The Magic Of Time & Forgiveness
In a quaint little town nestled between rolling green hills, lived a man named Malcolm. His life was as simple as the surroundings he called home. He worked in a small wood mill just off the center of the town and was adored by everyone for his charming personality, infectious laughter, and storyteller nature.
Like every other day, he woke up early, had his breakfast and set out to his workplace. His daily routine was spinning its usual wheel. Yet, something was different that day. He was about to discover something at the mill that would change the direction of his life forever.
Malcolm was usually responsible for cutting wood. But that day, his supervisor told him to clean the storage loft instead. And there, behind a pile of wooden planks, he found it - a dusty, worn-out box full of old books.
These weren't just any books; they were magic spell books left behind by the ancient witches who used to live there centuries ago. Malcolm was always fascinated by supernatural stories and mythologies, but now he had a chance to live one.
He took the books home and began reading. They were difficult to understand, written in cryptic languages and filled with complex rituals. Yet, his determination didn't wane. Malcolm decoded them slowly, learned to conjure small spells. His life started teetering around mystery and magic, leaving behind the mundane mill life.
One day Malcolm tried a spell to manipulate time. And it worked. He got so caught up with this newfound power that he started trying reckless tricks, like stopping time for everyone but him. The town's people, initially unaware, soon started noticing discrepancies. Their goods were randomly getting rearranged, or their walks were taking longer than usual.
Although scared initially, they figured that something unnatural was causing these anomalies with Malcolm's visible changes, sudden richness, and aloofness together. They saw him differently; he no longer was the beloved town storyteller but a feared, isolated sorcerer.
Realizing the havoc he’s wreaking, Malcolm felt guilt washing over him. He decided to travel back in time to stop his past self from finding the magic books, trying to restore everything back to normal.
The task was challenging. He had to face his past self, who was as stubborn and curious as him about the supernatural. But he succeeded in convincing him. He destroyed the books, and things started normalizing slowly.
The town’s people started gaining their usual sense of time, but they still remembered everything. Malcolm had to live with the aftermath. But he was okay; he’d rather be loathed for his deeds in real-time than control it and be feared.
He went back to his simple mill life, and with time the town's people forgave him. Though not forgotten entirely, his magical days were talked less about. He became the storyteller again, enlightening his town's people with his tangible adventures, warm laugh echoing again in his lovable old town.
Albeit not prominently visible, the experience changed him discreetly but surely. Malcolm lived the rest of his life cherishing the semblance of everyday normalcy and the sweetness of common human experiences with a fresh pair of appreciating eyes.