Alister grinned, hiding something behind his back. He strode out of the elevator, one hand at his side. He stopped at a certain door, raising his hand and knocking on it.
“Coming!” a voice called out. Footsteps came from the interior, and the door swung open.
Standing in the doorway was a dark haired woman looking to be in her mid-twenties. A pair of glasses rested on her nose, which made it seem clear how her eyes looked when Alister pulled out the pearl white rose. She let out a laugh as it was placed gently in her hands.
“Alister!” she said, smiling with her mouth agape. “Where-? How-?”
“Are you going to finish any of those questions?” he asked, a smirk playing across his face. He stepped around her, entering her apartment. “You didn’t think I forgot your 25th birthday, did you, Fayt?”
Fayt grinned and shook her head to the empty space now in front of her, closing the door and turning towards Alister. “I’m not going to risk further embarrassment and just ask you where you got this,” she said.
Alister chuckled, a teasing grin on his face. He took a seat on the couch. “I can have secrets too, you know,” he said. Fayt smirked.
“You can’t keep them from me, however,” Fayt said, walking closer. “You always end up telling me.”
Alister laughed. She had a point. He stood up and strode forward, taking her in his arms. She nearly fell, but he was able to catch her before she touched the ground.
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, grinning. He set her back on her feet, not letting go. “Now it’s time for your birthday present.”
Fayt looked down at where the rose should have been, but there was nothing in her hands. He gently cupped her chin and readjusted her gaze towards a vase that now held the rose. She laughed.
“How did you-?” she started.
“Let me show you your birthday present and I won’t need to explain, Alister said, grinning. He embraced her tightly and they vanished. Left behind was a faint ticking sound, like one from a clock.

Alister let go of Fayt, letting her study her surroundings.
“Does this place seem familiar?” he asked. She frowned, trying to think.
“Vaguely,” she murmured.
“Look again,” he said.
As Fayt looked around, her eyes widened in recognition.
It was a diner. A stage stood erect in the back. A smooth dance floor stood in front of it, many couples dancing to the band that played on the stage. It seemed too fancy for a diner, but it sure as hell wasn’t a restaurant.
“This is where we met!” she said. Alister glanced around them, and then motioned towards a booth. Fayt looked at the booth, amazed to see a younger version of herself, sitting there, alone.
“How-?” she started.
“One second,” he said. He ran over to the stage as Fayt watched her younger self eat alone, her own mind reeling with possibilities. Alister came back, grabbing Fayt’s hands. He turned to the booth as the song “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” began playing. He smirked as Fayt began piecing everything together with each word of the song.
“It’s-!” she started. He placed a finger on her lips, cutting her off.
“The show’s about to start,” he said softly.
As they watched, a young man made his way over to the other Fayt, his face not visible from the two onlookers’ position.
“Would you care to dance?” the man asked her in a carefree and light voice, not like Alister’s. The younger Fayt nodded and, as she got up, the man turned around, revealing his face to the onlookers.
It was a younger Alister, his gentle complexion emphasizing his soft smile. The older Alister turned around so the younger would not be able to see his face, gently forcing Fayt to do the same.
“It’s the day we met!” she said in a soft voice. Alister grinned at her. “You’re a jumper!”
Alister snorted. “Don’t associate me with jumpers. I’m a…” he suddenly hesitated and held a white rose out to her, “…time bender.” He turned around and looked at the clock once the younger versions of themselves were well out of eyeshot. “Five…”
Fayt tilted her head. Alister smirked.
“Four…”
She gave him a confused look.
“Three…”
At that moment, creatures entered into the diner with a large ruckus.
“Crap, I timed it wrong,” Alister said. Fayt frowned.
“Why are we still here?” Fayt asked. Alister smirked.
“You said you always wanted to know what happened after you got knocked out,” he said. “So watch.”
The diner became abnormally quiet. The younger Fayt made her way to the front.
“Let us go,” she said firmly. A tranquilizer shot her in the shoulder suddenly, and she crumpled to the floor. A crashing noise came from the kitchen and all of the creatures turned towards it, not looking at her anymore. Fayt’s body vanished, and the remaining Fayt stared at the Alister she was standing by. She opened her mouth to say something, but Alister cut her off by nodding to her unspoken question.
“Since we’re gone, I think we’re safe to roam around,” Alister whispered.
“But we’re hostages!” Fayt whispered back. Alister said nothing, responding with a smirk.
“Where is Alister?” the leader of the creatures asked. Alister raised his hand.
“You know, it’s kind of freaky how you know my name, yet I don’t know yours,” Alister said. “It makes me think I can’t have secrets anymore.”
“Come with us and we’ll let them go,” the leader said. Alister rubbed his chin, as if in thought.
“What the heck, sure,” he said, shrugging.
“Alister!” Fayt yelled as he began walking over. Alister turned towards Fayt, flashing her a grin. He then turned back to the creatures, a serious face replacing his normal playful one. He followed them out of the diner.
Not even a minute later, Alister appeared behind Fayt. “That took longer than I expected,” he whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her arms. She jumped but calmed as she realized it was Alister. “Let’s go home,” he said gently, disappearing with her in his arms.

Fayt walked into the shared laboratory the next day with a faint smile on her face. The people that she worked with watched her as she made her way to her seat; a desk cluttered with presents resting in front of it. She grabbed one from the top of the pile, shaking it. She turned to her colleagues.
“You guys shouldn’t have,” she said, and it echoed through the silent room. She opened the present and laughed, pulling out a bunch of typed papers. “Whoever did my report really shouldn’t have!”

