Timeless Bonds

Bonus 6: alternate Universe

In an alternate timeline where Chloe didn't slip:

The three of them ascended the winding stairs together, Blanc sandwiched between Red and Chloe. She moved hesitantly, her footsteps echoing her uncertainty, while Red and Chloe exchanged contented glances.

"Here," Chloe said, pulling the watch from her pocket and handing it to Red. "This belongs to you."

Red took the watch, her fingers brushing against Chloe's. "Ready?" she asked, her voice steady yet tinged with anticipation.

Chloe met her gaze and nodded. "Ready."

Red pressed the button on the watch with a decisive click. They stood there, waiting for the familiar sensation of being whisked through time, but instead, they were met with a disheartening silence.

"Wait. Shouldn't we be back?" Chloe's voice wavered with panic, her eyes wide with concern. She glanced around, hoping for a change in their surroundings.

Red stared at the watch in confusion, her brow furrowing. "Yeah, it should work. I followed the same steps as last time." Her voice carried a note of frustration as the tension in the room escalated.

Blanc, who had been quietly observing, felt her heart race as realization dawned on her. She took a few tentative steps backward, her mind racing. With trembling hands, she pulled out her own watch from the pocket of her shorts, which were worn under her dress.

The sound of the watch clinking against the floor as she accidentally dropped it snapped Chloe's attention toward Blanc. Her eyes widened in shock and alarm. "Blanc? Since when—"

"Since when do you have the watch?" Red's voice cut through Chloe's confusion, filled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. She took a step towards Blanc, her demeanor threatening.

Blanc took a deliberate step backward, a sinister grin spreading across her face. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of malice and triumph as she revealed her true intentions. "Oh, just since we arrived here," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "I thought it would be a good idea to switch the time travel watch with my own." She twirled the watch around her finger, the movement emphasizing her newfound arrogance.

Red's eyes widened in disbelief and frustration. "Were you planning on keeping us here?" she demanded, her voice sharp with anger. She took a step forward, her fists clenched at her sides.

Blanc's smirk only widened, her demeanor unyielding. "Maybe," she said coolly, her tone laced with satisfaction. "Maybe I wanted to see you both stuck here, dealing with the mess you made."

Before Red could react further, Blanc turned and bolted down the stairs, her footsteps echoing off the walls as she fled. Her sudden movement caught Red and Chloe off guard.

Red started to sing while following after her with Chloe.

♪Staying would just cause more pain♪

♪We agree we did make a change♪

♪Defeated the queen above everything♪

♪You're on our side or you're in my way♪

♪You wanna stay but we got to leave♪

♪There's a reason we're here today♪

♪For past, present and future sake, wait♪

"Blanc, wait!" Chloe called out, her voice tinged with desperation as she started to move after her.

Red hesitated for a moment, her frustration boiling over. "We have to get her back!" she shouted, her eyes locked on Blanc's retreating figure. Without another word, she and Chloe rushed down the stairs, determined to catch Blanc and reclaim their only chance to return home.