronos behind, for they were the stronger. Kin, why must you leave me so soon.” Rain thundered down, quick and heavy, drowning the garden.

A glimmer of a shadow flickered on the empty bench. Saif watched as it tried to solidify. The ghost’s face materialized, looking a lot like Time, if a little younger. It mouthed a few words that Saif couldn’t hear. Instinct was there to intercept the message.

“Janus,” Instinct whispered for only Saif to hear. “You are strong. I am with you, though I am gone. My strength is in your memory alone. My time had come to an end, while yours had just begun. Be strong, Janus. Live on.”

Saif wished he could relay the message, but try as he might, his throat was sealed shut. He sighed, drawing Time’s attention.

“That’s enough sorrow,” Time stood tall, their head barely clearing the gazebo, handing Saif the beetle back. Instinct wanted him to take it back and keep it safe, but Saif refused. “A gift? What a delightful little creature you are. You are either too kind, or too much a fool.”

Time struggled to pin the Hercules beetle clock onto the lapel of their cloak. Their hands must have been too big or too stiff to place the pin. Saif crawled up the length of Time until they settled on their shoulder, dangling upside-down to do the pin for them.

“Too kind then. Come along, little creature, let’s see what my underlings are up to.” Saif followed Time into the central office as they called it. He didn’t get to see what was going on before Time exploded.

“OH GREAT HEAVENS!”