Out of Time

Time Keeper Roran wasn’t supposed to be there. His mission was simple: recalibrate a fractured timeline in 1812. But the watch malfunctioned mid-jump, spitting him out into a humid, prehistoric jungle teeming with life.
Disoriented, he stumbled through ferns the size of houses, swatting away insects that looked like they'd stepped out of nightmares. The air smelled ancient, earthy, and alive in a way that no other era did. The watch on his wrist emitted a series of frantic clicks, its mechanisms visibly sparking.
“Great. Stuck in dino land,” Roran muttered, tapping the watch in a futile attempt to reset it.
A low rumble rolled through the jungle, making the ground tremble beneath his boots. Birds—or something like birds—erupted from the canopy, screeching in alarm. Roran froze, instinctively clutching his malfunctioning watch.
From the shadows emerged a Tyrannosaurus Rex, its massive frame blotting out the sun as it stepped into view. Its golden eyes locked onto Roran, who was too stunned to move.
“Of course it’s a T-Rex,” he whispered, backing away slowly.
He fumbled with the watch, fingers shaking. It sparked again, its glow dimming. The T-Rex roared, shaking the very air, and charged with earth-shaking strides.
Roran didn’t even have time to scream.
When the T-Rex stomped away, nothing remained but a damaged watch, ticking faintly in the dirt. It pulsed once, then disappeared, reclaiming its place in the timestream, leaving no trace of the Keeper who’d worn it.
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