The Tear in Time🔊

In the quiet, seemingly typical town of Montague, nestled amidst the rolling hills of England, lived a boy named Ben. His fascination with the intricate mechanisms of clocks was unparalleled. No one really understood why. Perhaps it was passed down from his grandfather, a renowned horologist. Ben's life was ordinary in the bustling town of Montague; however, what lay in his destiny, was something far extraordinary than anyone could fathom.

One sultry afternoon, while Ben was busy tinkering with an antique clock in the attic, he discovered a hidden note. The musty slip of paper read, 'A time no clock can tell, A place no map can find. Seek, and you shall dwell, In realms beyond the mind.' Intrigued, Ben began to enthusiastically fiddle with the clock, and then the unexpected happened. The clock’s hands started to spin uncontrollably, lights flickered, and the floor beneath seemed to ripple like water.

Suddenly, Ben found himself immersed in an entirely different world filled with aberrant vegetation and colossal creatures. At first, he was dumbfounded but then the realization struck. The clock was not an ordinary artefact; it was a portal to another time.

In this new world, Ben found himself in the presence of Kingdom Animus, an empire ruled by animals. There, he met a kind-hearted wolf named Erol, who was left to fend for himself after an epidemic wiped out his entire pack. Sensing Ben's lost and anxious demeanor, the wolf decided to aid him in his journey.

Erol led Ben to the Great Elder Owl, said to possess knowledge beyond time. With apprehension in his voice, Ben asked, 'How can I get back to my own time?' The owl, staring into the swirling pattern of his eyes, replied solemnly, 'You must reach the highest point of the Endless Mountain, when the two moons align. There you will find your way back.'

Driven by a burning desire to return home, Ben accepted the gruelling journey. Erol and Ben encountered many obstacles on their path. They braved the Whispering Woods, filled with trees that whispered doubts and fears into hearts. The Fearless Desert, where emotions ran high in the form of gigantic, ominous sandstorms. Despite the consistent ordeals they encountered, Ben learnt invaluable lessons of courage, friendship, and resilience.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the two finally reached the Endless Mountain. However, their final challenge awaited them. A monstrous shadow creature lurked there, a manifestation of Ben's deep-seated fears. To defeat it, Ben had to confront his worst fears. Struggling initially, he finally gathered his courage, reminiscing all the epiphanies acquired during his odyssey, and faced the monster head-on. Upon confrontation, it dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a faint echo.

Dawn arrived with the alignment of the two moons. As the prophecy stated, a portal materialised. With a heavy heart, Ben bid farewell to Erol, promising never to forget their extraordinary adventure. As he stepped through the portal, the foreign land evaporated into thin air, and he found himself standing in the attic of his house.

Time in Montague hadn’t moved an inch. Dazed, he realised that time was far too complex and unfathomable than it seemed to an ordinary horologist. While the small town of Montague may have remained oblivious to the cryptic hands of time, young Ben experienced a lifetime within a few unwary seconds of their clock's ticking.

Since then, he treated every second with reverence, his perspective permanently altered. The world heard stories of a prominent horologist, who could almost listen to the secrets that the hands of the clock whispered. But only Ben knew the truth behind 'almost'. The antique clock remain a reminder and testament to his incredible journey, and a secret tear in time that once let him dwell in realms beyond the mortal mind.