Jack living a simple life, spending his days working in an office and his evenings writing stories in his cozy apartment. His family lived far away, but he didn't mind the solitude; it gave him more time to focus on his writing.
At work, Jack's mind often wandered to the worlds he created in his stories. But when he returned home, he dove headfirst into his imagination, crafting tales of adventure and mystery.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Jack's thoughts turned to his latest project: researching about time loops and dreams. With excitement bubbling in his chest, he settled into his chair and began to write, eager to explore the twists and turns that awaited his characters.
Little did Jack know, his own journey was about to take an unexpected turn—one that would lead him into the depths of his own mind, where reality and imagination intertwined in ways he never thought possible.
As the clock struck 8 PM on that Tuesday evening, Jack, feeling weary from the day's work, decided it was time to surrender to the embrace of sleep. Nestling into his bed, he closed his eyes, anticipating a restful night ahead.
Eight hours passed, but when Jack stirred from his slumber, he was greeted not by the refreshed feeling of a good night's rest, but by a throbbing headache. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he glanced at the clock, only to find that it still read 8 PM, and the day remained firmly fixed on Tuesday.
"This can't be right," Jack muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in disbelief. "I've been asleep for eight to nine hours i guess, but it's still Tuesday?"
Questions swirled in Jack's mind as he struggled to make sense of the surreal situation unfolding before him. Was this some kind of dream? Or had time itself become distorted?
Determined to unravel the mystery shrouding his peculiar situation, Jack decided to venture outside and investigate. As he made his way down the stairs, his heart pounding with anticipation, his foot slipped on a loose step, sending him tumbling into darkness.
Suddenly, Jack's eyes snapped open, the dim light filtering through his window casting a soft glow over his room. Blinking in confusion, he glanced at the clock, his heart skipping a beat as he realized it was now 7 AM on Wednesday.
"What just happened?" Jack muttered to himself, his mind reeling with confusion. Had he dreamt the entire episode of slipping down the stairs? Or had he somehow been transported backward in time?
With a sense of unease gnawing at him, Jack knew that he had stumbled upon something far beyond his understanding.Realizing it was time for work, Jack quickly dressed and prepared himself breakfast before heading out the door. As he made his way to the office, the streets were eerily quiet, devoid of the usual hustle and bustle of a Wednesday morning.
Upon arriving at his workplace, Jack's confusion deepened when he noticed that everyone was dressed in the same clothes as they had been wearing the day before. His brow furrowed in bewilderment as he exchanged puzzled glances with his coworkers.
"Am I still dreaming?" Jack muttered to himself, pinching his arm in a futile attempt to wake himself from what felt like a surreal nightmare. But the unchanging reality before him only served to deepen his sense of unease, leaving him to grapple with the unsettling notion that he had stumbled upon something far beyond his understanding.
As Jack made his way through the office, he tried to maintain a facade of normalcy, despite the swirling confusion in his mind. The sight of his coworkers wearing the same clothes as the day before sent a chill down his spine, but he forced himself to keep moving, determined to reach his desk and make sense of the inexplicable situation.
Entering the office canteen, Jack felt a knot form in his stomach as he glanced at the menu board. It was the same lineup of dishes as yesterday, despite the fact that today was supposed to be wednesday.
"Something's not right," Jack muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing in bewilderment. He couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu that washed over him, as if he were trapped in a never-ending cycle of repetition.
Pushing aside his growing unease, Jack ordered his usual coffee and sandwich, trying to convince himself that everything was normal. But deep down, he knew that he was on the verge of uncovering a truth far stranger than he could have ever imagined.
As Jack returned home from the unsettling day at the office, he found solace in the familiarity of his own space. Determined to make sense of the bizarre events that had unfolded, he settled in front of his computer and resumed his work on his project about time loops and dreams.
Lost in thought, Jack absentmindedly glanced at the calendar on his desk. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the date—it was Wednesday, April 20th, the same day as it was supposed to be according to the calendar.
A shiver ran down Jack's spine as he contemplated the implications of the time loop extending beyond the confines of his workplace. Could it be possible that the entire world was caught in this inexplicable cycle?
Feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him, Jack decided to retreat to his bed, hoping that sleep would offer some respite from the unsettling reality he found himself in. Little did he know, the dreams that awaited him would hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of the time loop once and for all.
As Jake woke up, the gentle sunlight streamed through his window, signaling the start of a new day. Glancing at his bedside clock, he saw that it was 7:00 am—just a regular Thursday morning. But despite the normalcy, a strange feeling gnawed at him.
