Chasing Time, Vol.1

Vol. 1 Chp 4: The One Body Theory

Aaron paced the room, trying to make sense of the situation. His mind was spinning, the strange events of the last few minutes weighing heavily on him. The antique watch in his hand gleamed under the classroom lights, and the silence of the frozen world around him only added to the eeriness.

Luna stood nearby, watching him with concern. "Aaron," she said softly, "what's going on? Why wasn't I frozen like everyone else?"

Aaron stopped, tapping the watch absently against his palm. The question had been nagging him too. Why was Luna unaffected by the power? He thought back to the exact moment it had all started—the moment he pressed the button on the watch. He'd been confused, lost in thought, when Luna tapped his shoulder...

A lightbulb went off in his mind.

"Luna," Aaron said, turning to face her. "I think I know why you weren't frozen."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Aaron hesitated, running through the memory in his head one more time. "When I pressed the button on the watch... you touched me at the exact same moment. You tapped my shoulder, remember? Maybe..." He trailed off, unsure how to explain the rest.

"Maybe what?" Luna asked, stepping closer.

"Maybe the watch's power didn't recognize us as separate. It treated us like... one body. That's why you didn't freeze like everyone else. You were connected to me when the power activated."

Luna blinked, processing the theory. "So, because I touched you, the power couldn't affect me?"

Aaron nodded. "That's the only thing that makes sense. It didn't work on you because it couldn't see you as separate from me."

Luna crossed her arms, looking at the watch in Aaron's hand. "That's... pretty wild, but it does explain why I'm still able to move."

Aaron glanced at the watch again, feeling a chill run down his spine. This power, whatever it was, clearly didn't play by normal rules. And the fact that something as simple as touch could disrupt it—that only made things more complicated.

The bunny's eyes glimmered with determination as it squared its tiny shoulders. "Alright, Aaron, here's the plan. You need to unfreeze time by clicking the button on the watch again."

Aaron nodded, still processing the strange turn of events. He could feel Luna's gaze on him, a mix of curiosity and concern.

"But first," the bunny continued, "we need to do an experiment. Luna, you must not touch Aaron when he tries to stop time. We need to see if my theory holds true."

Luna raised an eyebrow, glancing between Aaron and the bunny. "And what exactly do you think will happen?"

The bunny hopped in place, excitement bubbling in its voice. "You see, only entities associated with time manipulation won't be affected by the power. That's why you were able to move, Aaron." It paused, the seriousness of the situation returning. "But there are rare instances where someone not associated with time manipulation could also remain unaffected. There might be something connecting you to the time realm, something we still don't understand."

Aaron swallowed hard, his heart racing at the thought. "So, if I click the button again and you touch me, Luna could freeze?"

"Exactly! But if you're alone when you activate it, we might see how time reacts differently. You may even find that only those tied to the time realm can avoid being frozen."

Luna looked thoughtful, nodding slowly. "Alright, let's do this. Just... be careful, okay?"

After a brief discussion, they decided to move to the school's rooftop, the sun shining down and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves below. The open space felt more fitting for their experiment, away from the prying eyes of other students.