Mistress of Time & her 12 Mates

4. when time stops

When I woke up today, I was a normal teenager — or whatever usually defines this 'normalcy' stereotyped by society and its perspective towards its youth. Big words, I know.

But to dumb it down a bit, I was plainly tired of the world, subtly anxious about my hair, kind of disgusted at my childish outfit choice, still in hate with my premature looks and annoyed at everyone with working vocal capabilities — but if you asked me, I would deny it all on your face.

Like everyday, my Asian mother blackmailed me into eating a big breakfast with sugar coated words, "Won't you eat it for me? who's gonna feed you when I'm gone? Eat it Hyejin, eat it so mommy can be happy," and when she had batted her nonexistent eyelashes in my face and my entire body had cringed in repulse, nevertheless, I wasn't a cruel monster enough to emotional blackmail her back by saying — "What if I die first?" and she totally wasn't ready equipped with a comeback of, "At least I'll be happy that I fed you right," and sobbed into her sleeve for an added dramatic effect as I descended down on the chair quite helplessly.

Same old, same old, everyday.

Also— My Korean name is Kang Hyejin, so much better than it's pathetic English supplement of Ceridwen Rivers. My parents must have borne a grudge against me, maybe I cried a lot when I was little so they decided to give me a horrible name so that I could cry all my youth.

So that's my idea of normal mornings. But this, whatever this was — me standing in a room full of frozen people listening to a calming voice when time was paused — This wasn't normal!

"W-what do you mean by the fates messing up?" the question slipped out in stutters before I could help it. My fingers involuntarily fidgeted with the hem of my sleeve, picking on the dirt stuck.

I could feel his cold presence eerily somewhere behind me, lingering close enough to feel but scarce to touch. The ghost of his presence birthed goosebumps all over my spine.

"Curious little one," I heard him chuckle heartily, huffs of the laugh coldly caressing my back. "Our prophet has chosen you as their core," I felt an invisible hand tickle my neck and a scared gasp escaped my lips. I jerked away, sucking in a harsh breath as he laughed away. "You must be really special..."

"I'm nobody special," I mumbled out, hugging myself as the Hall suddenly went a degree or ten cooler. "I don't understand this, any of this— what do you want from me?"

An invisible force pushed me back in my seat, I winced as my head hit the backrest with a jerk. "Can you not be a creep for one second? That hurt!" I whisper-shouted to no one in particular.

I don't know what was more insane, me talking to an invisible person in a room full of frozen people or me not acting absolutely freaked out and running away from this elaborate prank like any normal person should have.

Normalcy is a stereotype.

"You will raise a child for me," he declared as if he was the legitimate boss of my life.

Now that was farfetched, I cannot even raise myself in a day.

"No I won't, that's absolutely bonkers!" I retorted, channeling valour from unknown sources within as my hands fisted over the hand rests of the chairs.

If wind was a bipolar freak with anger issues, this man would be the perfect example for it. One second I was tapping the ground ignoring the cold and lashing out at him while in another he hand me choking for air as I coughed like a tuberculosis patient, gasping for air. My insides suddenly went dry and I pathetically sucked in breaths. I felt my insides closing in on me, shrinking.

The pain was intense, I felt the world closing in on me. My senses ran in an overdrive frenzy, my fingers trying to grab hold onto something— anything for help.

I felt his absurd presence in front of me and I lunged at him only to descend to the ground as my legs gave in. My eyes burned, wanting to cry but tears ceased to exist. My muscles ached, but I couldn't budge. I withered on the spot, wanting to scream but my mind was too distorted to concentrate.

What is he doing to me?! What is he?!

"You shall never deny my orders, you shall never question my authority and you shall never raise your voice in front of me— Do you get that, little bird?"

His authoritative voice pierced past my senses and felt a calming notion amidst the chaos within.

Something rang in my head in a soft melody, the purest of voices singing, 'When the time stops, I hear a voice. It's calling but I'm stalling, it's calming but I'm chaos, and the only way to live is to leave this flow of time.'

I felt air return in my lungs as I splat myself against the floor, greedily breathing in. Tears started streaming down my eyes, and I couldn't be more happier to feel their saline wetness against my cheeks. I coughed a bit, as my brain reoriented itself.

"Have I made myself clear? The prophet shall be left in your care."

He was speaking overhead, voice so clear and materialized, I could reach out and touch him, it made him feel real. I was furious of the pain he caused me and some strange part within wanted to rebel.

"No," I replied.

Bad decision.

Let me write a book titled, '1001 ways to make bad decisions.' It would be a bestseller, undoubtedly.

But before Almighty—Invisible—Arsehole could choke me again, a sudden thud distracted us. I strained up to witness Hale Dorian groaning on the ground, plopped facefirst. Instantly, I looked around in panic and to my dread Elvi's charming face smiled at me.

They were all back to life.

How?! What happened?!

"What the fuck are you both doing on the ground?" Millicent questioned dryly, disgust highly obvious in her tone. I'm sure I looked like a chewed out chewing gum in that moment.

"Hale, I told you, didn't I? You would fall! Are  you okay?!" Came Adeion's panicked voice. I whimpered, jolting up as a rush of pain swept across my body. I need to escape, run, hide, die.

Something, anything other than this possible embarrassment.

What just happened? Did time really stop? Who was the prophet? Who is the child?

Questions after questions swarmed my head and it pounded miserably so, drowsiness over took the pain and I realized sometimes— giving up wasn't bad.

Then my head hit the floor and I blacked out.