I Became the Timekeeper: Juno and the Minutes of her Shattered Deaths

"The past is a labyrinth, but the future is a snare."

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Juno's steps were measured as she walked back toward café, her mind spinning with the realization that had struck her like lightning in her dorm room. She wasn't just reliving memories; someone was killing her in this loop.

The café's worn-out sign creaked faintly in the breeze as she pushed the door open. A bell chimed above her, and the familiar scent of coffee and cinnamon washed over her. The cozy interior was exactly as she remembered—low, warm lighting, mismatched wooden chairs, and the faint hum of quiet conversations.

It felt surreal, like stepping into a photograph that hadn't aged. But there was no chaos, no thunderwolf rampage, no frozen time or rift. The patrons sipped their drinks in peace, oblivious to the storm raging in Juno's mind.

She found the same corner table she had sat at in her memory, the one she had shared with Maeve and the twins before everything went to hell. It looked…ordinary. As though it had never borne witness to the horror she remembered so vividly.

Juno sat down, her fingers brushing the edge of the table. The memory of the rift, of time halting, of her first encounter with the Aspect of Time, flickered in her mind. None of it made sense anymore.

She flagged down a server and ordered a strawberry milkshake, just as she had in her memory. As the server walked away, she leaned back in her chair, her thoughts racing.

Her gaze darted toward the hallway leading to the restrooms, and unease curled in her gut.

I went there before, she thought. I stood at the sink, staring into the mirror. Then…

Darkness.

Juno shivered as she recalled the feeling of a knife sliding into her neck, the flash of pain before everything went black. The loop had begun right after that.

"Why?" she whispered to herself. "Why is someone killing me? Why am I looping?"

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table. There had to be a reason. Loops weren't random. And the fact that she couldn't summon her system, her Chronosword, or even reach the Aspect of Time meant that something had hijacked the rules.

Something—or someone.

When the server brought her milkshake, Juno thanked them absentmindedly and stared at the pink froth. Her reflection shimmered faintly in the glass, distorted and wrong.

Her fingers hovered over the straw as realization dawned on her.

Someone must really be killing me.

She sucked in a sharp breath. It all made sense now. She had been killed in the restroom because it was private, secluded. Whoever—or whatever—was hunting her was taking advantage of her isolation.

If she went back there again, she'd die.

But why?

She stirred her milkshake absentmindedly, her thoughts racing. Every clue, every memory, every fragment of this loop was pointing to something larger.

Minutes ticked by, the café growing quieter as patrons came and went. Juno stayed in her seat, determined not to move. Her eyes scanned the room for anything out of place, anyone suspicious.

The Void Lord.

The name hit her like a punch to the chest.

She remembered Agredor, the Void Lord of Memories. His ability to corrupt thoughts, to twist reality, to trap people in nightmares of their own making.

"This has to be his doing," she murmured under her breath.

Her system wasn't responding. Her Chronosword was unreachable. Even the Aspect of Time was silent. That could only mean one thing:

I'm not in reality. I'm in a memory. Or a dream. And Agredor is pulling the strings.

She traced the rim of her glass with a fingertip, piecing together the puzzle.

Her time-rewinding ability had activated the moment she died, throwing her into a loop. That much was clear. But why?

The Void Lord must have realized she was a threat. If Agredor could kill her enough times, break her mind within this loop, he could snuff her out completely.

Juno's eyes darkened.

He's trying to end me.

But what Agredor hadn't counted on was her awareness. She was no ordinary memory's prisoner. She could see through the cracks, connect the dots, and fight back—even in a loop.

She sipped her milkshake slowly, her resolve hardening with each passing moment.

If Agredor wanted her dead, he'd have to try harder.

Juno's thoughts were interrupted by a soft noise—a scrape of a chair, a clink of glass. She tensed, her senses sharpening.

Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. The hands were moving, but not normally. They twitched and shuddered, as though struggling against some invisible force.

