Amidst the tension, the female voice spoke again, breaking the awkward silence with a mocking, carefree tone.

"So, should I explain everything to this human now?" she asked, clearly amused by the situation.

The man let out a long sigh, as if already tired of this whole game.

"Yes, I suppose that's the right thing to do. After all, you’re the one responsible for bringing this human here."

"Oh, don’t get so serious!" she replied, laughing softly before turning her attention to Nolan. "Listen, we’re going to lift your limitation."

Nolan was puzzled.

What did that mean?

Could it be that the limit he'd felt all these years… was because of them?

Before he could even form a question, the female voice continued.

"We know what you've been trying," she said, her tone a mix of mischief and curiosity. "We've seen it, over and over, trying to go beyond that tiny minute you can rewind time. You want more, don’t you?"

Nolan’s heart skipped a beat at those words.

Could they really know what he had been trying?

Time magic had been his obsession, and that one-minute limit frustrated him more than anything in the world. He had dreamt so many times of breaking that limit to go further back, but…

‘Why are they doing this?’ Nolan thought, feeling confusion overwhelm him once again.

"Were you even paying attention?" the male voice grumbled with exasperation. "Didn’t you hear anything we said before?"

Nolan, still lost in his thoughts, shook his head, unable to fully process what was happening.

All of this felt so unreal that at times he wondered if he was trapped in some kind of twisted dream.

"That's why I hate dealing with humans," the man muttered, visibly irritated. "They’re so... stupid. Always lose track."

The female voice chuckled, a mischievous spark in her words.

"Oh, but they’re the ones who add flavor to our job managing all of this. Without them, it would be terribly boring."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

After a brief, exaggerated cough, the woman resumed the conversation, this time with a more formal, almost solemn tone.

"We’re going to remove the limit from your ability, Nolan. But, if you really want to go back to that moment you so desperately desire… first, you’ll have to start a family."

The silence that followed that declaration was deafening.

Nolan, stunned, froze in place.

The words echoed in his mind, but he struggled to understand them.

‘A... family?’ he repeated, his voice full of confusion. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

The woman’s soft laugh broke the silence, as if she found his confusion charming.

"You see, in the boring order of things, survival and species preservation are essential. And for you, Nolan, that means starting a family. Humans... you know, their nature."

The man interjected, correcting her impatiently.

"It’s called the natural order of things."

"Yeah, yeah, that," she responded, dismissing the correction.

Nolan was more lost than ever.

‘What kind of requirement is that?’ he asked, almost unable to believe what he was hearing.

The woman replied calmly, but with a tone that suggested there was no more to discuss.

"Those are the conditions, at least for you. If you really want to go back in time to that moment you long for, you’ll need to have a family. At least two children."

Before Nolan could even process what he had just heard, the male voice joined the conversation.

"No, no. At least one boy and one girl."

There was a brief silence in which Nolan could sense the woman turning her attention to the man, clearly confused.

"That’s not what we agreed on," the woman protested, surprised.

"Yes, but that’s what’s required now," the man replied firmly.

The woman let out a sigh, as if resigning herself to something inevitable.

"Alright, alright. So, whatever he says." She turned back to Nolan, repeating with a touch of annoyance, "At least one boy and one girl."

Nolan was still in shock, unable to snap out of his astonishment.

‘But… why?’ Nolan finally asked. ‘If you’re going to break the limit on my ability, what does that have to do with starting a family?’

The woman let out a soft giggle.

"Think of it as… a ritual."

The man sighed but nodded.

"Exactly. Once you’ve done that, we’ll contact you and give you two options."

The male voice paused, and his tone became colder, more serious.

"At that moment, you can either continue with your life and accept death when your time comes… or destroy everything you've built to go back to that moment you're so obsessed with."

The man’s tone had turned bitter at the end of his statement, clearly upset with the latter option.

But, as always, the female voice lightened the mood.

"Oh, don’t get your hopes up about this whole rewinding time thing," she remarked with a light laugh. "Even though we’re removing the limit on how far back you can go, you’re forbidden from returning to this moment."

Nolan frowned, completely baffled.

‘What? How does that make any sense?’

The woman clarified, her voice soft but firm.

"You can’t rewind to this very moment, where we’re talking right now. If you try… well, I’ll leave it to your imagination."

Before the woman could continue, the male voice interrupted with a more severe tone.

"Don’t even think about trying something like that."

Nolan, deep in thought, didn’t know how to react.

This whole offer was strange.

Was he really not dreaming?

Starting a family in order to rewind time to that moment… all for some bizarre ritual.

None of it made sense to the logic he knew.

The female voice broke the silence once again.

"Well, well… to encourage you a little on this path, how about hearing a story first? I’m sure you’ll be interested..."