Victorie plus N

Chapter 20: The Curves

Manipulators.

I've heard that name once.

It was when I went shopping with the other girls that day. We were at a chocolate shop, and while the others were admiring a chocolate display, I was at the other side of the shop, near the register looking at some chocolates I've never seen before. There were two people in line beside me, waiting to pay at the register. Middle-aged woman, mom-looking types.

"Is Manuel planning to travel?" one of the women asked. She had curly blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Well, I'm actually not sure," the other replied. She had straight brown hair, brown eyes, and sunglasses on the top of her head. "I suppose that's up to him."

She gives a thoughtful face at her friends and then corrects herself, "No, I think that's all up to the manipulators," she whispers the last word. "Or, more, up to the N's."

I could barely make out the brunette's word, and so, just like I always do, thought I misheard her. At the time, I kind of thought they were talking about some cosplay thing they were doing. Which, now that I think about it, sounds really unlikely. They didn't look like anime or other cosplay- related people.

But if Teddy's talking about... them, then... I must not have heard her wrong.

"Manipulators..." I repeat uncertainly.

"Yes!" he whisper- yells, "Don't be so loud! I can tell you everything, but you've got to be quieter."

"Ummm, okay."

"Oh, sorry!" I whisper, remembering what he said. I'll be quiet if he'll tell me what's going on.

"Okay, good," he sighs.

He leads me to a sitting area in the library and sits down on a very-expensive looking, red velvet chair. I sit down opposite of him in another velvet chair.

He waits until I get settled- really until I find a position that I think won't wrinkle the fabric the most- and then starts talking.

"Okay, so let me start with who the manipulators are, or more, the N's," he says.

I nod.

"So, about 100 years ago or so, there was this guy named Nicholas Adams. His mother was French and his father English. His mother picked his name. Nicholas was one of those "gifted people". He graduated college at Oxford studying time, physics, and history. He became one of the first chronologists. Nicholas spent years studying time and how time might be seen as. Like the later Einstein, he viewed time as a... fabric. He dealt with chronology and tried to prove that time didn't move just in a straight line, but that it curved, bent, went backward, and forwards. Nicholas was way ahead in his studies, compared to those of his time, and even now, actually. Ten years after graduating, he made a breakthrough in his work. All by himself. He discovered the curves in time. And how to get into one."

Teddy stops there while I gasp in shock at his story.

"A curve in time," Teddy continued, "In his definition, was a point in time that repeated a certain amount of time. To infinity. And he discovered how to get into one. Now, the curve in time is, well, technically, a time loop. To get into one you have to repeat a certain amount of time, exactly. So let's say you wanted to repeat a certain day. You would repeat that day for ten days. And you would be able to get into a curve that repeats that day. Then you would be able to change something while in the curve. It can only be something you really want to change, however, and do a drastic -which is a loose term in this context- thing to make the thing you want to change, change. So that in the future, that thing will be different. To get out of it, you have to repeat the day you lived before you did the 10-day repeat period. It all sounds a bit confusing, but that's how it is."

Still in shock, I don't say anything as he pauses.

"But there's a catch," he suddenly adds, as I listen attentively. "You can only travel, exactly 130 years back in time. Only back in time. No one has figured out how to travel into the future, yet. This is why there are so many family journals, and why people sometimes act as if it was the... Victorian Era."

"Because the Victorian Era was 130 years ago," I say, finally catching on. Kind of.

"Exactly!"

"Okay, so, if you're saying that, then.. time travel is... real...?"

"Yes," he nods, certain.

"Okay...so who are the manipulators?"

"Well, since Nicolas knew-" suddenly Teddy stops talking and worriedly looks around. "I'll explain later, I've got to get going, someone's coming. Meet in the guest gardens tomorrow morning at 9?" he asks, standing up.

"Umm, yeah, sure..." I reply.

"Okay, great, see you then!" he runs off.

I stand up from off my seat, hearing Teddy greet Sarah.

My mind is going too fast for me to form real thoughts. Who are the manipulators? There's such a thing as time travel? What happened to Ann?!

Teddy has a lot of explaining to do.

(A/N: Hello everyone and thank you so much for reading! And also, thank you so much for all of the votes and comments! I really appreciate them a lot, and I can't express how thankful I am for all of you giving my writing a chance. I also wanted to tell all of you I made a "story", called Songs and Playlists that really just is a work that lists songs you can listen to while reading Victorie Plus N. You can also find all of them in playlists on my Spotify account, River359Yuki, as well. Anyways, I want to thank you all again and hope that you have a wonderful day/night and stay safe and healthy!)