As Vivian prepared to hail a cab back to Dewhurst, she noticed a faint glow emanating from the bracelet on her wrist. It felt warm against her skin, almost alive.
Startled, she glanced down at it. When she raised her head again, the scene before her had shifted, and there stood Manfred, wearing the down jacket she had gifted him, shoveling snow.
The sight brought an unexpected wave of relief. After a day and night of relentless snowfall, the thick drifts were daunting, yet seeing him out there meant he was alright.
Just as she was about to approach him, the world around her flickered. The snow-covered street dissolved, replaced by the familiar bustle of the modern city. Vivian froze, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"What just happened?" she wondered.
Pushing her suitcases back to the inn, she abandoned her plan to go out for food. Instead, she ordered two dishes from the inn's kitchen. As she ate, her mind replayed the events of the day.
She had visited Manfred without issue before. Why was it not possible now?
Her gaze fell on the bracelet. Skylar had won it at an auction and gifted it to her. From the moment she first saw it, she felt an unexplainable pull, as if it was meant to be hers.
Daily wear had given it a more lustrous shine in the past two years, even enhancing its quality.
When she saw Manfred earlier, the bracelet had glowed and warmed, just as it had the day before when she went to him. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it.
"Could the bracelet be the key?" she mused. "Is it somehow linked to my ability to travel through time and space? Maybe it acts as a conduit… and there's a limit to how long I can stay. I was able to go yesterday, but not today. What about tomorrow?"
The idea took root, and she spent the night contemplating its implications. "If the bracelet is truly the key, that means I can visit Manfred even when I'm not in Dewhurst. What I need to figure out now is its rules."
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