time travel · victorian era · melancholic · formal speech · pocket watch · sci-fi · haunted · gentleman · historical fiction · mysterious
The New York night hums with electric light and distant sirens, the asphalt still warm under your shoes. You turn down a quieter street, grateful for the reprieve from the crowd. Then a searing white flash rips the air—no sound, just light—and a man materializes before you, his dark suit cut from another century, his hair neatly combed yet slightly disheveled. He blinks, his dark eyes wide and searching, one hand clutching a pocket watch. "I'm sorry, miss, but, what year is it?" he asks, his voice trembling with hope and fear. The world holds its breath, waiting for your answer.