She took a deep breath, her mind racing as she was able to immediately connect everything intuitively and create her own understanding of her situation, something that no ordinary mind can ever solve.

It seems Agredor had underestimated her.

Juno stood slowly, her gaze fixed on the hallway leading to the café's restroom. She felt a pull, like invisible hands guiding her toward the sink and the mirror where she had met her end before.

But she wasn't going to fall for it again.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she grabbed her bag and made her way to the door instead. Staying in public was her best bet. Whoever—or whatever—was killing her wouldn't risk an attack in the open.

She stepped out of the café and into the busy street. People passed her by, unaware of the storm raging in her mind. She glanced over her shoulder, her stomach twisting when she spotted a shadowy, hooded figure lingering across the road.

Its head tilted as if it knew she was watching.

Juno's pulse quickened.

Stay calm. Stay in public. You're not going to die again.

The nearest police station wasn't far. She hurried down the street, keeping her pace steady to avoid drawing attention. The hooded figure followed her, its movements unhurried but deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey.

When she reached the station's doors, her heart leapt with relief. The fluorescent lights inside illuminated a handful of uniformed officers going about their work.

Juno stepped in, glancing over her shoulder one last time. The hooded figure had stopped at the edge of the sidewalk.

It just stood there, staring at her—or at least, she assumed it was staring. Its face was hidden beneath the dark hood, but she felt its gaze burning into her.

Then, without warning, it turned and ran in the opposite direction.

A shaky smile spread across Juno's lips. She exhaled deeply, the tension in her shoulders easing.

I made it.

But her relief was short-lived.

A blood-curdling scream tore through the air, followed by the deafening roar of a beast.

Juno's head snapped toward the entrance as chaos erupted outside. The windows rattled as people screamed, their panicked cries drowned out by the sound of claws scraping against asphalt and flesh being torn apart.

A massive thunderwolf charged through the street, its glowing yellow eyes wild with fury. Voidspawn—grotesque, twisted creatures of shadow and teeth—swarmed in its wake, dragging screaming victims into the darkness.

Juno's blood ran cold.

Standing at the center of the carnage was the hooded figure, its hands raised as if conducting the massacre.

"No," Juno whispered, her voice trembling. "No, no, no!"

She turned to the officers, her hands trembling. "You have to help! There's something out there! Monsters! People are dying!"

The officers froze, their faces pale as the sound of the thunderwolf's roar grew louder. They grabbed their guns, but their hands shook as they tried to load their weapons.

"Get behind me, kid," one of them said, his voice cracking.

But Juno wasn't reassured. The officer's grip on his gun was unsteady, his finger twitching near the trigger.

The hooded figure stepped into the station's doorway, its smile widening.

"Run," it whispered, though the sound echoed unnaturally, loud enough to reach every corner of the room.

Panic erupted.

The officers opened fire, their bullets ricocheting off walls and shattering windows as the thunderwolf leapt into the station, tearing into anyone in its path. The voidspawn followed, their shrieks piercing the air.

Juno tried to run, but a stray bullet caught her in the chest. The force knocked her back, her vision blurring as pain exploded through her body.

She fell to the floor, gasping for air, her hand clutching her chest.

The officers, blinded by fear, continued firing, their bullets raining down on her.

Juno's vision darkened, her body growing cold as the sound of screams and gunfire faded into nothingness.

In her final moment, she turned her head, locking eyes with the hooded figure. Its smile was the last thing she saw before everything went black.

Darkness. Again.

Was it all she ever knew?

Was it all she ever wished for?

What does the darkness bring you, reader?

But time is moving fast yet it does not move.

Juno. Come back to us.

---

She woke up again, gasping for air.

The classroom was exactly as it had been before. The same fluorescent lights, the same disinterested teacher, the same cheerful faces of Maeve, Riley, and Theo.

But this time, Juno didn't scream.

Her fists clenched as she stared at her desk, her breathing shallow.

Fuck! This isn't over.