Synopsis of "The Last Accountant"
In a society where time is the currency and only the richest can afford to live beyond a few years, Timekeepers control the flow of time with an iron fist. Humanity is divided between those who buy their eternity and those who fight against the clock every day.
Aiden, a twenty-five-year-old watchmaker, survives in the slums of the city, where the latter are more valuable than gold. His life changes radically when he finds an ancestral artifact with the ability to rewind time. This discovery makes him the last counter: the last hope of the oppressed and the number one enemy of the Timekeepers.
With the help of Lyra, a former renegade timekeeper, Aiden joins the resistance, facing hidden truths about the nature of time and the conspiracy that controls it. But there is something beyond human power: an entity known as the "Devourer" lurks in the shadows, waiting for its opportunity to change everyone's destiny.
As the rebellion spreads and the Timekeepers begin to lose control, Aiden will be forced to make an impossible decision: to save himself or sacrifice everything for the freedom of humanity.
Time is against you. And it runs out quickly.
Index
1. Introduction
2. Back cover
3. Chapter 1: The inevitable future
4. Chapter 2: The Strange Ally
5. Chapter 3: Shelter in the shadows
6. Chapter 4: The Forbidden Truth
7. Chapter 5: Desperate Escape
8. Chapter 6: Deciphering the Past
9. Chapter 7: The Redemption of the Forgotten
10. Chapter 8: The Invisible Betrayal
11. Chapter 9: The battle for freedom
12. Chapter 10: The Final Sacrifice
13. Chapter 11: Reborn without time
14. Chapter 12: A New Dawn
Back cover
In a world where time is the supreme currency, the system controls every second of life. Citizens are born with a counter implanted in their bodies, marking the time they have left. No one can escape their destiny... until now.
Aiden is an "accountant", one of the few people in charge of recording and adjusting the time of the population. But when he discovers an anomaly in the system, his life changes completely. Pursued by the authorities, with the help of an unexpected ally, Aiden must unravel the secrets of the past to change the future.
In a world where every second counts, what would you be willing to sacrifice for freedom?
Introduction
Time has always been the greatest mystery. Since ancient times, human beings have tried to measure it, control it and even challenge it. But in this era, time is much more than an abstract concept: it is the most valuable resource, the most lethal weapon and the most expensive currency.
The accountants are the guardians of this system. They are responsible for distributing, managing and, in some cases, ending with the time of others. No one questions his role. No one dares to challenge the balance. Until an error in the system changes everything.
This is the story of Aiden, the last accountant.
Chapter 1: The day of the uncertain future
Ethan woke up on the cold sidewalk. His body protested with a stabbing pain as the gray sky weighed on his eyes. He tried to get up, but the sting in his muscles forced him to stay there, breathing with difficulty.
When he could finally look up, he noticed that something had changed. All his life, a red number had shone in his vision, a relentless counter marking the time he had left. But now, there was nothing. An absolute void.
The absence of the number was more frightening than any number I had seen before. It couldn't be possible. When he understood what it meant, a chill ran down his back. No one should be alive with the counter at zero.
Around him, people looked at him with fear. They whispered, restless, as if they were witnessing a curse made flesh.
"Shouldn't that boy be dead?" someone murmured.
Before he could process the horror of the situation, a group of people appeared in the crowd. They wore dark uniforms, with a presence as cold as steel.
Ethan felt the danger before they spoke.
"He can't escape!" one of them shouted.
The sound of boots echoed against the ground, an imminent threat. Ethan reacted instinctively, zigzagging through the crowd, looking for an escape. But in each face he saw the same reflection of his destiny: it was marked.
Why were they chasing him? He had no answers, only one certainty: he had to flee.
Then, she appeared. A girl with curly hair and intense eyes got in his way.
"If you want to live, come with me," he ordered in a firm voice.
Ethan hesitated. His mind was on the verge of collapse, trying to make sense of the situation. But the girl's gaze implored her to trust.
A shot cut the air.
The bullet passed so close that he felt the heat on his skin before it hit the ground.
"Now!" the stranger insisted, extending her hand.
For a moment, Ethan was paralyzed. Everything I had believed to be true was falling apart. But the survival instinct was stronger than the doubt.
He grabbed his hand and ran.
The streets became a labyrinth of shadows and echoes. When they finally stopped in a dark alley, Ethan looked back. His pursuers had not given up.
"Who are you?" he gasped, trying to catch his breath. Why are they chasing me?
The girl watched him with a mixture of determination and urgency.
—My name is Calla. They are looking for you because you are... special.
Ethan felt a lump in his throat.
"Special?" What are you talking about? I don't have time for this.
"That's exactly the problem," she replied. You don't understand what "no time" means. If you have survived, then there is something in you that can change everything.
Another shot rumbled in the distance. Ethan shrank, his heart beating hard.
