The Legend of the Time-Bound Book🔊

Once upon a time, in a quaint town named Eldorado, there lived an ambitious young bookseller named Alfred. He was an orphan but known for his prodigious intelligence, unsurpassed inquisition, and a deep passion for rare manuscripts, all of which made him a renowned name amongst bibliophiles.

One day, a gentleman dressed in a cloak as black as the night, entered Alfred's bookstore. He seemed mysterious, with his face barely visible beneath the villous rim of his cloak. He handed Alfred an old, worn-out book, saying, 'This manuscript is not an ordinary one; it holds a secret not meant for all.' And with that, he abruptly left, leaving Alfred with the old, peculiar book.

Unfazed by the strange encounter, Alfred was completely consumed by curiosity and began reading. The first page read, 'The Time-Bound Book', which only intrigued him further. As he flipped through the parchment-like pages, he was astounded to find that it narrated history not as it happened, but it was continually updating, rendering past, present, and future seamlessly.

Days morphed into nights, and Alfred's life began revolving around this time-bound manuscript. Not only was it unraveling the secrets of the past, and unmasking the events of the present, but it also painted scenarios of the future. The power it held was immeasurable, and Alfred understood the responsibility associated with such an artifact.

Months passed, and Alfred found himself growing wiser, not just about world affairs but also about knowing human nature. He anticipated things ahead of their occurrence, preventing accidents and helping people find their right path. His fame as a soothsayer spread across towns, attracting people from all walks of life seeking his guidance.

However, one must remember the mysterious gentleman's words - 'This secret was not meant for all.' The more Alfred used the book's power, the more it seemed to take a toll on him. He aged drastically, his eyes drained, and he seemed sickly. And then one day, the book, without any warning, stopped revealing the future, and Alfred fell fatally ill.

In his sickbed, Alfred realized the book's curse — it rewrote time but at the expense of the reader's time. He paid the price for his unintended misuse of power by giving up the most valuable thing he possessed, his life. With his last bit of strength and wisdom, Alfred decided to protect the future bearers of this book from its curse.

He spent his remaining days writing a warning on the final page of the book. It read, 'To whomsoever it may concern, he who learns from this book, remember time teaches us patience, not haste. Understand that knowledge is to self-reflect, not to dominate. The power of time is a privilege that comes with an irreversible cost.'

As Alfred inked his final word, he passed away, leaving behind an enduring legacy in Eldorado. His life was a testament to the power of knowledge and the importance of using it wisely. And the Time-Bound Book? It was safely ensconced within Eldorado's library, its legend serving as both an alluring call and a dire warning to would-be readers.

Thus, the story of the Time-Bound Book and its last reader became a part of Eldorado's folklore, teaching every generation about the boon and bane of unbounded knowledge, the responsibility of power, and the irreplaceable value of time.