Time had always been my greatest asset, but my role as the Guardian of Time meant that I had to be cautious. Every decision, every move I made, needed to align with the natural flow of time. The future of my empire wasn't just about wealth—it was about maintaining balance, making sure that none of my actions would disrupt the course of history.
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**Encountering Eli**
One evening, as I walked through the city streets, I noticed a group of children playing in the alleys. They were street-smart, rough around the edges, but there was one among them who stood out: Eli. He was different. He led the others with a sharpness that couldn't be taught, a natural instinct to lead, but not by force.
I approached him cautiously, understanding that trust was something that took time to build.
"What's your name?" I asked.
He gave me a wary look, eyes full of suspicion. "Eli. Why?"
"I'm looking for someone smart," I replied, crouching down to meet his gaze. "Someone who can learn quickly. How would you like a better life?"
Eli didn't answer right away. He was cautious, calculating. "What's the catch?"
I smiled. "There's always a catch. But you'll know it's worth it."
---
**Adopting Eli**
It wasn't easy at first. Eli was naturally distrustful, having lived his life on the streets. But I knew that, with time, I could earn his trust. Over the weeks, I brought him into my home, showing him a world he had never known. A world of knowledge, influence, and power—but always tempered by caution.
As Eli grew accustomed to his new life, I taught him how to navigate it. He became my apprentice, learning not only the practical side of managing wealth and business, but also the careful balance I maintained between my empire and my duties as the Guardian of Time. Every business decision had to be made with the future in mind—carefully planned, with no room for mistakes that could ripple through history.
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**Making Time-Safe Decisions**
One afternoon, as we reviewed ledgers together, Eli asked me something that caught me off guard. "How do you know what's going to work? How do you know your investments won't fail?"
I looked at him thoughtfully. "Because I've seen the effects of poor decisions. Not just in business, but in time itself."
He frowned, clearly confused. "What do you mean?"
"Every choice we make ripples through time," I explained. "Some of those ripples grow into waves, and if we're not careful, they can crash into something bigger—changing history in ways we don't intend."
Eli nodded slowly, beginning to grasp the weight of what I was telling him. "So... everything we do has to be measured?"
"Exactly," I said. "Especially when it comes to the future."
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**Fixing a Time Anomaly**
While I was training Eli, there were times when I had to slip away to fix disruptions in the timeline. But Eli never noticed my absence—I always returned the same moment I had left. It was a luxury of being able to move through time. But there were still moments when I felt the weight of the timeline's demands.
One such incident occurred while I was teaching Eli about land investments. A small tear in the timestream called to me, pulling me back to a moment centuries before. I felt the disturbance before I even saw it—a misstep in history that, if left unfixed, could cause centuries of damage.
The moment I arrived, I found a scholar working on a theory that could unravel centuries of knowledge if published. His research focused on energy transfer, a discovery centuries ahead of its time. He was on the verge of understanding how to extract energy from natural resources in a way that, while powerful, would have led to overexploitation and environmental destruction centuries before humanity was prepared to deal with it.
"You've gone too far," I said, entering his study.
The scholar looked up, startled. "Who are you?"
Without answering, I carefully dismantled his work. If this knowledge had been published, it would have created an imbalance in the natural progression of technology. The consequences could have been catastrophic—an era of unchecked growth that would have led to environmental collapse long before humanity developed the means to manage such power.
"History will forget this moment," I said softly. "And time will continue as it should."
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**Teaching Eli the Truth**
When I returned, Eli was still engrossed in the ledgers, unaware of my journey through time. I watched him for a moment before sitting down beside him.
"Do you ever wonder why things seem to go so smoothly for me?" I asked him.
Eli looked up, surprised. "I always figured you were just good at what you do."
"I am," I said with a smile. "But there's more to it than that. I'm the Guardian of Time, Eli. It's my job to make sure that history unfolds the way it's supposed to. That's why our decisions have to be so careful."
For a long moment, Eli stared at me, processing the weight of what I had just told him. "So everything you do... it's because of time?"
I nodded. "Yes. And one day, you'll need to understand what it means to carry that responsibility."
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**End of Chapter**
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**Dear Reader,**
Thank you for continuing this journey with Isaac! If you've enjoyed the story so far, please consider leaving a Power Stone or review. Each review adds an extra chapter this week!
Warm regards,
colinh45