Have you ever realized... that every second of time that passes, there is a battle that you are unaware of?
A battle that stakes space and time?
Destiny and life?
That's them!
The protectors who safeguard the world, along with space and time, from the threats of destroyers who constantly endanger life in every passing second.
Do you believe in them?
Or are you actually one of them?
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BRRRRT! BRRRRT! BRRRRT!
The alarm sounded loudly from a cell phone lying on the floor. The screen lit up, displaying 7:01 a.m., a time that should have been earlier than that.
From inside a blanket, a hand emerged and grabbed the phone. After fumbling around on the screen for a moment, a finger finally pressed the red button to turn off the alarm. This brought calm after the alarm had been ringing.
HMM...
From under the blanket, a head emerged, like a turtle from its shell. Its eyes were still bleary from sleep. His hand moved again and picked up the phone, turning on the screen that had gone dark when the alarm was turned off. With a slightly blurry gaze, his eyes tried to focus on the clock on the phone screen.
07:02 Wednesday, January 7, 2025
Seeing that, his blurry eyes immediately get sharpened. His body stiffened, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Damn it! I have an interview today!
He suddenly became like a cat, waking up and jumping off his mattress on the floor, separated by a thin mattress. One of his legs tripped over the blanket, but he managed to stay upright and stand.
He ran into the bathroom, the sound of water splashing clearly audible. When he was done, the sound of a closet door opening loudly followed, and he immediately grabbed a white shirt and black pants without looking. Then his hand quickly grabbed a long red tie hanging nearby.
In front of a mirror with a wooden frame hanging on the wall, he stood directly in front of it, buttoning his shirt, then putting the red tie around his neck, while staring at the mirror.
"This is my only chance, I can't be late!" he said while staring at the mirror and tying his tie, Daniel Argantara.
The face reflected in the mirror showed a young man of about twenty-two years old. His hair
was short and black, slightly messy because he hadn't had time to comb it. His broad forehead was sweaty even though the morning air was still cool. Under his eyes were faint dark circles and endless stress. His skin was dark brown, his cheeks slightly thin, his chin firm but not yet fully formed like that of a grown man.
He finally managed to tie his tie, albeit crookedly. He took a deep breath, then gently patted his
cheeks and looked in the mirror. "Alright, let's go! We can do this!"
He grabbed his bag, checked it one more time—the folder, job application papers, phone, wallet—everything was there. No time to rest. He hurriedly grabbed his shoes from the corner of the room.
Even though his right shoe wasn't tied properly, he didn't care. He immediately stood up and turned the doorknob, opening the door to the outside world. The sunlight immediately shone on him. He stared with a worried look.
The sun was already high in the sky!
He closed the door and locked it. His footsteps hurried down the stairs. Without breakfast or food, he ran quickly, accompanied by the bright sunlight.
Daniel's steps were very fast as he ran, on the asphalt sidewalk that echoed loudly under his slightly loose shoes. The morning wind slapped his face as he ran. His heartbeat was faster than his footsteps.
"Hopefully I'll make it..."
As he turned the corner, a blue bus came into view. He kept running fast, hoping he would make it. Luckily, he managed to get on the bus. With sweat pouring down his forehead, he took out a card and pressed the payment machine.
"Oh, good... I didn't miss the bus," he said with a tired sigh.
He walked a little, then collapsed into the passenger seat, his head resting against the window on his right, sighing to calm himself. Then Daniel opened his phone, staring at the clock on the screen, which showed 7:10 a.m.
He took a calm breath and said, "Hopefully I'm not late."
The bus wheels turned quietly through the quiet yet bustling city. Many people were out and about in casual attire or wearing jackets as an extra layer. They were hanging out together or strolling around, enjoying the atmosphere. Inside the bus, Daniel could only sit silently staring out the window. He smoothed out his clothes, which were a little messy from running. He also tidied his hair, making it look neater than before. He patted both cheeks, trying to smile and boost his spirits.
"Cheer up! We'll definitely be accepted."
The bus wheels slowly began to slow down, stopping right at a bus stop. The door opened, letting out several people. Daniel immediately lifted his feet and walked out carefully, even though he was in a bit of a hurry. Several people began to get on the bus, leaving Daniel alone at the bus stop.
The bus started moving again, clearing Daniel's view so he could see a modern office building ahead. He smiled and lifted the bag on his back, saying, "All right, let's do this!"
He walked lightly into the building. The lobby was cool and fragrant, with a neatly dressed receptionist and silver-cream interior. He gave his name and showed the interview invitation from his email. The receptionist nodded briefly and pointed to the elevator at the end of the hallway.
Daniel climbed the stairs with his heart beating erratically. His fingers kept adjusting his tie, his hair, and even buttons that were already fastened properly. On the 12th floor, he walked in. He was greeted by several people wearing the same clothes as him, but with disappointed expressions on their faces.
