Chapter 53 - The keepers are watching you

I am standing in the middle of the road to the capital after 14 years. I don't know the exact date and time when my aunt and Yu Chen will meet. It's night. The weather is cold. I walk toward in the opposite direction to the capital.

After walking for a few hours, I see the inn. It's late, but the door is open. I don't go inside. How do I find out? If Yu Chen comes, he will pass by this inn. If it is my aunt, she will also pass by this inn. I sigh and go toward the stable behind the inn. I see a young boy tending to the guests' horses.

"Hey."

Startled, he turns around and looks at me. He runs to me and says eagerly, "Guest, do you need a room?"

I have no money. I doubt that modern cash from my country will work here. I don't have any gold here. I should have stolen some from Li household before I came here. I just want to know the news regarding Yu Chen. "Well, I need- "

I look down at the source of pain. The keeper's dagger is deep inside the left side of my lower belly. The boy gives me a smile. "We have been waiting for you here."

I spew out blood. He twists the dagger.

"You destroyed the timeline. You gravely altered history." The boy smiles at me. "Master Li was right about you coming here for your aunt."

I scream when he pulls out the dagger. He is going for the second hit. I touch his forehead and enter his mind. Our bodies fall to the ground. I find myself at the bottom of the staircase. I look for the memories of Li Jun and the timekeepers.

I see my aunt in his memories. She also works in the inn. He is observing her for the time being and waiting for me to appear. Yu Chen is supposed to arrive after a few days. They are sure that I would come here anytime this year. Master Li is the timekeeper inside Li Jun. He has sent the letters to the timekeeper organization after I met him on his 10th birthday. Because of my conversation with Li Jun, he knows that I will try to find Yu Chen and my aunt. They won't try to capture me and freeze me in the prison as they planned initially. They will kill me at sight anywhere in time because I have turned into a top-ranked anomaly the moment I absorbed the time crystal.

I flick my fingers. The young boy's mind crumbles like sand. If I let him go, he will kill me right away. The boy might look young, but he is not any better than that time crystal plant. My body has been stabbed once. I press my hand on the wound and pick up his dagger. My clothes are drenched with blood.

***

Kwon Yoori cleans up the table. The guests are back in their rooms. It's nearly the end of the year. The owner is already asleep. She goes out of the inn to stretch her arms and legs. Then, she recalls that the stable boy is still tending to the horses alone. She decides to check on him.

She hears his scream. She runs toward the stable. She sees him lying on the floor with his mouth open. His eyes are rolled back. A few meters away from him, a girl is walking away. She widens her eyes when she sees the dagger. She would recognize it anywhere.

"Keeper," She yells. "What did you do to this boy?"

The girl turns around her head. Yoori realizes that something is different. The girl's clothes and her bag don't belong to this time. She is clutching the side of her belly.

"Aunt Yoori..." The girl drops on the ground. "Help me."

The girl is her family. Yoori rushes to her side. "Who did this to you?"

"We have to leave." The girl looks at her painfully. "The keepers are watching you."

"Don't speak." Yoori checks the wound. The girl closes her eyes. She carries her inside the inn. She bandaged the wound first. Then, she changes the girl's clothes. When the girl's pulse becomes stable, Yoori takes a breath of relief. She checks out the bag. There are two daggers and 9 vials. She recognizes them right away. She finds the wallet and the ID.

Her name is Kwon Kyuri. She's her younger brother's daughter. Yoori is surprised to see this. Her brother didn't have any daughter. A girl born because of her actions? Yoori holds the girl's wrist and listens to her pulse again. Time crystal.

This girl has taken the time crystal.

Kwon Kyuri already knows her and where to find her. She doesn't know this girl. It only means one thing. Kyuri is trying to change the future.

***

The rays of sunlight pouring in through the window wake me up. I groan when I feel the pain in my lower stomach. Where I am? The room only consists of a bed. My bag is lying in the corner. All the items from my bag are arranged neatly on the floor. My clothes are washed and folded on the side. I sit up and lean against the wall.

"Niece, you are awake." She puts down the bowl of water on the ground. "I was going to wipe your body clean. You have slept for a day and night."

"Do you know who I am?" I ask her.

"I saw your ID." She glances at the wallet in the corner. She brings out the phone from her sleeve. "I went through your things to find out more about you. My brother looks old."

"Aunt, we can't stay here." I cut the chase. "That stable boy was a timekeeper. I went through his memories. He was sent here to observe you. They were waiting for me to come here. They plan to kill me and capture you."

She nods at me. "I guessed that much. Timekeepers hate travelers. They hate those who absorb the time crystal more. You will never burn out or have to wait for the recharge your ability. Time crystal strengthens all the abilities."

"I didn't know about that." I stare at her, tired. It still hurts where he stabbed me. I tell her the whole story. She listens to me without any change of expression. I like this about her. She is more experienced and wise.