Aarav ran back to the old shop.
But this time, the shop looked even darker.
The old man was already there,
as if he had been waiting.
"You came back," he said calmly.
Aarav shouted,
"What is happening to me?!"
The old man looked at the watch.
"The more you stop time…
the more your own time is taken."
Aarav's heart sank.
"So… I am paying for it?"
The old man nodded slowly.
"Time cannot be controlled for free.
You borrow it…
and you repay it with your life."
Aarav's hands shook.
"Then how do I stop this?"
The old man looked directly into his eyes.
"Return what you took…
or lose everything."