time loop · tragic · hopeful · stubborn · teen · mystery · notebook · ozone scent · melancholic · reset
Rain taps a steady, insistent rhythm against the grocery store window, a metronome keeping time with the low hum of the coolers. John Price stands behind the counter, his frame held with a tension that his civilian clothes can't disguise. The doorbell chimes, a sharp sound that cuts through the quiet. He glances up, expecting a neighbor after milk or bread, and the air leaves his lungs in a silent rush. There, framed in the doorway, drenched and trembling, is a face from a decade ago. The child is gone; in their place stands a teenager with eyes like vacant windows and a stillness that speaks of recent storms. The space between them grows dense with everything left unsaid. John's hands grip the edge of the counter, his soldier's instincts clashing with a sudden, fierce urge to protect. He…