With a shrug, Jake got ready for the day ahead, fixing himself a quick breakfast before heading to work. As he walked to the office, he couldn't shake the sense of unease that lingered in the back of his mind.
Arriving at the office, Jake cautiously looked around, half-expecting to see the same strange scene as yesterday. To his relief, everything seemed perfectly ordinary. His coworkers chatted and laughed, dressed in their usual attire, and the smell of coffee filled the air.
With a sigh of relief, Jake settled into his work, pushing aside the lingering doubts. Maybe yesterday had just been a weird fluke—a glitch in the matrix, so to speak. But deep down, he knew that something strange was still lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered.
After getting home, Jake rushed to his study. He opened his research notebook and started looking for clues about what happened that day.
As he read through his notes, Jake felt frustrated. None of the theories he studied seemed to explain the strange events. But he didn't give up. Instead, he decided to write down everything that happened in detail.
With each word he wrote, Jake felt a growing sense of confusion and unease. Despite his efforts to document the events of the day, the puzzle remained frustratingly incomplete. Rather than feeling relief, Jake found himself grappling with a mounting sense of uncertainty and anxiety. Nevertheless, driven by his determination to uncover the truth, he pressed on, determined to unravel the mysteries of time loops and dreams.
After mulling over the topic for what felt like hours, Jack had a sudden spark of inspiration. He remembered his ex-friend, Jessica. It had been seven long years since they last spoke, their friendship ending abruptly after a heated argument. But despite their falling out, Jack couldn't deny the intelligence and insight he had gained from Jessica during their time together.
Jessica was sharp, with a keen mind for writing and a passion for delving into new ideas. She had always been fascinated by the concept of time, conducting her own research and seeking to understand its inner workings. Jack realized that she might hold the key to unlocking the mysteries he was facing.
However, the thought of reaching out to Jessica after so much time had passed filled Jack with apprehension. Would she even want to hear from him? Would she be willing to help? These questions swirled in his mind, casting a shadow of doubt over his decision.
Despite his reservations, Jack made a resolve to text Jessica the following morning. Perhaps, he thought, time had softened the edges of their past disagreements, and she would be open to reconnecting.
Before turning in for the night, Jack set up a small surveillance system in his room, placing a camera on his digital watch and another on his digital calendar. It was a desperate attempt to track any unusual occurrences that might happen while he slept, a glimmer of hope in the face of uncertainty.
With a mix of trepidation and hope in his heart, Jack finally allowed himself to drift off to sleep, the promise of potential answers awaiting him in the unknown.
While Jack drifted into sleep, his mind entered a realm of surreal imagery. In his dream, he found himself surrounded by seven mirrors, each reflecting a different aspect of himself as he fervently wrote in a book. Behind him, the hands of a clock spun wildly, time appearing to warp and twist with each passing moment. In the midst of this strange scene, Jack found himself chanting, "What is time? What is time?" in a desperate attempt to grasp the elusive concept.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Suddenly, Jack jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. The digital clock on his nightstand displayed 7:00 am, the morning light filtering in through the window. Fear and confusion gripped him as he scrambled out of bed and rushed to his desk, his hands trembling as he wrote down every detail of the unsettling dream in his notebook.
With a sense of urgency, Jack reached for his phone and composed a message to Jessica. "Hello Jessica," he began, his words tentative yet filled with a desperate plea. "I know you're still mad at me. I'm sorry. But I need to discuss something important with you. Can you meet me at Joseph's Coffee Shop? Please." He hesitated before hitting send, his stomach churning with anxiety.
As he waited for Jessica's reply, Jack tried to calm his nerves by taking a quick shower and preparing breakfast. When he checked his phone, relief flooded through him as he saw Jessica's response. "Oh, you're still alive," she had written, her words laced with sarcasm. "I'm not really in the mood to meet you, but fine. I'll be there in 25 minutes. Hurry up."
They met near josheph coffee shop, "they were so blessed to see eachother after this much time'' They enter to the shop, Jack ordered two cappuccinos.
When the cappuccinos arrived, Jack felt a mix of nerves and anticipation. He studied Jessica as they sat across from each other, noticing the subtle changes in her demeanor. Eventually, he mustered the courage to ask her about what she had been up to.
