>READING THIS IS OPTIONAL<
A room, lightened by the rays of the sun through the closed window blinds, buzzed with temporary silence, as the steady beep of an alarm clock broke the silence. The time was approximately 6:55am, a rather odd time to have an alarm go off. Not too early, nor too late. Just oddly specific.
Suddenly, the beeping stopped with a loud thud, silenced by the crash of a hand slamming down on the clock
"Damn, that sound is annoying."
A tired voice, thick with sleep, ended the brief silence of the alarm.
That voice belonged to a boy that was a rather slender one, with dark messy hair that looked as if it hadn't been combed in weeks. Underneath those tired eyes were small moles, mirroring each other.
He slowly sat up, groaning under his breath as his fingers tangled his hair. He gazed over to the alarm.
"6:55 huh… looks like I got up earlier than expected."
He said to himself as his voice echoed through the dimly lighted room. His voice was shaky, as he was half held by the clutches of sleep.
He sluggishly got up out of bed, slowly traversing to the door as the sound of his light footsteps radiated throughout the room.
His hand lazily reached out to the doorknob as he gently opened the door. The creeking sound of the door echoed throughout the empty hallway.
His room was upstairs, his brother's room (who had recently left for college) was situated right in front of his. His parents' room was situated in the middle right beside the bathroom, to the left of his room.
It's awfully quiet...
The thought drifted through his mind as he made his way down the stairs, step by step, still half-lost in dreamland.
His eyes scanned the living room until they landed on the dining table. Sitting atop it was a note.
"A note? Guess they left early."
He muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes and running a hand through his hair. His feet shuffled over to the table. Reaching down, he picked up the note and began to read:
"Hey Chrono, we're leaving out a bittttt earlier today. If you're hungry there's stuff in the fridge. Love, Mom & Dad ♡."
"Yeah, that's got to be the most cliché thing I've read."
Chrono smirked awkwardly, holding the note between two fingers like it was some corny relic from a sitcom.
"Leaving before seven o'clock. The bills can't be that high."
He muttered again, this time with a hint of sarcasm, letting the note flutter back onto the table like it had never been there to begin with.
---
The halls of Aetherreach High buzzed with life– a bit too much considering how early it was. Laughter echoed off lockers, footsteps tapped rhythmically across the floor, and conversations overlapped.
The energy was quite vibrant considering it was just a regular day of school. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening today, so Chrono found it a bit unusual.
It's seven in the morning…
The thought floated idly through his mind, as he traversed his way through the awfully vibrant crowd. Shoulders brushed against him, voices rose and fell. And yet, despite all that he remained oddly detached– like a ghost in a festival.
Some students turned their heads as he passed. A few offered passing glances—some filled with admiration, others laced with subtle envy.
Chrono never considered himself "popular." He couldn't recall doing anything remarkable enough to earn that kind of attention.
But the students of Aetherreach clearly thought otherwise.
After traversing through the crowd, he finally arrived at his classroom door. He let out a long, dramatic sigh that could've been mistaken for someone that has just finished a 100-metre dash, rather than someone just walking down a hallway.
Speaking of 100m dashes…
"Hey Zephhhhh!"
A voice rang out behind him.
Chrono turned just in time to see a girl sprinting toward him. Her long blonde hair bounced with every step, her skirt swaying rhythmically as she ran. One arm was up, waving with exaggerated enthusiasm—like she'd just been plucked out of a rom-com manga panel.
Chrono's shoulders slouched. His mouth parted slightly in quiet disbelief as she closed the distance fast.
Where is everyone getting this energy from…?
It was a valid question. The halls had been buzzing earlier, and now this girl was practically in full sprint mode—on a Monday morning, no less.
Chrono wasn't exactly a miserable guy. He just found it strange—unnatural even—that so many people were bursting with energy this early. Maybe there'd been an announcement or event he missed. That was the only logical explanation.
The girl skidded to a halt beside him, panting heavily as she bent over, hands on her knees. She looked up at him with a flushed face and sparkling green eyes, radiating a mix of excitement and admiration.
"You didn't have to run at me. I'm literally right here."
Chrono said, confused and blunt, scratching the back of his head as he stared down at her.
"What, am I not allowed to run now?" she fired back, still smiling.
"That's not what I meant… but alright."
Chrono replied with a lazy shrug. He couldn't be bothered to explain—it felt too obvious to warrant further discussion.
"What's with all the buzz today?"
