Chapter 1: A World of Seconds

In a future where time has replaced currency, people live not by the sweat of their brow but by the seconds ticking down on their arms. In New Greenwich, the wealthy live for centuries, while in the ghettoes, time is so scarce that every minute is precious.

Tyler, a young man in his mid-twenties but with only two weeks on his clock, works tirelessly to earn more time. He spends his days on the factory floor and his nights hustling for every extra second he can get. His best friend Leo is always by his side, cracking jokes to lift the heavy atmosphere. But no matter how much time they scrape together, it’s never enough. Tyler’s mother had died just last year because they ran out of time, and since then, he’s vowed to never be in that position again.

Chapter 2: The Stranger with Centuries

One night, after a grueling shift, Tyler heads to a local bar to relax, watching the timers on people’s arms. That’s when he sees him—Lucas, a mysterious man with decades on his clock, lounging at the bar like he has all the time in the world. The sight makes Tyler’s heart race, not just from the amount of time Lucas has but because of his sharp, striking looks. There’s something magnetic about him.

Lucas catches Tyler’s gaze and smiles, inviting him over. The two start talking, and what begins as casual conversation soon turns into something deeper. Lucas, it turns out, isn’t from the ghetto. He’s from the elite world of New Greenwich but has grown tired of its hollow, unfeeling luxury. Unlike others in his world, he doesn’t hoard time out of greed—he simply has more than he needs and wishes he could share it with others.

As the night progresses, Tyler finds himself drawn to Lucas, not just for the time he has but for his kindness and warmth. For the first time in his life, Tyler feels seen by someone from the upper echelon. When Lucas leaves, he presses his arm against Tyler’s, transferring several years onto Tyler’s clock without a word.

Chapter 3: A Risky Gamble

The next day, Tyler wakes with more time than he’s ever had before. He seeks out Lucas, feeling a strange pull toward him that goes beyond gratitude. But there’s a risk. Timekeepers, the enforcers of this society, closely monitor transfers of large sums of time, and Tyler knows that Lucas’s generosity could land them both in trouble.

Despite the danger, Tyler finds Lucas again, this time in an upscale part of town. Lucas admits that he’s been searching for Tyler too, confessing that he’s tired of living in a world where every interaction is transactional, where even love is timed.

“You’re the only person who’s looked at me and didn’t just see my clock,” Lucas says softly, his eyes locking with Tyler’s. “I can’t help but feel something… real with you.”

Tyler is stunned by Lucas’s words but knows the reality of their situation. He can’t hide the fear that gnaws at him—the idea of falling for someone from a world so far above his own, where time is everything.

Chapter 4: Running Out of Time

Their secret romance blossoms over the next few weeks. They meet in hidden corners of the city, away from the prying eyes of the Timekeepers and Lucas’s wealthy peers. But as the days go by, they both feel the shadow of the system looming over them. Tyler wants to save enough time to run away with Lucas, far from the reach of New Greenwich, but Lucas refuses to leave him behind in the ghetto, where time is stolen every day.

Just as they plan to escape together, a team of Timekeepers ambushes them. Lucas is accused of illegally transferring time, and Tyler is branded as a thief. In the ensuing chaos, Tyler watches in horror as Lucas’s clock runs dangerously low. They manage to escape, but now Lucas has only a few hours left.

Chapter 5: A Sacrifice for Love

Desperate, Tyler makes the ultimate decision. With his clock now filled with decades thanks to Lucas’s earlier generosity, he seeks out an underground time market, determined to transfer his life back to Lucas. He knows the danger—it could kill him. But Tyler can’t imagine a world without Lucas, and he’d rather die with him than live without him.

In the final moments, Tyler finds Lucas sitting by a river, staring at the sunset. When Lucas turns to him, he already knows what Tyler plans to do.

“You don’t have to do this,” Lucas pleads, tears in his eyes. “We can run, we can find another way.”

But Tyler presses his arm against Lucas’s before he can pull away, transferring all but one minute of his own time to the man he loves.

“I can’t live in a world where you’re not there,” Tyler whispers as his clock ticks down. “But I can live knowing that you’ll have the time to find happiness.”

Epilogue: Timeless Love

Lucas, now holding decades of time on his arm, kneels beside Tyler’s body as his clock ticks to zero. Timekeepers find them, but they can’t take what Lucas now has. He’s out of their jurisdiction, out of their control.

Years pass, and Lucas, still living in the memory of the man who gave him everything, never forgets. He spends his time not in luxury but in making sure others like Tyler don’t run out of time too soon. Every second is precious, and Lucas carries the love they shared, knowing it was the one thing that transcended time.

In the end, love, just like time, is fleeting—but it’s what you do with it that matters.