Freedom

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

I open my eyes to witness a scene of devastation, with debris and remnants of cells and the building suspended in mid-air. The lifeless bodies of guards float eerily around me. One question floods my mind: How am I still alive? Adrenaline courses through my veins as I take in the frozen explosion that surrounds me. The strain of time energy is palpable, barely holding everything in suspended animation, defying the laws of gravity.

Snapping out of my reverie, I feel the heat on my back, a stark reminder of the urgency of my situation. Wasting no more time, I launch myself off the floating fragment of the control room, aiming for a piece of a shattered cell. With a calculated leap, I propel myself towards a section of the wall. The weightlessness envelops me as I swiftly traverse along its surface, a euphoric sensation of true freedom washing over me. I smile as I leap from one fragment to another, even utilizing a guard's body as a makeshift platform. Eventually, I find myself on the road leading away from the decimated building.

Turning around, I'm greeted by an impossible sight—a frozen image of vibrant orange and yellow, frozen in time by the explosion and a silver streak of light backtracking my jumps. Though I'm tempted to admire the breathtaking scene, I sense the energy waning and time gradually resuming its flow. I quickly seek refuge behind a nearby tree, seeking cover just in time from the debris hurtling past me. Exhaustion begins to seep into my bones, and the fading adrenaline leaves me fatigued. "Hah, not again," I sigh, my gaze drawn upwards to the sky, debris swirling around me. "The stars are beautiful," I murmur, allowing myself a moment of tranquility.

Just as I surrender to my exhaustion, my senses are jolted awake by an unfamiliar voice that utters, "I have been looking for you." I strain myself, trying to see this unknown entity but to no avail as the exhaustion overwhelms me and I pass out.