Chrono asked, slipping his hands into his pockets and tilting his head slightly. There was a genuine curiosity in his voice—the kind that came from someone who clearly hadn't gotten the memo.
"You don't know?"
The girl raised an eyebrow, letting out a soft, almost mocking chuckle—like he'd just asked if the sky was blue.
"Yeah, clearly not."
Chrono fired back, his tone still relaxed, but his voice lifted just a bit—mildly surprised by her reaction.
"Alright, so," she leaned in closer, scooting beside him like she was about to share some classified intel, "there's this guy in Class 11³, I think, and apparently, his girl cheated on him."
She whispered it with a dramatic flair, despite the fact that—judging by the hallway's energy—this was the worst-kept secret in the school. Everyone knew.
Well, everyone but Chrono.
"Seriously? Everyone's psyched over some relationship shenanigans?"
He sighed, visibly disappointed. For all the buzz, he was expecting something a bit more... worthwhile.
"But I assume you wanted to talk to me about something that's not relationship-related?"
"Of course not!" she chirped back, grinning. "I was gonna ask you if you wanna be my partner in the two-legged race on Sports Day."
Chrono blinked.
"Sports Day? Well uh… I was planning on being a spectator, as usual."
The question caught him off guard. The last thing he expected to be asked about was that.
Sports Day was in about four days. That'd be enough time to practice… if he agreed, that is.
"C'mon, I heard you're really athletic. You're like the perfect partner!"
She flashed a smug smile and nudged him in the chest with her elbow.
"Athletic? I wouldn't—"
Before he could finish, the shrill ring of the school bell sliced through the hallway.
"Oh! That's the bell. I'll catch you up after school, okay?"
Her tone dipped for a fraction of a second—disappointment?—before she quickly snapped back to her usual peppy self. She winked and turned, walking off in the opposite direction without waiting for a reply.
I guess I could give it a shot,
Chrono thought to himself as he watched her disappear into the crowd. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
The girl's name was Talia Fenrow. Although she wasn't as popular as Chrono, she was a well known student throughout Aetherreach High.
---
The final bell rang, echoing down the now half-empty halls of Aetherreach High. It signaled the end of another long, tiring school day.
Nothing remarkable had happened in Chrono's day—aside from his encounter with Talia.
Speaking of which… It had been about thirty minutes since the bell rang, and she was still nowhere to be found.
Chrono hadn't expected her to be waiting right at the classroom door. She had said she'd catch up with him after school, but she never actually mentioned where. It wasn't like her to be vague without a reason, but Chrono trusted she wasn't the kind to mess with someone just for the thrill of it.
Guess I'll head home,
he thought, quietly stepping out through the school gate.
Still, as much as he tried to brush it off with a simple "She's just busy," there was a small sting of disappointment tugging at him. Missing a chance to talk to a cute girl? That was one less thing to brag about to his friends.
Chrono continued his steady walk home.
The journey wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He lived about thirty minutes away, so walking to and from school had become part of his daily routine.
As a few more minutes passed, a familiar scent drifted into his nose—the salty sting of the sea breeze.
Aetherreach was a coastal city, known for its seafood markets and bustling cargo docks. The port was always alive, even on quiet days like this. The beach stretched along the side of the main road, and Chrono, like always, passed it on his way home.
But today, something caught his eye.
A glint.
Something blue.
Shining faintly just off the edge of the sand.
Normally, Chrono wouldn't pay much attention to something like this. But what if it was a diamond? A rare gem? Something valuable enough to sell?
He wasn't exactly greedy, but if it meant dropping out of school and never dealing with algebra again... he wasn't about to pass up the chance.
He veered off the sidewalk and into the sand, his footsteps sinking softly into the beach with each step. The blue light grew brighter as he approached it, until he stopped in front of it.
A… book?
He tilted his head, his sigh of disappointment slipping out involuntarily. So much for a life-changing treasure.
Still, it was glowing. And oddities had value too, right?
Brushing off the sand, he took a better look. The cover was dry, but the lettering—if it could even be called that—was in some language he had never seen before. It wasn't Japanese. It wasn't English. It didn't even look human.
"Woah…"
The word escaped him as he stared at the strange artifact in his hands. The initial disappointment slowly gave way to curiosity. Maybe this wasn't a waste after all.
Then he opened it.
And everything changed.
The pages were damp—unlike the perfectly dry cover—and filled with those same indecipherable symbols. Strange... but the strangeness didn't end there.
A chill slid down Chrono's spine.
He snapped his head up.
Birds in the sky.
