Elara experimented with her new reality. She could move, but everything else was frozen.
She touched a dog mid-jump, a car mid-motion, and even a falling leaf — all frozen like a photograph. Panic began to fade, replaced by curiosity.
She realized she wasn't just walking through frozen time — she could manipulate it. A push, a tug, a slight motion, and objects would shift. But why her? Why now?
Then she saw the boy again. Unlike everything else, he too could move. Their eyes met, and she understood: she wasn't alone.