Volume 1 Chapter 2

Part 1

Three days have passed since that horrifying incident, and the weight of it still clings to every corner of my mind.

As the new week began, a heavy cloud of darkness settled over me.

The once-vibrant classroom now feels hauntingly empty, the absence of her presence a stark reminder of what was lost.

A white flower rests atop the desk next to mine, a solemn tribute to the space she once occupied.

The sight pierces through my heart like a dagger, and I find myself unable to meet its gaze.

I force my attention to the front of the room, my eyes fixed on the blackboard, desperately trying to ignore the constant ache of regret.

The hours of the day seem to blur together, passing by with a speed that's unsettling.

Without her presence, there's a void that time can no longer fill. Conversations that used to stretch out and linger are now absent, leaving time with no reason to slow down.

As the day progresses, I can't help but feel that time is moving faster.

Part 2

Entering my bedroom, a rush of emotions and thoughts overwhelmed me.

The pocket watch.

Could it possibly hold the power to turn back time?

Could it give me a chance to change what had happened, to save her?

I couldn't bear the weight of inaction any longer. The idea ignited a desperate hope within me, a glimmer of possibility that I had to explore.

With a newfound urgency, I began to search my room for the pocket watch.

"Found it..."

The pocket watch lay before me, a silent sentinel of secrets and possibilities.

However, a disheartening discovery greeted me—its ticking had ceased, as if time itself had frozen within its delicate frame.

I scrutinized the watch, my fingers tracing its intricate design, my gaze searching for any clues.

A futile attempt to locate a power button or mechanism ensued, but my efforts were met with disappointment.

"Please... work..."

In an instant, the watch emitted a soft, mysterious glow that seemed to pierce through the dimness of my room.

My eyes narrowed as I watched, captivated by the ethereal illumination that enveloped the watch.

Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, a sensation of weightlessness overcame me.

The world around me seemed to blur and dissolve, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness.

And then, as if I had been swept away by some invisible force, I found myself standing within the familiar yet unsettling void once more.

The same darkness surrounded me, leaving me with an eerie sense of disorientation.

The pocket watch had resumed its ticking, leaving me with a simple yet crucial task: to wait patiently.

What did I do to escape this situation the last time?

Ah, right, I simply fell asleep.

However, I'm not particularly drowsy at the moment.

This is frustrating; I'll have to wait until fatigue finally catches up with me.

"XXXX, XXXXXXX XXXX."

"Huh? Hello...?!"

The voice echoed around me, seemingly coming from all directions.

I searched the surroundings, my gaze darting anxiously, but there was no visible source for the voice.

Is this some sort of hallucination? Have all these strange events taken a toll on my sanity?

The voice spoke in a language completely foreign to me.

I strained to comprehend the words, but they held no meaning in my mind.

It was clear that communication would be futile, as I had no way of understanding or responding in that unfamiliar tongue.

So, I chose to remain silent, realizing that attempting conversation would likely be fruitless.

"XXX, XXX? XXXX!"

"xxx, xxxx!"

"XXX, XXXXX...."

Two distinct voices echoed through the void, one with a deep, masculine resonance, and the other carrying a softer, more feminine tone.

The voices seemed to converse in their own enigmatic language, their words bouncing off the vast emptiness.

I listened, intrigued by the exchange, even though I couldn't grasp the meaning behind their words.

In the distance, a faint light began to shimmer, casting a subtle glow amidst the darkness.

"Argh!" I exclaimed in frustration, my heart racing with a mixture of desperation and anticipation.

I attempted to sprint towards the beckoning light, only to be met with the same frustrating resistance.

My efforts proved futile once more, leaving me trapped in the same eerie stillness.

The intensity of the light grew, its radiance piercing through the darkness with an unsettling brilliance.

The once-dim glow transformed into a chaotic array of vivid colors that swirled and merged into something incomprehensible.

As the colors converged, they began to take shape—a form that seemed to mimic that of a human being. But it was a grotesque imitation, an aberration that defied all logic and reason.

My head throbbed with a sharp ache, a mixture of fear and confusion rendering me unable to process what lay before me.

