“DAMN, THIS SHIT STINKS!” Frederick said. “I SHOULD’A BOUGHT A NEW BUCKET FROM AN ACTUAL COOPER, ‘NSTEAD OF USING A RANDOM ONE I FOUND LIKE THIS, BUT WHATEVER.”

After pressing the [Rewind Button], Frederick had been reset to his previous spot, nailing down the bucket to the ground.

I should’ve known that I didn’t have to sit through the entirety of this bucket’s history.

Perhaps my mind has some sort of internal mechanism that triggers the powers’ features? The [Fast Forward Button] and the [Rewind Button]?

I’ll have to figure this out as soon as possible.

A limitation that I now know is - although I can go backward and forward in time - I still have to stick with certain “checkpoints” that I’ve made throughout my time in the void.

The ray of light seemed to be the checkpoints in question.

Basically, if I already touched a ray of light, the sequence of events that took place will not be repeated. This makes me unable to return to a moment in time before I “checkpointed” with the ray of light.

“The ray of light must represent some kind of significance in time, then. If not a literal checkpoint like a videogame, maybe it’s the powers’ way to tell me that there’s nothing else worth seeing – for one reason or another.” I said. “Although, it doesn’t explain why I have to see days of people shitting and puking right now…”

I sighed.

I navigated to all the buttons available to me through the holographic projection of the interface.

There were specifically five different buttons.

Starting from the most left side, two arrow heads are attached to each other. Followed by a single arrow head.

I think these serve the same purpose. To go back in time, or to rewind the replay. These must be the [Rewind] buttons, although the one with two arrows went faster than the single arrowed one when I tried pressing it the first time earlier.

The most-right side had white arrows of similar shape. It was pointed in the opposite direction, probably to fast forward into the future rather than to rewind. These must be the [Fast Forward] buttons.

In the middle, however, were two white vertical lines arranged together. Obviously, this must be to [Pause] the replay.

With that figured out, I used the [Fast Forward] button.

I saw the varieties of individuals which I had already seen before. The pukers, the shitters, and the drunkards who are a little bit of both.

I forwarded and forwarded like I was watching Youtube at two or three times the speed. I made sure I paid close attention to the details of the bucket and the people. Maybe there’s another ray of light that I’m missing.

I don’t know how much time has passed while fast forwarding all the people I had seen previously and their activities with the bucket. However, I eventually reached a point where I saw a face I recognized.

“Wait, that’s me.” I said. “I assume the replay would stop after I talked to the person outside the door.”

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I kept pressing the fast forward button.

But the replay never stopped.

In fact, I saw something I had never done.

I saw my own face. I witnessed myself – or to minimize confusion, who I will be referring to as Replay Logan accompanied by his handsome face – laughing.

First, I mumbled something. Then my mouth stretched wide like a maniac trying his best to maintain sanity.

Replay Logan then looked in my direction.

“You’ll see, past-me.” I said.

He moved to the bucket before praying away the inside wooden coverings and copper platings of the bucket’s insides, revealing the hidden compartment which had been the blue-robed craftsman’s stash for his family savings.

“Huh, this is… the future?” I thought out loud. “I did–will do this?”

Replay Logan calculated what seems to be a pile of coins from the bucket, still covered in some not-so-mysterious mix of dark brown sludge.

Afterwards, he looked around the room before showing a concerned expression and running out of the room, knocking the bucket to the floor, leaving it to ruin.

After a few more minutes of pressing the button, Frederick reappeared, in the same crouching position as before and saying the same statements as before whilst nailing down the bucket.

“DAMN, THIS–”

Oh, so time loops!

That must be why I just sat for days while seeing the blue-robed cooper craft the bucket. It was because he wasn’t doing that for days at all. I misunderstood all along because it was looping over and over until I noticed the ray of light.

“But if that’s the case, why am I still here? I didn’t see any ray of light in this replay.” I thought to myself.

I skimmed the “footage” more than ten times, doing my best to be thorough so as not to miss any single detail. It took me more than six hours of loops, going backwards and forwards, and examining everything, but nothing.

There is no ray of light.

What do I do now? I’m stuck in my own powers? That seems unlikely.

“Hm, if earlier the skip button appeared because I thought about speeding things up, what happens if I invoke a desire to stop the replays?” I said.

I blinked, and I was now in the toilet again.

It was just as the replay showed.

“Oh, he– I was right.” I said. “I’m stupid.”

***

I had just finished prying open the hidden compartment of the bucket. The replay was right – as expected.

There was a beautiful, yet chaotic, sight within the bucket. Some shimmering gold, a sprinkle of blood red diamonds, and some funny looking metal ingots of unknown make and model. In all honesty, they didn’t look real until I touched them.

I counted the treasure one by one. I didn’t know the value of these items, but I was sure that they would be valuable.

They turned out to be a literal handful, managing to fit both of my hands when joined together in a praying-like style. The blue-robed cooper from the replay did say that this was his family’s savings.

“Is inflation a thing here?” I mumbled to myself. “Probably not?”

I pocketed the treasure into a random pocket, causing my right belly to look somewhat saggy.

Now, based on the replay, I should run outside.

But, why though?

I feel like I should take my time first. That was a lot to take in, with my time powers and all. It’s like something out of a fantasy novel, especially witnessing the blue-robed Cooper use the “Law of Jammerhaw!” or something of that sort.

However, before I could compose myself and try to rationalize my situation, a loud bang manifested itself from outside the door in the main room of the inn.

“Oh, that’s why.” I mumbled to myself.

There were grunts from beyond the door. It sounded like Frederick and a guest shouting at each other.

I ran.

Fulfilling my destiny.