Book 1 - Timekeeper and the lost gardian

Chapter 1

Sometimes, a person’s life is full of mystery; sometimes, the journey of one’s life can be seen; sometimes, a person’s life is predetermined.
I’m not talking about fate, because fate has decided everything — that is certain.

Time is a mystery in its creation; all life is connected to time. When time ends, so does life.
Time is also something that can never be fully explained.

The same applies to imagination. Imagination is a mystery that moves at lightning speed. The moment something is envisioned in the mind, it instantly manifests.
A thought crosses my mind...
What is a world beyond life, time, and imagination?

"Akane! Akane!" A boy wearing glasses calls me from afar.

"Yes, sir," I reply, breaking out of my daydream. "What is it, teacher?" The students in class laugh.

"You're always daydreaming… What are you thinking about? Here, take your test results."

I get up from my seat, walk to the front to collect a piece of paper from the teacher, and return to my seat.

Oh, right. The person narrating my story in this world probably decided to use casual language. Maybe you’d call it informal?
So… sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or confusing sentences. This person is bored and didn’t know what else to do, so they started writing my story. But I wonder how they planned out this story and its characters… Hmm.

I’m Akane. I live in a world I don’t quite understand. I am 16 years old this year. As for my name… Why is my name Akane? Don’t ask me. It sounds like a Japanese name. Maybe for now, let’s just keep things simple — no need to discuss places, family names, and so on.

"Amane, please come forward."

"Yes, sir," Amane replies, walking to the front and taking his paper with his test score.

"As usual… Amane always gets the highest score; he’s so smart." The girls in class whisper to each other.

"Yeah, he’s the top student, the school’s idol, kind-hearted, smart, handsome… I hope he’ll choose me as his girlfriend… Kyaa!!"

His name is Amane. Even though our names are almost the same, we’re not twins or siblings; we’re not related by blood at all. As they said, Amane is smart, handsome, and admired by many girls. It would be a lie to say I’m not drawn to him. But it seems like Amane doesn’t think about romance at all.
Oh, and his name is also Japanese, but I think Malays or other people use the name Amane too.

"Azumi, here you go. Same as usual."

"What do you mean, ‘same as usual’?" Azumi pouts.

"After this, Azumi’s group, please stay back for extra class after school."

"Awww!" Azumi’s classmates groan in unison.

"Come on, teacher… That’s not fair."

"Not fair? Hmm… Or should I inform your parents?"

"Awww!"

Azumi returns to his seat by the window, just behind Amane.

"It’s okay, Azumi. We’ll work hard together," Amane encourages Azumi.

"Huhu, you’re my only hope… Huhu."

Azumi… Hmm… What about Azumi?
He’s the loudest and the least smart among us, always teasing others without realizing it. Maybe his own silliness distracts him. Azumi has a twin brother named Izumi.

Izumi is completely different from Azumi. He’s one of the top students in class, quiet, and easy to manage. But since they look alike, it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart. Poor Izumi — whenever Azumi causes trouble, people scold Izumi instead. But there haven’t been any cases of Izumi getting hit because people can tell them apart by the way they speak.

"Izumi," the teacher calls.

"Yes, sir," Izumi replies and walks to the front to collect his test results.

"Why can’t Azumi be more like Izumi? You two look exactly the same, but you’re so different," the teacher sighs.

"They look the same, but they’re not. Look at how lazy Azumi is," says Maria.

"Hey, who says we’re not the same? We are, right, Izumi?" Azumi retorts.

"Hmm, hmm," Izumi nods.

The whole class laughs.

"Okay, enough," says the teacher. "Azumi, you need to work harder. Follow your brother’s example."

"I’m the older one, sir," Azumi scratches his head.

This is how it usually goes. Our class is lively, and everyone gets along — no cliques, just unity.

Our group usually consists of five:
The last one is Maria. Maria is a beautiful girl. There’s not much else to say about her.
I’m Akane, then there’s Amane, Azumi, Izumi, and Maria. Maybe the writer wants to tell our story… Maybe.

The bell rings for recess. The five of us usually spend it together in the canteen.

Amane and Azumi walk ahead, followed by Izumi.

"Akane." Maria approaches from behind. "You’ve been daydreaming a lot today. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it’s nothing."

"Really? Your face gives it away… You’re thinking about something."

"Hmm…" We bump into Izumi, who’s reading a book in front of us.

"Oops, sorry, sorry," Izumi closes his book.

"Izumi, have you noticed something different about Akane today?" Maria asks.

"Hmm…" Izumi puts his finger on his chin. "Her hair?"

Maria squints. "No."

"Is Akane upset about her test results?" Izumi asks.

"No way! I’m one of the smart ones, okay?" Akane laughs softly.

"Then what?" Izumi asks.

"It’s nothing, Maria’s just imagining things," Akane smiles at Maria.

"Come on, I’ve been watching you all day… You’re lost in thought," Maria insists.

"Oh… right, is it about my story yesterday?" Izumi asks.

"Story? Oh..."

"Ehe, it was interesting, wasn’t it?" Izumi smiles widely.

"Yeah, that story made me think."

Izumi told a story yesterday that got me thinking.
Sometimes, Izumi can hear or see things the rest of us can’t. Recently, he talked to a creature through a mirror. What he described seemed like just a story or entertainment to the others. But for me, seeing Izumi’s serious expression made me believe it was real.

That creature in the mirror mentioned something I’ve never heard from anyone or read in any book. Maybe it’s a hidden or forgotten secret.

"Well, it’s just for fun, right? Izumi always tells stories because he reads a lot," Maria says. "Right, Izumi?"

Izumi smiles and nods. "Exactly."

He doesn’t seem bothered when we call his stories just entertainment.

"Hey, hurry up, or we’ll lose Amane and Azumi!" Izumi calls, walking faster.

"Wait!" Maria follows. I quickly join them.

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