"They're coming!" Calla exclaimed, pulling his arm.
With no chance to protest, Ethan got carried away.
As they ran through unknown alleys, a single truth settled in his mind: his life had changed forever. Maybe, even without an accountant, he still had a purpose.
Chapther 2: The Shelter in the Shadows
Ethan could barely keep up with Calla. His breathing was erratic, his heart rumbled with every step, and his mind was still struggling to understand the seriousness of his situation. The streets became narrower and darker, as if they were running into the abyss.
"Where are we going?" he managed to ask between gasps.
"To a safe place," Calla replied without looking back. And stop talking, we can't afford the noise.
He turned in a corner and suddenly stopped short. Ethan, still running, almost hit her. Before he could protest, Calla pushed him towards a door hidden between two ruined buildings.
"Come in," he ordered.
Ethan hesitated. What if it was a trap? What if she also worked for those who pursued him? But another shot sounded in the distance, dispasing any doubt. He got through the door and Calla slammed it shut behind them.
The interior was a labyrinth of narrow corridors and walls covered with graffiti. Some lights flickered faintly, casting elongated and twisted shadows. Ethan tried to calm his breathing, but his body was still shaking.
"Where are we?"
"One of the few remaining shelters," Calla replied as he advanced. They won't be able to find us here... for now.
Ethan followed her, although every cell of his body told him not to trust her.
"Will you tell me what's going on?" he demanded.
Calla stopped in front of a metal door and opened it with a code. Inside was a group of people, all with the same tense expression and eyes full of untold stories.
"Welcome to the resistance, Ethan."
He swallowed saliva.
"Resistance against what?"
Calla looked at him seriously.
—Against the system that controls our lives. Against the counter.
Ethan felt a chill. His whole world was upside down. And I still had no idea how far the truth went.
3: The Secret of the Timeless
Ethan felt that the silence in the room weighed on him like a slab. The people around him looked at him with a mixture of amazement and suspicion.
"It can't be..." someone murmured.
A man with dark hair and strong complexion approached with his arms crossed.
"How is it possible that you are still alive without a counter?"
Ethan opened his mouth to answer, but realized that he himself did not have the answer.
"I... I don't know."
Calla intervened.
"If you have survived without an accountant, it means that everything we believe about the system is a lie.
Ethan felt a lump in his throat. All his life he had been taught that the accountant was absolute. That when it reached zero, life ended. And yet, there he was, breathing, feeling the warmth of his body, with his heart beating furiously in his chest.
"We need answers," said the dark-haired man. And you, boy, could have them.
Ethan frowned.
"I don't know anything about this." I just woke up and... the accountant was no longer there.
The group exchanged glances. Finally, an old man with a scar on his cheek stepped forward.
"Let me explain what we know."
He leaned on a table and began to speak.
—The counter was imposed generations ago. No one remembers a world without him. They told us that it was a natural law, that we are born with an assigned time and that, when it ends, we die.
Ethan nodded.
"That's what we all know."
"But it's not true," Calla intervened. It's not a law of nature. It is a control system.
Ethan felt his skin bristle.
"What?"
The old man continued.
—For years we have been investigating. And we have found evidence that the meter is not a biological phenomenon. It is a technological imposition.
Ethan felt his breathing speed up.
"That doesn't make sense. If the counter were an invention, it would mean that someone created it and controls it.
Calla nodded seriously.
"Exactly. And most importantly: if someone created it, then it means that it can be deactivated.
Ethan felt the ground shaking under his feet.
"Do you mean that... could we live without an accountant?"
The dark-haired man crossed his arms.
"You are the living proof that yes."
Ethan put a hand to his head.
"I don't understand." If this is true, why has no one discovered the truth before?
The old man sighed.
"Because every person who reaches zero... dies." They have no chance to question it.
Calla intervened again.
"That's why you're important, Ethan." Not only have you survived without a counter, but you lost it in an inexplicable way. If we find out how it happened, we could free everyone.
Ethan felt a knot in his stomach. All this was too much.
"I... I don't know what to do."
The old man put a hand on his shoulder.
"Tay your time, son." But understand it well: the world you thought you lived in is a lie.
Ethan looked around. Shut up, the old man, the other people. They were a resistance against the system. And, without realizing it, he had become the key to everything.
He took a deep breath.
"It's okay." I want to know the truth.
Calla smiled.
"Then get ready, because nothing you think will be the same again."
At that moment, an explosion shook the shelter.
"They found us!" someone shouted.
The chaos was unleashed. Ethan felt his heart racing. He had barely begun to understand what was happening and they were already in danger.
Calla took him by the arm.
"We have to get out of here!"
Ethan didn't have time to answer. He just ran, aware that his life was about to change even more.
