"Breaking news: High school student Nanami Hayashi went missing three days ago. Last seen wearing Yulin High uniform, 160cm tall, with dark brown hair. Contact Mr. Hayashi immediately if spotted. Phone number: xxxx." The missing person alert played on the street square's big screen. Though I couldn't read the text, I caught the gist. Missing? Hah. Just humanity's self-comfort—refusing to face the ugly truth.
I'm in Japan now. Don't know the exact location. Don't care. My image of Japan came straight from anime. Reality feels no different from home. At least one thing's universal: people die. To me, humans are just another kind of Time Vessel. When time runs out, so do they.
Alone here. I know basic Japanese phrases, but most writing's gibberish. Doesn't matter. I survive fine without talking to anyone. If I could even die...
A peculiar stench drifted from a nearby alley. Undetectable to ordinary noses—but I've grown sensitive after handling so many corpses. Following the faint rot, I slipped into pitch darkness. My phone served only as a flashlight now. No one left in this world worth calling. Though annoying pests still track me down sometimes.
This alley swallowed light like a demon's maw, devouring lost prey into eternal shadow. A dark stain on the ground caught my eye—blood long turned black. Something interesting happened here. Tracing nearly invisible droplets, I found the source of that thrilling scent. Seriously? Dumping a body in a trash pile for three days undiscovered? Makes me question Japanese police competence.
Just covered with black plastic bags. Clearly a rookie killer. Well, murder does take guts. I peeled back the covering, ignoring the swarming flies and maggots. As expected—this was the missing girl from the square's broadcast. Barely 200 meters away. No wonder no one found her. Humans fear darkness. Anyone stumbling on a corpse who isn't the killer would flee screaming. I'm no ordinary human.
Crouching close, I clicked my tongue. Honestly, quite an exquisite Time Vessel. To me, it radiated a sweet scent of decay—though most would vomit from the stench. Fatal wound: a knife slash to the abdomen. Her pupils had grayed but stayed wide open, staring in fury. The classic "dying with eyes unshut."
Should I revive her? I can. Resurrection isn't as mythical as people think. Just refill her time. Steal it from others—total time stays balanced. World won't notice.
Ah, what the hell. Call it charity. I'll reclaim this time from Japanese lives anyway. Wasting a little won't hurt. Not my time to lose. Reviving her here would be stupid though. I lifted the corpse. A strange thrill shook my body. Am I a necrophile? Honestly... broken vessels really are cuter than intact ones.
I accelerated my personal time. To normal-speed humans, I'd move like lightning—unseen. Being spotted means trouble. And I hate trouble. Without this power, I'd just be another boring shut-in.
No flashy anime effects when rewinding time. But I prefer no audience for this sacred moment. That first expression upon revival? My favorite payment. My price isn't money—I can get that anytime. I take time.
Should be safe here. Funny how Japanese cities have forests even downtown. I ignored the "PRIVATE PROPERTY—NO ENTRY!" sign. A flick of my finger accelerated the fence's time by ten thousand years. It crumbled to ash. Dust to dust.
I laid the body down. White maggots writhed in protest at their disturbed home. I ignored them. Time to work. A clock materialized over the corpse—hands frozen at zero. The end of all things. I spun its hands counterclockwise, rewinding three days. Wounds and maggots vanished. But she still lacked time. Without it, decay would restart.
How much time to give? I haggled like a frugal housewife. Fine. Forty years. I've stolen centuries over the years—enough to rewind a whole city by one second. My own Silver Clock glowed above my head, tallying my hoard.
Time flowed into the exquisite vessel. Now, the wait. That moment when the container wakes up? I shiver with anticipation. Like a gamer hovering over a loot chest after a hard boss fight.
