Echo of time: forgetting and remembering

Chapter 1 - Shadows of the Past

Time flows, relentless and unforgiving. For most people, it is a constant forward motion, a linear path with no return. But for a select few, it is malleable—a road that can be walked again and again. And I... I am the only one who remembers every change.

My name is Xu Yiran. But that is not my real name.

The Burden of Knowledge

The day began like any other. School was a place filled with voices, thoughts, and memories that surrounded me endlessly. I could hear what people were thinking—their worries, their fears, their secrets. But it had never been a blessing. Only a burden that always accompanied me.

Cheng Xiaoshi was different. His thoughts were loud, chaotic, overflowing with emotions.

'When is break time?'
'How much longer?'

Again and again, he glanced at the clock, drummed his fingers impatiently on the desk, and bounced his leg. I couldn't help but smile. So predictable.

And Lu Guang...

His thoughts remained hidden from me.

No matter how often I tried, no matter how much I concentrated—it was as if an invisible wall stood between us. He sat there quietly, his gaze fixed on the textbook, as if the world around him was completely meaningless. No reaction, no tension. Just silence.

I often wondered if he knew. If he noticed that I was different. That I could see into the souls of everyone—everyone except him.

Maybe that was what fascinated me so much about him.

The First Case

My first case with them was unintentional. I hadn't planned anything, hadn't wanted to get involved. But it was inevitable.

I had been watching them—Lu Guang with his sharp mind and Cheng Xiaoshi with his impulsive nature. The two worked perfectly together, even if they barely noticed it themselves. I saw them touch a photo, saw Cheng Xiaoshi dive into the image. I knew what was happening, even though they would never tell me.

It was a simple case, a seemingly harmless request from a client: to deliver a lost message, to correct one final memory. The client, an elderly man with tired eyes, placed a photo of his deceased daughter on the counter. His hands trembled slightly.

"I wanted to tell her something back then... But I never managed to." His voice was frail. "If only I could do it one more time..."

Lu Guang picked up the photo, turning it slightly between his fingers, his expression unreadable. "What exactly do you want to tell her?"

"That I'm sorry." The man lowered his head. "That I wasn't there when she needed me the most."

A moment of silence. Then Lu Guang gave a barely noticeable nod before handing the picture to Cheng Xiaoshi.

I knew what would happen next. I knew that Cheng Xiaoshi would dive into the photograph, taking the father's place for a brief moment in time. It wasn't exactly time travel—more like stepping into the past, reliving moments with the ability to make small changes.

I knew it because I could feel it.

When Cheng Xiaoshi returned, I knew instantly that something was wrong. The air felt... different. A tiny, seemingly insignificant moment had changed, and no one else noticed.

But I could see it, feel it, remember it.

The man left the store with tears in his eyes, but also with a smile on his lips. He had delivered his message, even if it never truly reached his daughter. But for me, it was another confirmation—another ripple in time that only I could sense.

I was the only one who knew something had changed.

A Watcher in the Rain

I had walked past their shop many times. Too many times.

The "Time Photo Studio" was a small, unassuming shop in the middle of the city, hidden between towering buildings and discreet signs. Its windows were often fogged up, as if time itself moved at a different pace inside.

Sometimes, I would stop and look at the photographs on the walls. Each picture was a door to the past. Each picture was a story that may have already been rewritten.

I often wondered if they noticed me. If they sensed that I was watching them.

Especially Lu Guang.

He had a way of seeing through things—and yet, I couldn't see through him. His thoughts were a mystery to me, while I could hear Cheng Xiaoshi's as clearly as if he were speaking them out loud.

I knew that one day, I would have to reveal myself to them.

The First Encounter

It was a rainy day when I finally stepped through the door of the studio.

"Can I help you?" The voice was calm, almost monotone. Lu Guang stood behind the counter, studying me with his penetrating gaze. Behind him, on an old sofa, sat Cheng Xiaoshi, a lollipop in his mouth, looking at me curiously.

I didn't answer immediately. Instead, my gaze wandered once more to the photographs.

"You have questions," Lu Guang finally said. It wasn't a guess—it was a statement.

I couldn't hear his thoughts—but I could hear Cheng Xiaoshi's loud and clear.

'Who is she?'
'Has she been watching us?'

Lu Guang looks so serious... Maybe I should be more careful.

Distrust. Curiosity. A hint of tension.

"You change time." My words were steady, but inside me, a storm raged. "But what about the memories of it?"

Cheng Xiaoshi frowned. "What are you talking about?"

I took a step closer. "You travel into the past to alter fates. But no one notices. No one except me."

Silence. The air in the room grew heavier. Lu Guang's expression hardened.

"That's impossible," he said quietly.

I gave a faint smile. "Then tell me why I remember every change."

Xu Yiran's Past

I had never told anyone. Not why I had this ability, nor what it truly meant.

But I knew that I hadn't always had it.

There was a moment—a single night in my childhood—when everything changed. I remembered flickering lights, overlapping voices, a coldness that seeped into my bones. And then... silence.

The next morning, the world was the same. But not for me.

Since then, I had known that time was not immutable. And that I was the only person who could remember when it changed.

Maybe Lu Guang would understand.

Maybe he was the only one who would ever truly see me.