The creature, if it could even be called that, was draped in unfamiliar garments of blue and green, colors that seemed to pulse and shift in an unnerving dance.

And then, the horror of it fully revealed itself—two heads sprouted from the creature's form, one on the right and the other on the left, devoid of any recognizable facial features.

The sight was a jarring assault on my senses, a nightmarish tableau that froze me in a state of dread and disbelief.

The absence of faces where there should have been eyes and mouths sent a shiver down my spine, the uncanny visage defying the very essence of humanity.

I wanted to turn away, to flee from the monstrosity that defied all comprehension, but an invisible force held me in place, forcing me to confront the disturbing entity that stood before me.

"XXX-"

One of the heads turned towards me, its unsettling form seeming to fixate on my presence.

My vision blurred, the edges of my sight darkening until all that remained was an overwhelming void.

It felt as though I was being pulled into a deep slumber, the darkness enveloping me in its suffocating embrace.

In an instant, the suffocating darkness released its hold on me, and I found myself standing before a mirror.

The sudden transition left me disoriented, as if reality had shifted in the blink of an eye.

The reflection staring back at me was unmistakably my own, yet it felt different, as though something had changed within me.

My gaze shifted from the disconcerting mirror to the reassuring presence of the pocket watch, now clutched in my right hand.

Its rhythmic ticking served as an anchor, grounding me in the midst of this perplexing experience. The watch's familiar presence provided a semblance of normalcy, a connection to the reality I knew.

As I held the pocket watch, its ticking seemed to echo in harmony with the racing beats of my heart. It was as if time itself resonated with the currents of uncertainty that coursed through my mind.

My attention then shifted to my phone.

The digital display illuminated the date: 01/10/23, 3:20 P.M.

Time had circled back to Friday, hours before the harrowing incident took place.

In a sudden realization, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. I found myself standing in the boy's restroom, the surroundings eerily familiar.

The chime of the class break echoed in the air, marking the pause in our break, it was time to head back.

Walking closer to my classroom, a peculiar sensation stirred within me, like a whisper of forgotten memories brushing against my mind.

The door swung open, and the truth of my realization hit me like a tidal wave.

There she was—Sakura—in her familiar seat, looking at me with a mixture of confusion and concern. The sight of her rendered me speechless, my eyes welling up with tears that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

My heart raced, emotions overwhelming me as the reality of the situation sank in. This was before the incident, before the tragedy that had torn her away from me.

Sakura was here, alive and well, unaware of the events that had transpired.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as a mix of relief, disbelief, and a surge of unexplainable emotion took hold of me.

In that moment, all the pain and regret I had experienced over the past days seemed to melt away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy.

Sakura was here, and I had been given a second chance—a chance to cherish the moments we had, a chance to change the course of fate.

"Hey...! Haru, stop crying. What's wrong?" Sakura's concerned voice pierced through the haze of emotions that had enveloped me.

I quickly realized that I must have looked rather foolish, standing in the doorway with tears streaming down my face.

Panic gripped me as I imagined the curious gazes of my classmates, undoubtedly wondering why I had suddenly burst into tears upon entering the classroom.

Summoning all my willpower, I managed to quell my tears and wiped away the evidence of my emotional outburst with the back of my hand.

With a deep breath, I took a step forward, attempting to regain my composure.

I closed the distance between us and stood beside Sakura, offering her a sheepish smile.

My voice wavered slightly as I spoke, "Sorry, Sakura. It's just... something got into my eye."

It was a pitiful excuse, but I hoped it would suffice to explain away my tears and avoid drawing any further attention to myself.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and happiness at her presence.

Part 3

As the dust settled from the emotional upheaval I had experienced upon seeing Sakura alive and well, a profound realization dawned on me—this pocket watch was undeniably and inexplicably terrifying.

The mere fact that it could whisk me away to a pitch-black void in the blink of an eye was enough to send shivers down my spine.

The uncertainty and powerlessness I felt in those moments were unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was a sensation that tapped into a primal fear that resides within all of us.

I couldn't help but acknowledge that tampering with this watch was not to be taken lightly.

