The Veil of Forgotten Times
Master Thomas Fysher lived an ordinary, uneventful life for most of his 131 years. Born and raised in 1920 in the rustic village of Rounswell, nestled against the blushing woods of southwest England, he was lad renowned for his peculiar fascination with time. His obsession was such that he had spent years meticulously marking time using the old, rustic clock-tower that silently guarded their village since the medieval times.
One day, in his early 70s, rumors of a time-traveling man spread like wildfire throughout the village. The villagers believed it to be a mere folklore; after all, such far-fetched tales were common in a village where people had an appetite for mystery. However, the story lit a spark of curiosity in Tom that fuelled his quest to bridge the chasm separating the past, present, and future.
He sought out the folklore's source, an ancient, mysterious recluse named Merlyn. She was confined to her equally ancient and crumbling manor for decades, barely noticeable against the forest line on the outskirts of Rounswell. Known equally for her wisdom and eccentricity, the villagers revered and feared her in equal measures. It was said she guarded the secrets of the time-traveling man with an iron fist.
With heartfelt plea and relentless pursuit, Thomas convinced Merlyn to share the secrets she held. The tale went that the time-traveling man had gifted Merlyn a cryptic artifact, the Celestial Dial. It was no ordinary artifact. When used in a particular way, it allowed the bearer the gift to gaze into the corridors of time.
Realizing that Tom held the same thirst for time as the ancient traveler, Merlyn handed over the artifact. She imparted the instructions within an incantation, warning that the Dial was linked to the clock tower and using it could have far-reaching consequences.
As Tom held the Dial, his heart pounded with anticipation. He performed the incantation under the shadow of the clock tower that eerie night. An entrancing light emitted from the Celestial Dial, causing the surroundings to blur. Suddenly, Tom stood before the bustling streets of Rounswell- a Rounswell from a bygone era. He saw the former lives of his ancestors, the origins of timeless traditions, and the progression of past to present within moments. Awestruck by the revelation, his uncontrollable excitement spiraled to misuse the artifact repeatedly.
Slowly, the once steadfast arrow of time started faltering. Days morphed into nights within seconds, seasons changed haphazardly, and the once chatty villagers were now in a state of paranoia as they grappled with the suspense of the vanishing sun.
Merlyn approached the council of the village elders, revealing the secret she'd sworn to protect. Aware of the massive transgressions, they confronted Tom, making him realize that he had disrupted the natural order of time and life. Despite the guilt weighing him down, Tom refused to be powerless in the face of the chaos he had wrought. Swallowing his pride, he approached Merlyn for a possible reversal of his actions.
After days of arduous research and pleading with the celestial forces, Merlyn conjured up a contrition ritual. However, it demanded a heavy payment – Thomas had to promise never to meddle with the artifact again and must live out the rest of his days in oblivion, forgotten by the flow of time till he himself faded into a distant memory.
In the presence of the village council, Thomas performed the contrition beneath the brooding clock tower. As time untangled itself from the knots, he felt the veil of oblivion swoop down and could see the villagers forgetting him instantaneously. They continued their daily chores as if nothing had happened, while he stood there, tangible yet invisible.
So lived Master Thomas Fysher, a lonely existence in the perpetual shadow of the clock tower. He was the guardian of an artifact that he couldn't use but would preserve for epochs. He existed, yet he didn't. He was forgotten, yet he remembered everything. He had the power to traverse time, yet he was stuck in a timeless void. The village of Rounswell moved forward, its legend preserved in the annals of time, while its hero remained forgotten, stewarding the spaces between the past, the present, and the future.