One Evening in Siem Reap, 2025
The sun was sinking low behind the towers of Angkor Wat. The golden sky slowly melted over the moss and stones of the ancient temple, while twilight began to step gently across the horizon.
Samreth kiri brushed off the dust that had settled on his tablet screen, then raised it to capture the magnificent sight before him. The temple was completely silent—no tourists, no crowds—just him. He had received special permission to enter the temple after closing hours.
Samreth wandered around for a while before sitting down on one of the ancient stones. From his bag, he took out an old notebook—his late grandmother's journal—and began to read a few pages. He sighed deeply and whispered to himself,
"If only I could go back in time… I'd help Grandpa so Grandma wouldn't have to wait for him her entire life. Maybe then, I wouldn't be here now, trying to uncover the past she left behind."
The cover of the notebook read:"The New Lotus Project: Hidden Records of the Khmer Rouge Spy Network, 1976–1979."
Samreth Kiri—full name in french Theo Lucien Kiri Samreth—was a 24-year-old Franco-Khmer researcher, idealistic but haunted by his family's past. His grandmother's final wish was for him to find his grandfather, Sovann Kiri
The sky darkened, and silence thickened. As he prepared to leave, Kiri noticed an old pocket watch lying on the stone path. He picked it up out of curiosity. Just then, the sky flared violently; thunder cracked, and the air began to tremble. Alarmed, samreth packed his things quickly and started running toward the temple gate.
But no matter how fast he ran, he could not seem to reach the exit. Breathless, he clutched the old watch to his chest. The watch bore a carved lotus insignia—the same emblem from his grandmother's notebook. He realized it must have belonged to his grandfather.
At first, it seemed harmless—but now it was burning hot in his palm. The hands of the watch spun faster and faster until they glowed with an unearthly light. The brilliance filled his vision; thunder struck again—and Kiri's heartbeat stopped.
Time itself had turned backward.
~ Cambodia, 1976 – During the Khmer Rouge Regime ~
When samreth opened his eyes, he gasped. He wasn't in the temple anymore—everything around him had changed. The air smelled of wet soil and smoke. Fallen palm trees lay twisted on the ground, the aftermath of a storm.
In the distance, a man shouted for him to stop.
Startled, Kiri looked around. His smartwatch had gone dead. No one around him wore anything remotely modern. Instead, he saw men covered in mud, trembling with fear, their eyes hollow.
Then a harsh voice rang out from the trees:
"Who's there? Identify yourself!"
Samreth froze. From behind a large tree stepped men in black uniforms, red scarves tied around their necks, rifles slung across their shoulders.
He recognized them instantly—from the history books.
"This can't be real…"
Before he could say more, the soldiers shouted orders and raised their guns. Samreth turned and bolted through the undergrowth. Branches tore at his arms, but he kept running as gunfire exploded behind him. He stumbled and fell down a muddy slope, rolling until he hit the bottom of a shallow ravine.
Silence returned—except for his racing heartbeat.
Crouching behind a fallen log, he pressed himself flat against the earth and prayed the soldiers wouldn't find him. The pocket watch in his hand began to hum faintly, pulsing with a dim light. He hesitated—should he throw it away or keep it?
Footsteps approached.
He held his breath.
Then, a whisper:
"Stay quiet."
A hand gripped his shoulder. He spun around, eyes wide in terror—
A young woman crouched behind him. Her face was streaked with dirt, but her sharp eyes burned with fierce determination.
She pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for him to follow her.