The Promise
Kaz stumbled out of the swirling vortex and landed in a featureless, ghostly void. His $TIME watch sparked in his hand, half-broken from the jump. Disoriented, he wiped sweat from his brow—only to freeze at the sight of a ragged Coalition soldier lurking a few steps away.
The soldier’s eyes were wild. How long had he been stuck here, in this place where time did not flow? His uniform was torn, and a dead watch dangled uselessly at his side.
“Give me yours,” he rasped, lunging at Kaz in desperation.
Kaz expected the attack—he’d seen the hollow-eyed mania in the soldier’s face the instant they locked eyes. He sidestepped the assault, twisting the man’s wrist until the soldier dropped to one knee with a pained hiss. Weak from hunger or fatigue, the Agent was easily subdued.
Kaz took his watch, then took a breath. “I can’t take you back on this,” he said firmly. “One watch—one traveler.”
“Then leave me to rot?” the soldier spat, his words thick with bitterness. “I’ve been here for... I don’t even know how long.” He swayed, barely able to stand.
Kaz’s gut twisted. This was an enemy—someone who’d hunt Time Keepers under normal circumstances—but leaving him behind felt cruel. Still, the watch’s failing rotor was enough of a puzzle without trying to carry two people. Kaz stripped a functioning coil from the soldier’s device, cannibalizing it to repair his own.
“Look, you attacked me,” Kaz muttered, reassembling the final circuit. “But I get it—you’re desperate. I’d be the same if I were stranded here alone.” He tested his watch. A faint hum told him it might just work once more.
The soldier glared at him with hollow fury, but Kaz saw a flicker of exhausted hope. “Promise me,” he croaked, swallowing his pride. “Come back.”
Kaz nodded. “I promise.”
He pressed the watch’s dial. Light swelled and coiled around him. The soldier lunged again in one last, desperate attempt to grab hold, but Kaz vanished in a burst of energy. The Agent fell to his knees in the silent void.
When the flash died, only the hush of emptiness remained. The Coalition soldier trembled, gazing at the leftover scraps of his own shattered watch. Maybe the Time Keeper would keep his word. Maybe not. But for now, he was alone—clinging to the faint hope that mercy might yet reopen the door to salvation.
Micro stories are a content feature offered by $TIME's dev Woj. Handwritten and accompanied by art, they serve to deepen the story world we're creating here. Enjoy!
