Run Away Mad Dog

CHAPTER IX: Time is Relative

Planet Lelladore Kingdom of Esterlas

Nita was one step ahead of Jane in a sense and that was something Jane had never come across, when it was found Nita knew what a bootstrap paradox was it was something even chilling to Jane.

This servant was always kind to me even though she feared me, Nita is one of those people you meet in your life once, she's loyal and she's someone I would truly call a friend.

But all of that were the least of her concerns, this was the day Dr. Jane Hail met her rival Chloe Blackheart

Black Vulture signing off...

As Jane and Nita walked the grand halls of the Esterlas Castle towards Nita's personal sleeping quarters, Jane remained lost in her thoughts for a fleeting moment. The corridor filled with paintings had stirred something within her—a sensation akin to slicing open one's own skin with a searing blade, only to pour salt into the raw wound.

The sight of her past self, so out of place, pierced her heart. When she had finally attained what she desired and left her family behind to pursue her dreams, they appeared so... whole. Even without her presence, they seemed complete. This realization tempted her to vanish forever, never to return but she knew if she did everything she had built would be destroyed.

"Is something troubling you?" Nita asked softly, her accent thick, making it a tad difficult for Jane to grasp her words. Jane merely averted her gaze and let her eyes trace the patterns adorning the castle walls. Their footsteps echoed against the marble floor, filling the air with a rhythmic click.

"I don't want to talk about it" Jane grumbled, stuffing her hands into her laboratory pockets. Awkward silence enveloped them as they continued walking, until Nita spoke up once more.

"Were here," Nita explained, leading Jane down a narrow hallway and through a small wooden door.

Entering the cramped room, Jane felt an immediate chill, the quarters befitting her status as a slave. It seemed she shared the space with three others who were absent for the time being. Roll-out beds lined the floor, each adorned with personal belongings stashed in small bags in the corners. Nita's sleeping area occupied the top left corner. As the girls entered, Jane's claustrophobia intensified, she longed to escape as her ears flicked back.

"I had begun to think you might consider the book you left for me a mere joke," Nita remarked, breaking the silence.

Jane pondered for a moment, observing Nita retrieve a small book from beneath her roll-out bed. Nita's eyes locked with Jane's as she extended it into her hands. Jane inspected the book, her eyes twitching.

"This can't be possible" she whispered to herself.

Sensing something amiss, Nita inched closer to Jane.

Jane didn't need to read the title to recognize the book; its modern cover, titled "Basics of Quantum Theory and Fictional Time Travel Paradoxes" spoke volumes. It was her own, taken from her laboratory. She hesitantly opened it, her gaze fixed on her own handwriting at the top right corner. A small message accompanied it:

"Keep this close, learn from what you read, understand what you can, and once you have read it, you will be rewarded. Dr. Jane Hail, P.S. Do NOT discuss this matter until I approach you."

Jane closed the book and returned it to Nita, taking a moment to compose herself. Her heart raced, her hands trembled, but she buried them deep within her pockets, retreating from Nita's cramped quarters.