Ships in the distance.
Cars on the bridge above.
All of it… slowing down.
"What the hell?"
Chrono's voice shook as he spoke aloud, sweat gathering on his brow.
The world around him began to… glitch.
Birds blinked in and out of existence like broken holograms. The sand behind him flickered—wood, grass, water, sand again. Reality was breaking apart.
Then—silence.
Everything froze.
The air. The waves. The sky.
Everything—except Chrono.
He slowly stood, looking around in complete disbelief. How could he even begin to explain something like this to anyone without sounding completely insane?
This book… caused all of this?
He stared at the glowing object in his hands, dumbfounded.
And then—he blinked.
Just once.
In the span of that blink, the world changed.
The sun had vanished.
Night had fallen.
Chrono's heart pounded in his chest as panic surged through his veins. His hands scrambled into his pockets until they found his phone. He flicked it on and glanced at the time.
5:35 p.m.
That was the time before he stepped onto the beach.
Now?
7:30 p.m.
He covered his mouth with one hand, nausea threatening to rise.
I stood here for that long… because of a book? What the hell…?
He looked back down.
The glowing words on the book were gone—completely vanished, as if they were never there to begin with.
Slowly, he placed it back where he found it.
And without another word, he turned and walked off the beach.
His legs trembled with every step.
---
Ding-Dong.
The doorbell echoed through Chrono's ears as he stood awkwardly in front of his own house.
He had his keys in his pocket. He could've just walked in.
But something about that felt… weird.
Maybe it was because he was later than usual. Maybe he just needed a few extra seconds to process everything before stepping back into normal life.
He knew it didn't really make sense—but nothing about today had, anyway.
The door creaked open.
His mom stood behind it, not angry or worried—just smiling. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw him.
She stepped aside, letting him pass.
"Night," Chrono muttered, walking past her in his usual laid-back tone.
"You're home later than usual. Did you find yourself a lady~?"
Mrs. Chrono teased, crossing her arms with a smug grin.
Chrono didn't even look back. "I almost did. Would've preferred that over what actually happened."
There was no emotion in his voice. He said it in a way that invited no follow-up—but he probably should've just said nothing at all.
"What happened? Everything alright, sonny?"
Her smugness dropped in an instant. She leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on his cheek—her mom mode activating.
Chrono shrugged. "Nothing major. I guess you could say I went AFK for like, two hours."
He said it like it was no big deal, fully aware she had no clue what he meant.
"AFK? Boy… what are you even saying?"
Her face twisted into a mix of concern and confusion, like he'd just spoken in ancient runes.
She sighed, long and dramatic, pulling her hand away. "Anyway, dinner's on the table. If you want anything, that is."
Her tone shifted—half-passive-aggressive, half-worried mom still trying not to press.
"I think I'll pass tonight. Thanks, though."
He gave her a soft smile and a pat on the head, walked past her, then started up the stairs.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his dad quietly eating dinner at the table.
"Night, pops."
A silent nod was the only response.
That was typical. His dad wasn't the talkative type.
Honestly, Chrono still couldn't believe it when his mom once said his dad had made the first move back in the day. The man could go days without more than five words.
He reached the top of the stairs. The familiar creak of his bedroom door broke the silence as he stepped inside, dropped his bag, and collapsed onto the bed.
Flat on his back. Eyes on the ceiling.
Brain racing.
What the hell even happened?
The beach. The book. The glitching world. The time jump.
He still couldn't understand why it happened—or how.
He wasn't even sure if he wanted to know.
But one thing was clear.
"Just… what is that book?"
The words slipped out in a soft murmur. He could feel his body relaxing against the bed. The weight of the day—or whatever that was—crushing down on him.
His eyelids started to droop.
He hadn't meant to sleep this early.
But sleep claimed him anyway.
---
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm buzzed like a siren. It was loud—too loud.
A heavy thud silenced it—Chrono's palm slamming down against it without even opening his eyes.
He groaned, stretched, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes… then blinked at the clock.
6:55 a.m.
His body froze.
He looked down at his clothes.
Not his school uniform.
Pajamas.
His breathing hitched.
He knew he'd fallen asleep in his uniform last night. And there was no way he'd wake up at the exact same time two days in a row. The chances of that happening are low even with an alarm…
There was only one explanation.
"…Did I start the day over?"
His voice trembled. He stared down at the palms of his hands, trying to steady himself.
After what happened yesterday—no, today—this wasn't a "how" situation anymore.
It was a "why."
What the hell is going on?