Alister smirked, brown eyes twinkling. He ducked, narrowly dodging the sword as it sliced through the now empty air swiftly. His eyes met the other’s.
“So how does it work?” the other asked.
“How does what work, Xia?” he asked, dodging another swipe.
“The time thing,” Xia asked, lunging forward and stopping the sword in its sheath behind her.
“I’m not too sure,” he said, sitting down in the chair. Xia sat on the couch across from him, making eye contact. “I do have an idea,” he said, hesitating. “Or not…” he added. “Stupid flaws.”
Xia chuckled, getting up and going to the kitchen. “Want a drink?”
“No thanks.”
“So…how are you and Fayt doing?”
“Well,” he said as Xia entered once more, a can of beer wedged in her hand, “I showed her.”
“Your ability? Are you sure you trust her?”
“I trust her with my life,” Alister said.
“But she works for the government labs! It’s not like you’re logged! She could rat you out!”
Alister smirked. “Then I better not dump her,” he said, standing up.
“You’re insane, Alister.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A fist swung out, slamming into the other’s face.
“Where is the jumper?” the man growled.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about!”
The first man punched him again.
“Where is Alister?”
“I hate it when people call me a jumper,” Alister said. The first person whipped around to glare at him. “I’m Alister. Get it, got it, good.”
The first one sneered. “That was some vanishing act you pulled off two years ago,” he said.
“You really think so? Oh, you’re too kind,” Alister said. “Now you have my friend here, so I’m going to have to ask you to let him go.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I’m going to have to do this,” Alister said, suddenly vanishing. He reappeared behind the trapped man, covering his mouth and teleporting away with him.

They both appeared in front of a large building, the bustling crowd around them seeming to ignore them.
“Don’t ever repeat what just happened,” Alister said. The other nodded vigorously and ran into the building.
Alister sighed. “The last time I donate money,” he muttered.
As he began walking, the people around him that were previously rushing to their respective places suddenly began slowing down until they came to a complete stop.
Some people were frozen in mid-stride; many were frozen in awkward positions such as mid-sneeze or mid-cough. Alister, however, was unaffected.
“Who did that?” Alister called out.
A figure stepped forward. He looked to be not too much older than Alister. His half-lidded eyes refused to let out any emotion and his mouth was tugged into a frown.
“Who are you?” Alister asked.
“You ever wonder why the world’s changed?” the man asked, ignoring Alister’s questions. “Here’s the answer; you.”
Alister stared at him, mouth agape.
“You’re the first person ever to have any magical abilities. You’re the reason the world is like this. The first creature appeared right when you were born. You’re not supposed to exist.”
“That-that can’t be right!” Alister said. “You’re older than me, and you have abilities!”
“I am you,” the man said, and Alister could see it. It was an older version of himself. “And you want proof that you aren’t supposed to exist? See for yourself.” He handed Alister a card. “On the back was when you were made. The place on the front is proof you should stop them.”
Before Alister could say anything more, his older version was gone and time had resumed. Alister looked at the front of the card and teleported exactly to when and where it stated.

Alister appeared in a clinic hallway, a voice coming from the other side of a door.
“I’m sorry, but you are unable to conceive,” he heard a man say.
“Which of us is the problem?” a woman asked, and Alister recognized the voice.
There was a pause during which the doctor looked over the papers. “It’s you Solara,” the doctor said, proving Alister’s suspicions.
“Mom…” Alister murmured. He looked at the front of the card and hesitated. He then teleported to one stop before he went there.


• • •

Fayt read the report, frowning.
“It says the first time a creature appeared was March 25th, 1984, but…” she paused for a second, “…that’s when Alister was born…”
That’s when it hit her. “No…it had to have come at some other time before then, any other time…” she murmured, but she already had the answer.
She threw herself out of her seat, sprinting for the door. The lab coat billowed behind her, and she decided that it was holding her back. She ripped off the coat, letting it flutter to the floor behind her. She pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open, dialing a number she memorized by heart.
“Hi, this is Alister, if I’m not answering it means I’m either not available or not in the mood to talk to you. Leave a message and I may get back to you,” the answering mechanism on Alister’s cell phone recited after several rings.
“Alister? God, Alister, call me as soon as possible!” Fayt said after she heard the beep, signaling the beginning of the message. Once she hung up, she cursed.
“Alister…where the hell are you?” she muttered.

Alister appeared in front of the door he knew all of his life. He glanced at the clock tower that loomed over the city and compared it to the time on the card.
“One minute…” he murmured. He hesitated.
He was about to make things right, the way things should be if he never existed. He was going to put the world back to the way it was. He had already done Fayt’s report and, hopefully, she would get the hint.
One person means nothing to an entire world.
Yet one person could make the difference to an entire world.
Alister rang the doorbell and knocked on the door repeatedly. One minute later, when his mother opened the door, he was gone.

Fayt yawned, waking up. It was a new day.
She smiled, standing up. It was her birthday today, and, luckily, she had the day off.
The smile was suddenly wiped off. She turned twenty-five today, and she was still single, with no one special in her life. She felt something was missing, but she couldn’t place what.
The doorbell rang, and she frowned. She walked over to the door and opened it.
Lying on the floor in front of the door was a pearl white rose.