Chapter 11:
Amelia sat at her desk, staring blankly at the now-empty spot where the pocket watch had once rested. Her mind buzzed with disbelief and adrenaline—she had done it. The impossible. She had sent an object across time to Thomas. But the victory was bittersweet, a fleeting moment of triumph clouded by the weight of what was coming next.
Thomas was walking straight into danger, and there was nothing more she could do. The pocket watch, now in his hands, was the only thing she could offer him. The rest was up to him.
Her phone buzzed, shaking her from her thoughts. It was an email from her professor, a reminder about the history paper due in a few days. Normally, such an assignment would consume her, but now? The idea of working on something so trivial in the face of everything happening between her and Thomas seemed absurd. How could she focus on history when she was literally living it—changing it?
Amelia stood up, pacing back and forth across her living room. She had never felt so helpless. Every part of her wanted to dive back into the connection, to talk to Thomas, to guide him through what was coming. But she had to admit it—there was a limit to what she could do. The timeline was fragile, and every move they made had consequences.
Still, the thought of standing by and doing nothing felt unbearable.
"What if I'm making things worse?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. The ethical dilemma that had been haunting her for days resurfaced with full force. If she kept interfering, was she changing the future in ways she couldn't predict? Every time she helped Thomas, every word she whispered into his mind, the course of history could be shifting—perhaps in dangerous ways.
Yet, how could she abandon him now? She had grown so close to him, their bond deepening with every shared thought, every secret exchanged. He wasn't just a voice from the past anymore. He was real. He mattered to her. She loved him.
The word startled her as soon as it crossed her mind. Love. She hadn't dared name it until now, but the truth was undeniable. Amelia was in love with a man from the 18th century, a man she could never touch, never see, never hold. And yet, the connection they shared felt more powerful than anything she had ever experienced.
The bond between them had intensified so much in recent days that it felt as though she could almost sense him without reaching out. She had become attuned to the subtle shifts in his thoughts, the way his emotions flowed through the connection like a current. It was dangerous, this attachment, and yet, she couldn't stop it.
Suddenly, the connection flared to life. Thomas's presence filled her mind, more intense than ever before. He wasn't speaking yet, but she could feel the torrent of emotions coursing through him—fear, uncertainty, hope.
"Thomas?" she called out, her voice urgent.
There was a long pause before he responded, his voice soft, but tense. "It's happening, Amelia. I'm on my way to the bridge."
Her heart clenched. This was it. The moment they had been dreading and anticipating all at once. She wanted to reach through time, pull him to safety, tell him to turn around and run. But she knew she couldn't. He had no choice but to face what was coming.
"You have the watch," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Remember, it's a symbol of time. Use it wisely."
"I will," Thomas replied, though she could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "But Amelia... I don't know if I'll survive this."
Her breath hitched. She had been trying so hard to stay calm, to believe that they could change his fate. But now, hearing the fear in his voice, the reality of the situation crashed down on her.
"You have to," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You have to survive, Thomas. I can't lose you."
"Amelia, I—" His voice broke, and she could feel the raw emotion behind it. He was struggling, torn between his duty to his family and his growing feelings for her. "I love you."
The words hit her like a punch to the chest. She had felt it, known it, but hearing him say it made everything more real. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat down, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.
"I love you too, Thomas," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "But you have to promise me that you'll fight. Don't give up. You can change this."
There was a long silence, and then he whispered, "I'll do my best, Amelia. For you."
Her heart ached with the weight of those words. They were hanging by a thread, caught between two worlds, two times. And now, Thomas's fate was on the line.
As the connection faded, Amelia was left alone in her quiet apartment. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, a reminder of the time slipping away. Every second felt like an eternity as she waited, knowing that Thomas was walking toward an uncertain destiny.
Minutes passed, then hours. The weight of her decision bore down on her. She could feel it—the urge to intervene, to jump back into his mind and guide him. But was that the right thing to do? What if, by helping him, she was creating even greater consequences for the future? What if her love for Thomas was the very thing that doomed them both?
The internal struggle gnawed at her, tearing her apart. She had never felt so torn in her life. Her love for Thomas was undeniable, but so was her responsibility to the future. She had already interfered so much—how much more could she risk?
In that moment, she realized that this was the final decision. The choice she had been avoiding for so long had finally come. She could intervene, throw caution to the wind and do everything in her power to save Thomas. Or she could step back, let history unfold as it was meant to, and risk losing him forever.
Her heart raced as she considered the options. If she intervened, she could save him, but what would the cost be? The fabric of time was fragile, and every change they made risked unraveling it further. But if she did nothing, if she let him face the danger alone, she might never hear his voice again.
Amelia took a deep breath, her hand hovering over the pocket watch's empty place on the table. She closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of her heart, the only sound in the stillness of her apartment.
She knew what she had to do. With tears streaming down her face, she whispered into the silence, "I'm sorry, Thomas."
And for the first time since their bond had formed, she let go.