A Timekeeper’s Awakening

Cron paced back and forth. His mind was running a million times an hour. He wasn't sure if they all messed up coming here. Was Lia's cousin a very private man? He wasn't sure what he needed to do.

Actually, he did; he could use the Slow Orgone and pop the Stop Orgone. However, he felt nervous about that. He was sure that it was breaking and entering if he did that. But again, another thing was racing through his thoughts. Where was Lia's cousin hiding?

Cron looked around for any signs of her cousin. He knew those who were skilled enough could expand their Orgone. But he wasn't sure what the limits were. Cron was unsure if her cousin was standing at the door or somewhere else.

As he thought about it more, he should get his friends out. He just hoped that they wouldn't get into trouble. But then another thought crossed his mind: Lia's cousin Orgone had to be significant.

Would it matter if he used his Orgone? Or because of the size difference, he couldn't overcome the effects? Cron ponders longer on the idea. When thinking about some of Orgones' fundamentals, it never mentions size differences.

As usual, Slow beats Stop, Stop beats Speed, and Speed beats Slow. The books never mention anything about there being a size battle. So, if Cron was correct, he should be fine.

Now the question was, where did the Orgone start? Orgones were invisible. So, someone could never tell if they summoned their Orgones or not. It comes in handy for traps and fights.

When Cron looked back at his friends, he tried to gauge the distance of the Orgone. When Omar put his hand near Lia, he froze, which means that the Orgone was around them.

Cron wanted to get close enough to cast his Slow Orgone, but he was worried he might get too close. He didn't want to start far away either because reaching his friends would take way longer than necessary. 

Cron knew that when someone is trapped in the Stop Orgone, their bodies are still not their minds. However, anyone trapped in a Stop Orgone can still perceive everything around them.

This means that, as of right now, Lia is likely frustrated at Cron for not getting them out faster. Cron thought about them and knew that if he could break the Orgone, he would get a mouthful from Lia.

Cron took a deep breath and then walked towards his friends. As he did, Cron placed himself near arm's reach of them. Cron didn't succumb to the Orgone's trap.

He felt a small victory in his chest. Then, when casting his Slow Orgone, he felt the power radiating from his body. Then, what felt like a shove from within, his Slow Orgone shrouded him.

Everything around Cron moves very slowly, including the pollen in the air, which dances so slowly that you can almost see everything hidden in it. But Cron ignored the slow-moving sights. He started to saunter over to his friends.

Slowly reaching out his hand to touch the Orgone, Cron felt it—it was like popping a bubble. Once his Orgone encased his friends, they started to move again. Cron breathed a sigh of relief as he let go of his Orgone.

As expected, Lia was frustrated at Cron. "What took you so long?!"

Omar was right; using Slow was draining. "I'm sorry," Cron said, trying to regain his breath. "I wasn't sure what to do?"

Lia looked bewildered. "What do you mean? You have Slow. Wait a minute. So do you, Omar!"

Omar shrunk when Lia pointed him out. "I didn't know if you were playing with us."

"Why would I stop suddenly before my cousin's house?" Lia asked.

Omar shrugged. "How were we supposed to know?"

"I don't know; if someone stops, don't you think that would raise some questions?" Lia asked.

Omar looked down, embarrassed. "I mean, I guess you're right."

"It's about time we agree on something!" Lia said. "But back to you, Cron."

"What did I do? I saved you!" Cron defended.

"You took way too long! It was like you were having a crisis," Lia accused.

"I was having a crisis! I thought trying to pop his Orgone on his property would be illegal." Cron said.

"It would be if I weren't here," Lia said. "I'm his cousin; he would never put me in jail."

"Speaking of, where is he?" Cron asked. "I was looking around for him but didn't see him anywhere."

Lia shrugged. "Eh, probably inside."

"Why did you say that like it was a normal sentence?" Cron asked.

"Because he is inside. If he's not out here, then he's obviously inside." Lia said.

"Lia, that doesn't make sense," Cron said. "Everyone knows an Orgone only goes as far as we can reach."

Lia's eyes widen. "Oh, that's what you mean. Yeah, that makes sense now."

"Could you elaborate?" Cron asked.

"Nope, my cousin knows more," Lia answered.

Cron was getting frustrated at her answers. "But stuff like this doesn't happen. Unless he has the title of Master of Time."

Lia smirked. "And what if he does?"

Cron looked at Lia oddly. A memory came back to him. It happened a long time ago when he was a child. The night itself was terrifying. But, before that, it was nothing but good fun.

Then Cron remembered meeting three other people with his dad: Drez, Lia, and a young man named Ether. Although Ether was dressed nicely, he was mischievous. But Cron remembered one thing about his character: Drez said he would soon be the youngest person to have the title Master of Time.

Then, the trio could hear footsteps barreling towards the door. Cron gulped, worried about how mad he had made a Master of Time. Soon, the door swung open.

The man standing there wore a nicely fitted vest with a button-up shirt underneath. His hair was a bit frazzled. He was confused at seeing three teens at his doorstep, but as soon as he saw Lia, he frowned.

"Oh, it's you."