The next morning, I stood alone at the top of the lighthouse, gazing at the distant sea. Fog glimmered with pearly radiance in the morning sun, waves gently lapped against the rocks, everything seemed so peaceful that it was hard to imagine that in two days, this place would become the centre of the time fracture.
Jack had gone to town to fetch some final supplies, preparing for the crucial moment ahead. Last night's discovery—the pattern of the hundred-year cycle, and the mysterious message left by Arthur Howard—had left us both deep in thought.
I took out the pocket watch, gently caressing its surface. As 21st September approached, it felt increasingly cold to the touch, and seemed to be changing in subtle ways—sometimes appearing larger than its actual size, sometimes smaller, as if its physical existence was also affected by temporal fluctuations.
Suddenly, the watch emitted a faint blue light, similar to the crossing glow I had seen before, but softer. At the same time, I felt a strange dizziness, as if gravity had suddenly become unstable.
I grabbed the windowsill to steady myself, blinking to try to dispel this strange sensation. When I opened my eyes again, the sight before me took my breath away.
One wall of the lighthouse had become semi-transparent, like a thin veil being drawn aside. Through this 'veil,' I could see the same room, but in a completely different state. Walls damaged, equipment corroded, dust covering everything—this was the top of the abandoned lighthouse in 2025.
Even more shocking was that in that transparent scene, there was a figure. His back was to me, seemingly examining some equipment remnants. Though I couldn't see his face, the silhouette seemed somehow familiar.
'Hello?' I called tentatively, my voice echoing in the empty lighthouse.
The figure didn't seem to hear, continuing to focus on his work. But just then, he turned around, holding up an object to examine in the light—it was a pocket watch, looking exactly like Jack's.
My heart raced as I stepped forward, trying to see the person's face. But the distance was too great, the edges of the transparent 'window' too blurry to make out details.
Suddenly, the person looked up, as if sensing something. He glanced around, his gaze finally settling in my direction. He couldn't possibly see me, just as I was only seeing some sort of temporal projection, but his reaction almost convinced me he felt something.
He quickly walked toward my side of the 'window,' holding up his watch. As he approached, my watch emitted a stronger blue light, almost burning my skin. The person seemed to notice the change in his own watch too, his expression showing shock.
In that moment, I felt a powerful connection—as if a bridge had momentarily been built between two timeframes. The transparent 'window' became clearer, and I could almost feel the air from 2025 seeping through, carrying the smell of dust and sea salt.
The person now stood directly opposite the window, only a thin temporal barrier between us. I reached out, almost instinctively, toward him. Incredibly, he made the same motion, as if before a mirror.
As our fingertips nearly touched, I finally saw his face clearly.
It was a young face, but with strikingly familiar features. Deep blue eyes, a firm chin, a thoughtful expression—like Jack, yet different. He looked younger, perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in obviously modern clothing from 2025.
'Jack?' I silently asked, though knowing he couldn't hear my voice.
His brow furrowed, as if trying to see something clearly. His lips moved, apparently speaking, but I couldn't hear any sound.
Suddenly, my watch erupted in blinding light, and simultaneously, the watch on the other side of the 'window' flashed with the same brilliance. The two beams of light met in the air, forming a dazzling blue lightning.
I felt a sharp pain, like an electric current passing through my body. At the same time, my mind filled with fragmented images and sounds:
The lighthouse swaying in a storm... Jack standing at the top, his face resolute... two pocket watches resonating... a blinding blue light... then darkness...
Then completely different scenes: a young man standing before the lighthouse ruins in 2025, holding a pocket watch... his face familiar to me... he looks down at the watch, then gazes into the distance, as if waiting for something... or someone...
Finally, I saw the strangest sight: the lighthouse in 1826, Arthur Howard standing at the door, staring in shock at a figure in blue light... the person turns, and I see Jack's face...
The images receded like a tide, and I found myself kneeling on the floor at the top of the lighthouse, drenched in sweat, heart pounding. The transparent 'window' had vanished, the room restored to its normal 1925 state. The only evidence was the watch in my hand, still warm, with a small crack on its surface that hadn't been there before.
My hand trembled slightly as I tried to understand what had just happened. Those visions weren't mere hallucinations, but some kind of premonition or memory. More importantly, the young man in the lighthouse in 2025—his resemblance to Jack couldn't be coincidental.
A bold idea gradually took shape, confirming my earlier suspicions: the lighthouse accident on 21st September wouldn't result in Jack's death, but would send him to another point in time—possibly to 1826 in the past, or to 2025 in the future. And that young man might be Jack, or someone connected to him.
My thoughts were interrupted by footsteps from below—Jack had returned. I quickly composed myself, tucking the watch back into my clothes, deciding not to tell him about my experience for now. Not due to lack of trust, but because I needed more evidence to confirm my theory.
'Ella?' Jack's voice came from the stairwell, 'Are you up there?'
'Yes,' I answered, my voice steadier than I expected, 'I'm looking at the sea view.'
He came up, his face bearing a warm smile, carrying a paper bag. 'I brought bread and cheese, and some apples you like.'
Looking at Jack's familiar face, overlapping with the image of that young man, my heart filled with complex emotions. If my guess was right, if Jack would indeed cross to another time point, then who was that young man? Jack after crossing over? Or his descendant?
Jack noticed my expression and asked with concern, 'Has something happened? You look... different.'
I managed a smile, 'Just thinking about 21st September.' This wasn't entirely a lie, but far from the whole truth.
He nodded, understandingly squeezing my hand. 'Two days left, we'll find a way. Whatever happens, remember our promise—to protect the integrity of time, whatever the cost.'
I squeezed his hand back, thinking: But if protecting the integrity of time means letting you cross to another time point, far from your home and era, is the cost too high?
Outside, waves continued to wash against the rocks, just as they had a hundred years ago, and would a hundred years hence. Time was like these never-ceasing waves, seemingly repetitive, yet new in each moment. And we, like rocks standing in the waves of time, trying to understand the patterns of ebb and flow, yet knowing we would ultimately be carried to unknown directions by the tides.
Only two days remained until 21st September. And the temporal overlap I had just experienced might be merely a prelude to a greater storm.