---

The rooftop was quiet except for the occasional whistle of wind. Elara leaned back, her hands gripping the ledge as she stared up at the stars. Beside her, Theo sat cross-legged, his sketchpad closed for once. It had become their spot over the last few days, an unspoken ritual to meet there when the weight of the world felt unbearable.

“You know,” Theo said, breaking the silence, “you’ve been holding onto that hourglass like it’s the answer to everything.”

Elara glanced down at her pocket, where the faint bulge of the hourglass was barely visible. She hadn’t told him everything about it—only that it had brought her back to this moment in time. She wasn’t even sure he believed her, but he never dismissed her claims outright, and for that, she was grateful.

“I thought it was,” she admitted softly. “When I found it, I thought it was my way to fix everything. To save Liam.”

Theo studied her, his expression unreadable. “But now?”

She hesitated, turning the hourglass over in her mind. The sands inside continued to shift and flow, though she couldn’t decipher their meaning. “Now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Liam…he’s not who I thought he was.”

“And you think saving him will fix that?” Theo asked, his tone gentle but firm.

Elara shook her head, frustrated. “I don’t even know if I can save him. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.”

“Or maybe,” Theo said, leaning closer, “you’re meant to save yourself instead.”

---

The thought lingered in her mind long after they left the rooftop. Theo’s words carried a truth she wasn’t ready to face. She had spent so much time chasing Liam, trying to make their relationship perfect, that she hadn’t stopped to ask herself if it was worth saving.

But Theo… Theo was different. He didn’t demand her attention or make her feel like she had to prove herself. He was steady, like the quiet hum of a song in the background, always there when she needed it most.

Over the next few days, Elara found herself opening up to him more, sharing pieces of her life she hadn’t even told her best friends. Her love for photography, her dreams of traveling the world, her fear of disappointing her parents. Theo listened intently, his own stories weaving effortlessly into hers.

“Why do you always carry that sketchpad?” she asked one afternoon as they sat by the park’s pond.

“It’s how I make sense of things,” he said, flipping through the pages. They were filled with intricate drawings of people, places, and abstract shapes that seemed to dance on the paper. “Sometimes, life feels too big to handle. Drawing makes it smaller.”

Elara smiled, running her fingers over the edge of the hourglass in her pocket. “I get that. For me, it’s photography. Capturing a moment before it slips away.”

Theo’s eyes softened. “Sounds like we’re both trying to hold onto something.”

---

Elara’s fragile peace was shattered a week later when she spotted Liam at the coffee shop near her school. He was with Chloe.

Her stomach twisted as she watched them laugh together, their heads leaning in close like they shared some private joke. She should have walked away. She knew that. But something inside her snapped.

Without thinking, she marched up to their table.

“Liam,” she said, her voice cold.

He froze, his smile fading as he turned to face her. Chloe looked confused, her bright red lipstick forming a small ‘o’ of surprise.

“Elara,” Liam stammered. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she said, crossing her arms. “But I think I already know the answer.”

Chloe glanced between them, realization dawning in her eyes. “Wait…is this—”

“His girlfriend?” Elara finished for her, her voice trembling with anger. “Not anymore.”

Liam reached for her arm, but she pulled away. “Elara, please, let me explain—”

“There’s nothing to explain,” she said, her voice breaking. “I wasted so much time trying to save you, trying to save us. But you know what? You’re not worth it.”

She turned on her heel and walked out, tears streaming down her face.

---

That night, Elara sat in her room, the hourglass resting on her desk. Its soft glow seemed to mock her, a constant reminder of everything she had sacrificed for someone who didn’t deserve it.

She picked it up, turning it over in her hands. For the first time, she noticed a crack running along the edge of the glass, small but visible.

“What happens if I break it?” she whispered to herself.

Would she be stuck in the past forever? Would she return to her present? Or would everything—Liam, Theo, herself—cease to exist?

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Theo.

“Meet me at the rooftop. I’ve got something to show you.”

Elara hesitated. Part of her wanted to stay in her room, to wallow in her heartbreak and confusion. But the thought of Theo’s calm voice and warm smile was enough to pull her to her feet. She tucked the hourglass into her pocket and headed out.

---

When she arrived, Theo was already there, his sketchpad propped against his knee. He looked up and grinned when he saw her.

“You came,” he said, standing.

“Of course,” she replied, her heart lifting despite everything.

He held out the sketchpad. “I’ve been working on this for you.”

Elara took it, her breath catching as she flipped through the pages. They were all drawings of her—laughing, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. Each one captured a piece of her she hadn’t even realized she’d been showing him.

“The hourglass,” she murmured, stopping on a sketch of her holding it.

“I wanted to remind you of something,” Theo said, stepping closer. “You don’t need magic to change your life. You’re strong enough to do it on your own.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him. “But what if I mess it up? What if I can’t move on?”

“You already have,” he said, his voice steady. “You just haven’t realized it yet.”

---

That night, Elara made her choice. She climbed the rooftop’s ledge, the hourglass in her hand. With one last look at Theo, she smiled.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice filled with quiet determination.

Then, before she could second-guess herself, she hurled the hourglass into the air. It shattered against the ground below, a burst of light erupting from the shards.

The world around her seemed to ripple, the stars above blurring into streaks of gold.

When the light faded, she was still standing on the rooftop. But something had changed. The weight that had been pressing on her chest for weeks was gone, replaced by a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in years.

Theo was still there, his eyes wide with wonder. “What just happened?”

Elara laughed, a genuine, unrestrained sound that echoed into the night. “I think I just let go.”

As she looked out over the city, she realized that the future wasn’t something to fear—it was a blank canvas, waiting for her to create something beautiful. And for the first time, she couldn’t wait to start.

---

Can y'all ☆, and comment your opinions on my book please? I'm nearly 16 and I don't mind criticism <3