"What have you been doing these days?" Jack inquired, his tone casual but with an underlying sense of curiosity. Jessica raised an eyebrow, her expression guarded. "Why do you want to know?" she replied, her voice tinged with skepticism.
Jack hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. "I just thought we could catch up," he offered, hoping to ease the tension between them. Jessica studied him for a moment before relenting with a small nod.
"I've been working on a project with my team," she replied, her tone softening slightly. "It's about dreams." Jack's interest was piqued. "Dreams?" he echoed, leaning in closer. "That's fascinating. I've been researching something similar—time loops and dreams."
Jessica's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" she exclaimed, her curiosity evident. "That's quite a coincidence." Jack nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope at the possibility of finding common ground with Jessica.
Before he could delve further into the topic, Jessica's phone buzzed with a notification. She glanced down at the screen before looking back up at Jack. "Sorry, I have to take this," she said apologetically. "But we can continue our conversation later, if you'd like."
Jack smiled gratefully, relieved to have made some progress in reconnecting with Jessica. "I'd like that," he replied, feeling a sense of optimism for the first time in a long while. As Jessica excused herself to take the call, Jack couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them—and whether their shared interests could lead to something more.
As Jessica continued her conversation on the phone, Jack's attention drifted to the window of the coffee shop. The world outside seemed to blur as his gaze fixed on the bustling street. Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over him, like time itself was slowing to a crawl.
In that surreal moment, Jack's eyes widened as he caught sight of a figure darting through the crowd—a figure identical to himself, as if looking into a mirror. His heart raced as he watched his doppelgänger vanish into the throng of pedestrians. It was as if he had glimpsed a twin from another dimension.
Shaken from his reverie, Jack's instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, he bolted from his seat, heedless of Jessica's calls behind him. Years of athletic training propelled him forward with speed and agility, his senses heightened by adrenaline as he pursued the elusive figure through the labyrinthine streets.
But try as he might, the figure remained just out of reach, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as it had appeared. Panting and disoriented, Jack skidded to a stop, his chest heaving with exertion. The streets around him teemed with people, but there was no sign of his mysterious double.
Breathless and bewildered, Jack struggled to make sense of what he had witnessed. Who—or what—was that ethereal being, and why did it bear such a striking resemblance to himself? And more importantly, what did it all mean?
As Jack made his way back to the coffee shop, confusion gnawed at him like a persistent itch. Lost in thought, he barely noticed Jessica's voice calling out to him from outside the shop. Startled, he turned to see her hurrying towards him, concern etched on her face.
"Hey, Jack, what's going on? Where did you rush off to?" Jessica's voice was laced with worry as she reached his side.
Shaking his head, Jack muttered, "It's nothing. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Please, Jack, talk to me. You look exhausted. Maybe you just need some rest," Jessica urged, her concern deepening.
Nodding wearily, Jack conceded, "Yeah, maybe you're right. I think I do need some rest. I'll fill you in later on everything that happened. Take care."
With a fleeting smile, Jessica bid him farewell, "Okay, take care, Jack. Talk to you later."
Feeling drained and bewildered, Jack trudged back home, his mind swirling with unanswered questions and strange encounters.
Jack sat at his desk, his mind still reeling from the strange encounter earlier. With a sense of urgency, he opened his book and began to jot down the details of the incident. Giving it a name—The Phenomenon of Recurring Reflections—he delved deeper into the topic, exploring its implications and possible explanations.
As the night wore on, Jack realized the lateness of the hour. With a sigh, he decided to take a break and retire for the night. Before drifting off to sleep, he checked the date—it was Friday. Setting up the camera to capture any unusual occurrences, he settled into bed.
When Jack awoke the next morning, it was already 10 am. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, reminding him of his empty pantry. After a quick shower, he ventured outside, feeling a strange sensation creeping over him. Ignoring the odd feeling, he made his way to the nearby burger shop, intending to grab a bite to eat.
But as he glanced at a public news calendar, his heart skipped a beat. Today was Friday, not Saturday as he had expected. Confusion and disbelief washed over him, and he muttered to himself in disbelief. "How can this be? It should be Saturday."
His gaze drifted to Joseph's coffee shop, and there, to his horror, he saw himself sitting inside. Panic surged through him as he remembered the events of the previous day, realizing that the other Jack had spotted him and was now giving chase.
With a racing heart and a mind clouded by fear and uncertainty, Jack struggled to comprehend what was happening. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, he woke up. It was Saturday morning, and Jack was left grappling with the unsettling realization that the events of the previous day had repeated themselves in a bizarre loop.