The consequences of its mysterious abilities were both fascinating and petrifying, a stark reminder that there were forces beyond our comprehension at play.

While the prospect of manipulating time itself held a certain allure, the sheer unpredictability of the watch was enough to make me tread cautiously.

After all, its power was both a gift and a curse, and I had yet to fully understand the extent of its implications.

With these thoughts lingering in my mind, I found myself drawn to the vast sea of information that is the internet.

Armed with a desire to uncover any clues about the origin, purpose, or dangers of this watch, I immersed myself in research.

What secrets did this seemingly innocuous object hold? Could there be others who had encountered its enigmatic power?

My fingers danced across the keyboard, scouring websites, forums, and articles in search of any hint that might shed light on the truth.

Yet, there was none.

Returning to the shop seemed like the most way for obtaining the information I needed.

"With no other options available..."

I swiftly changed my clothes and discreetly tucked the watch into my pocket, it is very important to me at this point.

"Haruki, there's someone asking for you!"

"Who is it, Mom?"

"It's a girl."

"Huh...?!"

Considering the context, there was only one girl in my circle of friends, and that was Sakura.

But why would she be looking for me?

What could she possibly want to discuss?

"Be right there..."

I descended the stairs with a curious mixture of anticipation and wonder, my heart fluttering with an unusual excitement.

As I reached the bottom of the staircase, my gaze was drawn to the front door.

There, my mother and Sakura were engaged in conversation.

And then, I saw her.

Sakura stood before me, an embodiment of beauty that left me momentarily breathless.

The soft illumination from the hallway cast a gentle glow upon her, accentuating her features in the most enchanting way. Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky, and her smile was like a radiant sunrise, warming even the deepest corners of my heart.

I was struck by a sense of awe, as if I were seeing her for the first time in a completely new light.

Truly, she was more than just beautiful; she was a mesmerizing presence that captured my attention and held it captive.

"Haru...?"

I was momentarily lost in her gaze, her voice calling me back to the present.

"Oh- ah, yes. It's really great to see you today, Sakura..."

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a subtle sign of her own delight. "It's nice to see you too... Haru..."

The air seemed to hold a new kind of tension, a sensation I hadn't experienced before. Surprisingly, it had become surprisingly difficult to converse with her in our usual ease.

Why was that? I couldn't quite fathom the reason.

"Eh~~~" My mother's amused voice interjected, and her knowing glance exchanged between the two of us. I could only guess at her thoughts, but it seemed likely she was jumping to conclusions that were far from the truth.

"Well, what is it, Sakura?"

She hesitated for a moment, her words seeming to escape her grasp. "Ah... I was just..."

"Hm...?"

"Eh....."

Realization struck me suddenly. I needed to defuse this situation before Sakura inadvertently revealed something personal.

My mother was right there with us, and her presence could complicate matters if Sakura spoke openly.

"Mom..."

"Oh yeah yeah, I'll leave you two to catch up~!" My mother chimed in, a knowing smile on her lips as she gave Sakura a friendly thumbs up.

I couldn't help but wonder what my mother was thinking with that gesture.

"Haru...!"

Abruptly, her fingers intertwined with mine, catching me off guard. My heart raced, a whirlwind of emotions sweeping through me.

"S-Sakura...!"

With a shy determination in her eyes, she stammered, "L-let's w-XXXX!"

Before I could even process her words, a glitch-like distortion rippled through the air, distorting reality for a split second.

"What?...!"

Her voice fragmented, and the world around us seemed to falter in response.

"What- what are you saying- ARGHH!!!"

A sharp pain sliced through my head as her words dissolved into incomprehensible noise. The headache that had haunted me flared to life with renewed intensity.

The world twisted and distorted, and amidst the chaos, Sakura's form began to fade, like a mirage slipping through my fingers.

In the midst of the disorienting scene, a soft glow emanated from my pocket, where the pocket watch was nestled.

"Damn it! Not again!"

Once more, I found myself trapped in that eerie void.

Frustration and confusion welled up inside me as I squint my eyes, desperately hoping for an escape, just like before.