Episode 58: Time-Shifting Alarm Clock — The Snooze Button of Destiny

The door swung open, and a woman shuffled in, yawning so hard her soul nearly escaped. Her hair looked like it fought a pillow and lost.

Felix glanced up from polishing a crystal orb. "Rough morning?"

She groaned. "I hit snooze. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. Now I'm late for work, again. My boss says if I'm late one more time, he'll demote me to 'assistant sandwich coordinator.' I don't even know what that means, but it sounds demeaning."

Felix leaned on the counter, intrigued. "So… what exactly are you asking for?"

"I need an alarm clock that lets me hit snooze without actually losing time. Like, I snooze, but I still wake up on time — well-rested, refreshed, and not doomed to organize sandwiches."

Felix blinked. "You want an alarm clock that manipulates time just so you can sleep in?"

"Yes."

"...I respect that."

---

The Crafting: Tinkering with Time

Felix rummaged through the back room.

"Let's see… hourglass of perpetual delay? Nah, too unpredictable. Pocket watch of mild regret? Not helpful."

Zira peeked in. "What's the new order?"

"Time-shifting alarm clock."

She whistled. "Bold. You remember what happened last time you tampered with time magic, right? That guy who asked to 'rewind his bad date' ended up in a never-ending loop of awkward goodnight handshakes."

Felix sighed. "This is different. It's just… morning-based time shenanigans. What's the worst that could happen?"

The cauldron hissed ominously. Felix ignored it.

---

The Result: Snooze, but Make It Time Travel

Felix returned with a small, sleek clock that hummed softly. Its hands shimmered like they couldn't decide what time it was.

"Here," Felix said, placing it on the counter. "Set your alarm, and every time you hit snooze, it'll rewind time five minutes. You still get the extra sleep, but you wake up on time."

The woman's eyes lit up. "You're a genius."

Felix grinned. "I try."

---

The Fallout: Time, Interrupted

Two days later, the woman barged back in — her hair still a mess, but this time it looked like it was styled by a tornado.

"FELIX!"

He froze. "Uh… good morning?"

"NOT GOOD."

Zira peeked around the corner, smirking. "Called it."

The woman slapped the clock onto the counter. It was sparking faintly.

"I hit snooze," she hissed, "like, twenty times."

"Okay…" Felix said slowly. "Did you still wake up on time?"

"Oh, I woke up on time, alright. But apparently, every time I snoozed, I didn't just rewind time for me. I rewound it for everyone."

Felix winced. "Oh no."

"I'm stuck in Monday. I'VE BEEN IN MONDAY FOR THREE DAYS."

Zira was wheezing with laughter.

The woman continued ranting, completely oblivious. "I have to live through the same awful meeting over and over. I even tried to avoid it — but no, the clock just resets everything! I can't even quit, because it undoes that too!"

Felix ran a hand down his face. "Alright, alright — give me a second."

He picked up the clock carefully, muttering a counterspell. It hissed, fizzled, then went still.

"There. Time should flow normally now."

The woman sagged with relief. "Thank you. I swear, if I hear 'Let's circle back on that' one more time, I'm going to throw myself into the sea."

Felix gave an awkward thumbs-up. "So… same time next week?"

She glared.

Zira leaned on the counter, smirking. "Felix, next time someone asks you to mess with time, just give them a stronger cup of coffee."