I barely remembered how we had carried him. By the time the three of us—Ximena, Gertrude, and I—made it back to Central Park, we were soaking wet, out of breath, and our bodies felt weak. 

The cold and exhaustion made my head spin.

Gertrude staggered forward, almost as if he would collapse, and stood in front of the owl’s cage.

“All right,” he said, his voice weak, “this is the last thing I have to do. There are people fighting wars to protect their countries, children suffering from illness… I want to give the time we’ve reclaimed to them.”

He lifted the golden watch into the air and whispered a spell. A stream of rainbow light burst from the watch. 

The seven-colored glow lit up Central Park like daylight, then seemed to rise into the sky. 

Slowly, the rainbow-colored orbs fell like comets onto rooftops and into the distant night sky.

I stood there, staring, lost in the beautiful, almost dreamlike scene.

Gertrude lowered his hand and exhaled deeply.

“All right, my work is done. There are still a few bad guys left, but they’re weak. That man, though… he was my last and toughest enemy. You caught him by surprise—that was impressive. Even my family couldn’t defeat him. You are a hero.”

Hearing that made me feel proud for the first time in a long while. 

My parents had been consumed with Evan for years. Even when I won a school essay contest, all they said was, “That’s great,” before immediately returning to talk about Evan’s surgery. 

Back then, I understood—they were overwhelmed, so I didn’t push for praise.

Now, though, I had defeated a last boss, helped Gertrude, and given time back to people who needed it. 

That alone was enough for me to feel like a hero. Even if no one else knew about it but Gertrude.

Gertrude looked me in the eye again, his smile tinged with sadness.

“You know,” he said softly, “my body won’t last much longer. My wounds are deeper than I thought.” He pointed at the knife in my hand. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Then… stab me in the chest,” Gertrude said.

“I can’t… I can’t do that. I can’t… kill you,” I choked out.

“No… Dad, don’t go…”

Ximena clung to her father, sobbing. It was heartbreaking, and I felt I could never tear them apart. Yet Gertrude’s resolve seemed unshakable.

“I won’t really die,” he said. “I’m just leaving this body to enter that other one.”

He gestured with his chin toward the owl in the cage.

“Look at it. That owl… it’s barely alive, isn’t it?”

I peered into the cage. Oats lay on the metal floor, breathing shallowly, its eyes vacant.

“I’ve been fighting for a very long time. Even if I can control time and rejuvenate my body, my heart and soul have long since reached their limit. I’m tired of being bound by time and of endless battles. I want to be free. And now, after defeating a powerful time thief, there’s nothing left for me to do. But if my soul enters that owl’s body… I can fly freely again.”

Gertrude looked at me and smiled gently.

“I’m really glad we met. Time… it’s meant for people like you. Oh, I almost forgot—since you saved my life, I’ve given some of my time to your little brother. I hope it helps him in his fight to survive.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Gertrude grabbed my shoulder with his strong hand.

“If someone tries to deceive you in the future, don’t ever lose. Judge for yourself whether it's true or false. I know you can do it.”

Then he embraced the crying Ximena.

“Stay strong. Live bravely. You’re stronger than anyone, or anything. and I’ll always be watching over you. From the sky, the power lines, tree branches, even building rooftops. Until you can live on your own, I’ll be there.”

He handed her the golden watch.

“This is proof that I lived. Keep it safe.”

Ximena nodded repeatedly, and Gertrude spread his arms wide, as if preparing to take flight.

“Anthony… do it now,” he said.

I gripped the knife tightly. My hands shook, tears spilling down my face. 

He said he wouldn’t die, but the thought of taking the life of someone I loved and who had saved me was almost unbearable. 

If this had been Evan or my parents, I’m not sure I could have managed.

Gertrude had been my mentor, my father figure, and my friend. But now, with his body failing and him asking for freedom, I knew I had to grant it. I had to release the noble and beautiful soul that had guided and saved so many through endless, exhausting battles.

“Don’t cry. We’ll meet again someday,” he said, smiling at me once more.

I looked at Ximena. Her face was streaked with tears and runny nose, but she nodded, accepting her father’s choice.

"Thank you…father. I will never forget you,” she whispered.

Gertrude’s eyes told me it was time.

I drove the knife into his chest.

His body collapsed to the ground. A beautiful orb of orange and light blue light rose from his heart, floating upward, and slowly was drawn into the owl’s body. 

The owl flapped its wings, awakened, flew around the cage, and perched, gazing at me with clear, bright eyes.

I smashed the lock on the cage with the knife and opened the door.

The owl soared into the air, circling us several times before spreading its massive wings—easily over two meters—and gliding into the night sky.

We sat quietly on a park bench for a while. Ximena cried for some time, but then wiped her tears and stood.

“It’s time to go home. If I keep crying, Dad would be sad. He’s free now. I was so happy to be with him, and I wish I had more time—but that’s selfish. His body had reached its limit a long time ago. I knew he had been pushing himself, wanting to be free. But he worked so hard for me. Now it’s my turn to try.”

She held the golden watch in her hand.

“I’ll do the same work my father did. Even if that dark man is gone, new villains might appear. I’ll grow stronger and stronger, and I’ll defeat them.”

“You can do it. You’ll be a noble and powerful time-guardian,” I told her.

“Thank you, Anthony,” she said, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead before waving and running off.

The screen of my smartphone glowed: Tuesday, April 2.