The Eye of the Storm

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December 31st, 196X. London, United Kingdom.
(1ST PERSON.)

The strange rain continues to spread and permeate throughout the ground, infecting reality with a virus so esoteric that none could hope to comprehend it without decades of study. I softly press a hand against the window and sigh. The world is beginning to look like a fragmented mess of aesthetics.

I tilt my hat up a little and see Sonetto with the Timekeeper, but instead of staying to talk any further, she runs. It seems the storm is quite frightening to the Foundation. Who would've thunk? I walk to the doorframe to see the colorful madness, and Regulus closely follows me.

"The rain... is it falling upside down?" There's a tremble in her voice that somehow makes me feel a little scared. She reaches out a hand, only for the raindrops to phase through her fingers. Before she asks anything else, I steal the next question from her.

"Why aren't any humans noticing this... phenomena? Does it not effect them?" I try to keep my voice as steady as possible. Regulus still decides to comment. "These things are really weird..." I reach out to pat her shoulder, but decide it wouldn't be appropriate. We are technically just acquaintances who could become friends. Not friends yet.

"You both can see something's weird... which proves you're the ones I'm looking for." The stoicism of the Timekeeper's tone, or the absurdity of the environment causes Regulus to collapses into a puddle in panic. Or perhaps both. I can't help but giggle though. "I've always seen weird things, but not like this."

I look up into the sky, and all the pink pellets of rain keep shooting into space with no apparent destination. "Looking for me? No. No way..." Regulus mutters to herself, slowly beginning to down spiral. "Are these... potions! Did you use potions on me?!"

"Why? The 'little thing' is no longer with me...!" I kneel down to try and calm Regulus down, but the Timekeeper's voice makes me freeze.

"Enough! Stop running!"

"The 'Storm' is here."

The Timekeeper opens a strangely decorated suitcase, and quickly shoves Regulus inside it. I look up in shock, but she pushes me inside too before I can say another word. I barely fit at all, but I don't complain.

"Look at the world... with your own eyes!"

The next moment, a landscape beyond my dreams actualizes. Bubbles that contain the memories and streets of our time float into the air, as well as crystal shards that seem to reflect every experience anyone has had in this point in time. Small chunks of buildings and the ground ascend as well, devolving into nothing more than murky black drops. The rapid rate of the unmaking of the world as we know it is truly horrific to see.

At this point, I notice that Regulus's shades are off, and I can finally see the pure astonishment on her dazed face. I'd laugh if I probably wasn't making the same expression. The Timekeeper stands completely calm, however, as if she's already done this a million times.

"I am not them."

"I am here to protect you."

I blink. And within the seconds that blink took, the whole landscape has changed. Tall, gray, and bleak buildings resemble the architecture of 1929. I move out of the other side of the suitcase to check on Regulus, who is still considerably stunned.

"I... I don't get it..."

"It's alright. It's just... the end of an era. And you both survived." The Timekeeper keeps her voice reassuring, like she's trying to provide comfort. But how could you comfort someone whose just seen the laws of time be defied? How could you comfort someone whose perception of reality has been broken too many times to count?

I clutch my own arm, using it as a very unhealthy stress ball.

...

I guess I'm puzzled too. The Timekeeper looks over at me, and then at Regulus.

A sigh of relief. "You've braved the 'Storm'. My experiment succeeded... Thanks for your help."

"What experiment? The end of an era... What does it mean...? I-I can't understand what you're talking about!" Regulus's cries of confusion fill me with sorrow. I decide to risk overstepping my boundaries a little. I put a hand on her shoulder, and surprisingly, she doesn't swat it away in anger. Maybe she's too mentally exhausted to object.

I feel a deep sense of frustration that I'm unsettlingly well-acquainted with. "Being cryptic is just stressing her out more. And clearly you know more about this than us. I'd ask you to elaborate here and now, but it won't be that simple, will it?" The Timekeeper sighs.

"Right. I apologize to you too, [Y/N]. This can't be easy on you either, although it may be familiar. However, I can't explain more here." She holds her hands out, gesturing for me and Regulus to grab hold of them.

"Take my hands. Let me lead you both into the suitcase."

"Suitcase?" The tremble and voice crack in Regulus's voice is still there, but she seems to have waken out of her stupor a bit. "Close your eyes." I can't help but sigh and comply. "Any more mysteries and my brain will probably explode, Ms. Timekeeper. I say that as both a joke and a warning." I mutter whilst taking her hand. For a second, I could've sworn I'd seen her faintly smile before I closed my eyes.

...

How nice.
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word count: 912

A/N: this chapter was relatively short because the next one is kinda long. I was originally gonna write this as one whole chapter, but I decided it would be WAY too much.

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