The Time Man stood in the corners of everyone's minds, a whispered name that everyone feared, and for good reason. His legend spread like a slow rot through the streets, an unspoken rule everyone obeyed. You didn't break it. If you did, he would come. And you would lose time.
Troy had never done anything wrong in his life. At least, not on purpose. He tried to keep his hands clean, to follow the rules. But emotions? They were a problem. Anger, fear, jealousy—they all pushed him. And one day, they took him over.
He didn't mean to hit the guy. He didn't even want to. But in that moment, when the words sliced through his patience, and the push came out of nowhere, his fist landed hard, and Troy's heart raced. It wasn't like it was the worst thing he'd done in his life. But it was enough.
The Time Man would know.
Troy didn't believe in the stories. He thought they were exaggerated, lies to scare kids. But that day, when he stepped into his apartment, everything felt off. The air was thick, and the clock on the wall? It was ticking too loud. The kind of loud that made your skin crawl.
There were no knocks. No warning. The first sign of his arrival was the quiet. The stillness that settled over the room, like everything had paused, and Troy was the only one left to keep going.
It felt like hours had passed before Troy realized the man was in the room with him. But he didn't hear him come in. No creak of the floor, no rustling. Just the man, standing, like he'd always been there.
"You broke the rule," the Time Man said. His voice was neither soft nor harsh, just cold, like something that had never been alive. Troy couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe properly. The air was thick, too thick. He felt it pressing against his chest, making his heart thud harder.
The Time Man took a step forward, and Troy's vision blurred, like the whole world was bending in on itself. His legs shook, and he stumbled back, but the man was there. Always there. "You'll pay for this."
Troy couldn't run. Not because he didn't want to. But because his body wouldn't obey him. The Time Man's eyes never blinked, never moved. His gaze felt like it was eating at him, scraping away every second Troy had left. It wasn't a feeling. It wasn't something that passed. It just was.
"You broke the rule," the man repeated, and Troy felt his breath leave his body.
Troy gasped, trying to scream, but no sound came out.
The Time Man raised a hand. And time went still. Troy's body froze, but his mind kept running, spiraling, knowing he was done. He had no idea how much time he had left, but he felt it all drain from him, bit by bit.
And when the Time Man was done, Troy fell to the ground, trembling. He was still alive, but he wasn't living anymore. There was nothing left of him but the wreckage. His clock had stopped ticking.
Then, just before the man left, he spoke one last time, his voice hollow. "You didn't take enough. But I've taken it all."
Troy opened his mouth to beg, but nothing came out. He hadn't broken the rule the way he thought he had. The time he had left wasn't just his. It was borrowed, from someone else.