Daniel ignored them and kept walking. He knocked on the door labeled HRD.
"Excuse me."
A young woman opened the door, her expression flat as she looked at Daniel. Despite the sweat dripping from his forehead, Daniel walked confidently toward her.
"Hello... I'm Daniel, I'm here today for an interview—"
"You're rejected."
Before Daniel could finish his sentence, his words were cut off by the flat tone of the woman who was watching him. She pushed her glasses up slightly and continued to stare at Daniel silently.
Daniel paused for a moment. Then he continued with a bitter laugh. "Ahh, sorry, I may not have heard you clearly. What do you mean?"
"I said, you're rejected," she repeated in the same flat tone.
Daniel's face froze, his mouth agape, confused by what he had just heard. "Excuse me, I was rejected? Just like that?"
"Yes, you were rejected," he said again.
"But I haven't even started the interview yet?" asked Daniel incredulously.
The woman just sighed and replied, "Yes, because you're very late, your clothes are wrinkled, and your hair is a mess."
Daniel felt as if he had been stabbed by those words.
"How can you expect to be accepted in this condition?" he asked.
"But..." Daniel began.
"Enough! No buts about it," she said firmly. "Sorry, but you're rejected!"
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"AAAA!" Daniel screamed as loud as he could.
He sat on a white park bench in the middle of a crowded park. Some people looked at him with confusion, but they chose to leave Daniel alone with his anxiety.
A child pointed at him from a distance. "Mom, look, there's a crazy person."
His mother quickly pulled his hand and said, "Hey! Don't point him like that... That's rude."
Daniel glanced at them briefly. Then the boy nodded and walked away with his mother in the other direction, leaving Daniel alone. Daniel could only bury his face in his open hands and wipe his tear-stained face.
"Ahh, this is the third time I've been rejected for a job..." he murmured.
After graduating from college, Daniel had to survive on his own in this city. Without help from his friends. He had to survive by constantly finding work to meet his needs. He could only rest his chin on his hands, which were propped up on his thighs, staring blankly at the people who were happily playing in the park.
Children seemed to be running and playing joyfully, followed by a few people walking calmly on the white concrete that formed the path. However, his eyes caught sight of a happy child, playing on a swing with his father and mother, who were also joyful.
A small smile appeared on Daniel's lips as he muttered to himself. It's a shame I don't have any parents.
He recalled how, from a young age, he had been raised in an orphanage until he received a scholarship to attend school. With that assistance, he worked hard to study and secure a scholarship to enter college, aiming to obtain a stable job and build his own family, as he had always desired.
"Huh~"
Daniel exhaled through his mouth. He stretched his body, his arms seemingly reaching the ends of this long park bench. Releasing his fatigue and soreness.
"Ah, forget it. I need to find information about a new job right now," he said, though it sounded
like he was giving up.
He stood up, grabbed his bag, and turned to leave. But his eyes caught sight of an ice cream vendor. His eyes locked on it, and his mouth seemed to want it. He shook his head and wiped away a bit of saliva.
"Alright, just one won't hurt, right?"
He walked over to the ice cream vendor. The vendor, wearing a red hat and a red uniform with white stripes, smiled when he saw him.
"Hello, would you like some ice cream?"
Daniel nodded, glancing inside the cart. There were various types of ice cream available, such as ice cream bars, sticks, and even ice cream that could be eaten in a bowl. Daniel raised his finger, pointing to one of the ice creams in the cart.
"I'll take that one," he said, pointing to a long chocolate ice cream bar.
"Alright," he replied.
He took the ice cream and said, "It's 2 Dollar."
Daniel nodded and reached into his pocket for the money. But he had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, he couldn't find any money in his pants pocket. He searched the other pockets of his pants and even his shirt, but still couldn't find any.
"Just a moment," said Daniel.
He took off his backpack. He reached inside the bag, found his black wallet, opened it, and
found 2 dollar. The money was a bit crumpled but still valuable.
"Ahh, this is all I have..."
He continued to stand there while putting his bag back on. He then handed over the money.
"Here you go, sir."
But something strange happened. The ice cream vendor froze. He seemed to be frozen in place, with a slight smile on his face. His eyes still looked alive, but he didn't move at all.
Daniel tried to take his ice cream, but a glitch occurred. He was startled and quickly pulled his hand back. And sure enough, strange glitches appeared around him. He looked away, but saw only the same thing. Some people who had been happily playing or walking around in the park were now frozen, with small glitches appearing around them.
Daniel tried to take a step, but fear began to haunt his body. He looked around in confusion at all the people who were frozen in place.
"What's happening?" he asked, confused.
He just turned around and walked slowly, feeling worried. When he realized what was
happening, a white silhouette moved behind the building wall. Daniel, who noticed it,
immediately chased after it.
"Who is that?"