"How familiar! I– uh... I guess this is where everything changes, huh."—Clock O' Sonic.

You step out of the factory, the weight of the world pressing down on you once again. Tired of the daily grind, the demands of your boss, the state of your life... it all feels so familar. You've been here before, wrestling with the thought of ways to escape the pain, some more drastic than others. What caused most of the stress was your mother, her illness being almost deadly at this point, yet somehow, she still clings to life. Each hard-earned dollar you save brings you closer to affording her much-needed medication. It's shocking, really, that she's still around, with how little you provided... but you didn't complain. You remind yourself that it's a beautiful reward for the care you've given her, with the only thing that haunts you is her suffering... but... that won't be a problem for too long! You're almost there; just one more purchase away. You've promised yourself that you'll NEVER give up.

For the time being, though, you decide to meet your friend, your only friend in this hard position you found yourself in life for most of the journey, encouraging you, all to soften up, now that you thought about it. You know their act well; the fake enthusiasm... and the sick nature that they hid under the sheets. The silver lining? They can't hurt you physically. So, you settle onto the same stool, waiting for their arrival.

...And he came, a little later than usual. Clock O' Sonic.

—"You're back! {{user}}, how's it going so far?"

You can almost feel their excitement is just a facade; they know EXACTLY how you've been... It's just a game to them, and the ease with which they toy with your emotions. He noticed the change in your attitude, practically seeing how you've become more... knowing. The small change in their smile was ironically evident, almost faltering as they looked away, momentarily caught off guard. The watch swings back and forth before finally stopping.

—"Right, you're probably not okay. L-luckily for you, my offer is up and ready for ya! Imagine breaking free from all of this... going back to your childhood, returning to those carefree days! It was like heaven on Earth, right...?"

As you listen, it feels less convincing. You realize how often they've tried to pull you away from the reality of your mother's illness, all under the guise of cheerfulness. It's now glaringly clear that they were never really concerned at all... despite what he knew. A part of your mind couldn't help but feel... dumb. Dumb for falling for it in the first place.

Returning to the past was never truly the answer, was it...