As Jack grappled with the bewildering events of the day, he found himself caught between conflicting timelines, unsure of how to make sense of the surreal experience of meeting his own doppelgänger. Seated at his desk, he muttered to himself in a mix of frustration and fascination, "I was backward in time and forward in time at the same time. I met myself! But why is this happening?"
Determined to unravel the mystery, Jack took a deep breath and reached for his notebook. With trembling hands, he scribbled down every detail of the encounter, capturing the surreal experience in vivid detail. As he wrote, his mind raced with questions and possibilities, each one more perplexing than the last.
But amidst the chaos of his thoughts, one thing became clear: Jack was determined to understand what had happened and, more importantly, to find a way to replicate the phenomenon under controlled conditions. With newfound resolve, he set his sights on unlocking the secrets of the Phenomenon of Recurring Reflections.
Closing his notebook with a determined nod, Jack rose from his chair, his mind buzzing with plans and strategies. "Okay," he muttered to himself, "I'll do this again. But this time, I'll be prepared." And with that, he set out on a journey of discovery, determined to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic phenomenon that had turned his world upside down.
As the days stretched into a week, Jack's determination to unlock the secrets of the Phenomenon of Recurring Reflections only grew stronger. Each day, he devoted himself tirelessly to the pursuit of knowledge, leaving no stone unturned in his quest for understanding.
From dawn till dusk, Jack threw himself into a rigorous routine, trying everything within his power to replicate the mysterious time-travel experience. He meditated for hours on end, seeking clarity and insight in the depths of his own mind. He engaged in strenuous exercises, pushing his body to its limits in the hopes of triggering a breakthrough.
In between his physical exertions, Jack pored over books and literature on the subject of time travel, absorbing every scrap of information he could find. He meticulously studied the intricacies of temporal theory, dissecting each hypothesis and theorem in search of clues that might unlock the mystery.
And yet, despite his tireless efforts, Jack's progress remained frustratingly elusive. Day after day, he found himself no closer to understanding the phenomenon that had upended his life. Each failed attempt only fueled his determination further, driving him to redouble his efforts in pursuit of the truth.
But as the days turned into weeks, Jack began to feel the weight of his own limitations bearing down on him. Doubt crept into his mind, whispering words of discouragement and uncertainty. Had he been chasing a mere illusion all along? Was the truth forever beyond his grasp?
Despite the growing doubts that plagued him, Jack refused to give up. With steely resolve, he vowed to continue his quest, undeterred by the challenges that lay ahead. For deep within his heart, he knew that the answers he sought were out there, waiting to be discovered. And until he unlocked the secrets of the Phenomenon of Recurring Reflections, Jack would not rest.
As Jack lay there, consumed by boredom and frustration, his eyes fell upon the book he had been writing. With a sigh, he picked it up and began to read it from the beginning, hoping to find some semblance of inspiration or insight.
But as he delved into the pages of his own creation, something remarkable happened. In the words he had penned days ago, Jack discovered a clue—a glimmer of hope amidst the despair. His mind raced as he realized that the key to unlocking the mystery might lie within the very dreams he had recorded.
With a newfound sense of purpose, Jack sprang into action. He adjusted the hands of the clock, setting them in reverse, and arranged seven mirrors to face himself, just as he had described in his dream. Taking a deep breath, he repeated the words he had uttered in that surreal vision, "What is time? What is time?"
Suddenly, a deafening blast shattered the stillness of the room, and Jack's world was engulfed in chaos. His eyes widened in astonishment as he beheld his reflection in the fractured mirrors, each one revealing a different stage of his life, from childhood to adulthood, unfolding in rapid succession before his eyes.
But before Jack could make sense of the dizzying spectacle, the mirrors began to crack and splinter, sending shards of glass cascading around him. Panic surged through him as he reached out in vain to grasp the fleeting images, only to watch helplessly as everything fell apart before his eyes.
With a jolt, jack suddenly woke up. It was 7 am in the morning, his heart was still racing and his mind reeling from the surreal experience. As he glanced around the room, he realized with a sinking feeling that everything had returned to normal—the clock ticking away in its usual manner, the mirrors reflecting only the mundane surroundings of his bedroom.
But the most unsettling realization of all came when Jack reached for his book, only to find that every word he had written had vanished without a trace. A chill ran down his spine as he grappled with the implications of this inexplicable phenomenon. What had he unleashed? And more importantly, what was to come?