4: The Forbidden Truth (The Forbidden Truth)
Aiden discovers a secret file that contains the dark past of the Timekeepers. He learns that this organization was based on a lie, and the true mission behind time control is much darker than he thought. Lyra's loyalty is tested when Aiden confronts her about her past involvement with the Timekeepers.
5: Desperate Flight
The Timekeepers carry out a wild attack on the underground city, helping Aiden, Lyra and the revolutionaries escape. While exploring through the dangerous passages, they find an ancient temple, buried under the city itself, and there they find an object with the power to change the situation of power.
6: Deciphering the Past (Deciphering the Past)
Aiden and Lyra explore the temple, discovering clues about the origins of time manipulation. They discover that the first Timekeeper had reached an agreement with an enigmatic being to obtain unimaginable power at a terrible cost. It has been rumored that the "Devourer" is waking up and Aiden is beginning to suspect that his new abilities have something to do with the entity.
7: Redemption of the forgotten (The redemption of the forgotten).
Aiden and the rebels launch a bold raid on a Timekeeper bastion, freeing thousands of people from temporary slavery. Once the news travels, the rebellion grows and the Timekeepers lose their control over the reins of power.
Chapter 8: The invisible betrayal (The invisible betrayal)
Lyra is kidnapped by a renegade timekeeper, and a devastating family secret is exposed. Aiden sets out to save Lyra, but the mission is thrown into disorder by an unknown traitor in the rebellion.
.
Chapter 9: The battle for freedom
The Timekeepers, on the verge of losing control of the city, launch their final attack against the resistance. Aiden and the rebels, with the information obtained from the temple, plan their last offensive. The battle breaks out in the streets as the forces of both sides clash with unprecedented intensity.
The streets are tinged with chaos. The resistance, armed with artifacts recovered from ancient forbidden technologies, manages to repel the first attacks of the Timekeepers. However, the fight becomes desperate when the enemies release their ultimate weapons: temporal guardians capable of manipulating the flow of time. In the midst of the battle, Aiden infiltrates the Timekeepers' headquarters, facing face to face with the Time Master, the organization's supreme leader.
The confrontation between the two is fierce. Aiden, using the artifact, manages to slow down the time inside the room, balancing the fight. However, the Time Master unleashes a last resort: the activation of a temporary collapse that threatens to destroy reality itself. With Lyra's help, Aiden manages to deactivate the device, but not without a devastating cost.
Chapter 10: The Final Sacrifice
With the Devourer completely liberated, time begins to collapse on itself. Fragments of past and future converge in the present, destabilizing the existence of all. Aiden, understanding that his artifact is the only key to seal the entity, makes a desperate decision. Lyra and the rebels try to stop him, but he knows that there is no other option: he must merge with the Devourer and become his eternal prison.
While the battle continues to roar on the surface, Aiden enters the core of the temple and activates the ancestral mechanism. In a last endeavor, he uses his own time as currency to seal the Devourer out of reality, ensuring that he can never threaten humanity again. His existence vanishes in the process, leaving only an echo of his sacrifice.
The Timekeepers, deprived of their source of power, fall one by one. The resistance triumphs, but at too high a price. Lyra, heartbroken, leads the survivors in the last moments of the fight, ensuring that Aiden's sacrifice was not in vain.
Chapter 11: Reborn without time
The world has changed. With the fall of the Timekeepers, the old time control system has crumbled. However, the void left by Aiden leaves many questions unanswered. Without his presence, humanity must learn to live without the constant fear of wasting time.
Lyra and the rebels begin the difficult process of reconstruction. Without a centralized control system, they must find a new way of governing without falling into the mistakes of the past. Meanwhile, traces of Aiden's sacrifice seem to have been engraved in time itself. Echoes of his presence appear in dreams, whispers in the wind, as if his spirit still watched over the fate of the world.
But something else has changed. The fabric of reality is not the same. Lyra begins to notice anomalies: moments that are repeated, moments in which time seems to stop. Aiden's absence has created a new variable, and what seemed like a definitive victory may be just the beginning of a new struggle.
Chapter 12: A New Dawn
Months after the fall of the Timekeepers, humanity finally begins to advance. Cities are rebuilt, people learn to live without the constant fear of wasting their time. However, Aiden's story has not been forgotten. He has become a symbol of hope, the martyr who defied fate and won.
Lyra, now leader of the resistance transformed into a reconstruction council, faces her last test: how to prevent power from corrupting humanity again? With the free time now, new questions arise. How do you regulate a society where time is no longer a resource? How to prevent chaos from taking the place of the old order?
As he reflects on the outskirts of the city, observing a rising sun over a reborn world, a strange breeze bristles his skin. For a brief moment, he feels a familiar presence. A voice whispered in the wind: "Time never stops."
Aiden may have left, but his legacy is eternal.
End.