ELSIE'S GONE

As Tony was carried through the streets, he felt something strange around his neck. It tugged at him, a weight that felt oddly familiar. When he glanced down, he found a torn leather bag hanging there, its contents shifting with every step. Inside, he could feel the weight of something important: the codex, the traveler's time clock, the prism, and his phone.

Without a second thought, Tony grabbed the bag, his pulse quickening. He hurriedly made his way back to the hotel, his feet almost racing against the gravity of the situation. Sneaking into his room, he placed the leather bag under the table, out of sight.

He sat on the bed, staring at the bag. His mind spun with questions, but one thought cut through it all: What if his mom saw it? That familiar feeling of dread settled in. She would see that old, worn-out brown leather bag and ask questions he had no answers for. She wouldn't understand.

It wasn't just a bag. It was a key - to something bigger, something he wasn't sure he was ready for.

Tony decided he'd deal with the consequences later. He carefully pulled the items out of the torn leather bag - the codex, the traveler's time clock, the prism, and his phone - and placed them neatly on the table.

"I'll just lie about it tomorrow," he muttered to himself, already crafting a fake story in his head. Maybe he'd say it was part of a school project or something he picked up at a thrift shop.

He climbed into bed, sinking into the sheets, mind still racing. But slowly, his thoughts drifted. He began to daydream in sleep, visions of time-traveling, bending the seconds and beating time itself danced behind his closed eyelids.

Meanwhile...

Far across the hallway, the air shifted.

Elsie stirred in her bed. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up suddenly - breath ragged, sweat clinging to her skin. She had just awoken from a terrible dream.

.

Drawn by a pull she couldn't explain, Elsie rose from bed. The room was well-lit - warm and calm - but her eyes locked instantly onto something on the table. Something that shimmered like it was calling to her.

THE PRISM OF LIFE

She stepped closer and picked it up gently. The prism was smooth and slightly warm in her hand, glowing with an energy that danced across its surface. It was fascinating - beautiful in a way that made her heart skip. It sparkled so vividly that it felt like it held a thousand stars inside.

As she admired it, she instinctively passed it above the Codex, moving it slowly toward the string end of the table.

Suddenly, the Codex lit up - a soft golden light spilled from its edges, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Elsie's breath caught.

In that moment of awe, her hand slipped - and brushed the surface of the Traveler's Time Clock.On the Traveler's Time Clock, she flipped a hand - a small twist, almost unintentional.

But in that moment, everything shifted.

A cloudy shadow formed in the room, dark and slow, like a storm rolling in through still air. It pulsed without sound, curling around her as if reaching.

And then, after a short while, she just...

disappeared.

Into nowhere.

Out of sight.

It had been seven hours since she vanished when Tony finally woke up. The morning light leaked through the window, but there was something off about it - something cold and distant.

He rubbed his eyes, stretched... and paused.

The bed beside him was empty.

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

"Elsie?" he called out.

No answer.

He stood, heart beginning to race, and checked around the apartment. Nothing. Maybe... maybe she had gone outside? Maybe to the streets?

Tony stepped out, mind spinning. The streets were unfamiliar - like a dream of the city he once knew. Something about the silence made it worse. Like the world was holding its breath.

It felt like a terrifying night, even though the sky said morning.

He kept walking toward where he thought the museum was.

But the further he went, the more unease took over.

Something was wrong.

This place wasn't his.

After several minutes, fear sank deeper into his chest.

He began to lose courage.

So, he turned back.

Back to the room.

Back to the table.

Back to the bag.

Back to the mystery that was slowly unraveling - one piece at a time.