The Boy Who Could See Death Timers
Chapter 1: The Red Numbers
Arin thought it was just a strange dream.
When he opened his eyes that morning, sunlight was coming through his window. Birds were chirping outside. Everything looked normal.
Until he turned his head and saw it.
A red number floating in the air.
Right above his mother's head.
12:45:22:10
He blinked hard.
The number stayed.
He rubbed his eyes.
Still there.
His mother was busy folding clothes. She didn't notice anything.
"Mom…" Arin said slowly, "do you see that red number above your head?"
His mother looked confused.
"Number? What number? Are you feeling okay?"
Arin forced a laugh.
"N-nothing. I'm just sleepy."
But his heart was beating fast.
The number was moving.
Counting down.
Seconds were decreasing.
He felt a chill run down his spine.
At breakfast, he kept staring at the timer.
Every second it changed.
12:45:21:59
12:45:21:58
What did it mean?
A clock? A prank? Was he going crazy?
He quietly finished his food and left for school.
The road to school was noisy as usual. Students walking, cars honking, people talking.
But today, something was different.
Every person he looked at had a red timer above their head.
Some had big numbers like:
43:12:10:05
Some had small ones like:
05:03:44:12
Arin's breathing became heavy.
"What is happening…" he whispered.
He almost bumped into a pole because he was staring at a stranger's timer.
He tried to ignore it.
Maybe it would disappear.
Maybe it was stress.
At school, it got worse.
The classroom was full of floating red numbers.
Above every student.
Above the teacher.
Even above the quiet boy in the corner.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Like silent countdowns.
Arin felt like he was inside a bomb room where every clock was running toward zero.
He held his head.
"This isn't real… this isn't real…"
Then the classroom door opened.
The teacher walked in with a new student.
"Class, we have a new transfer student," the teacher announced.
The girl stepped inside.
Long black hair. Calm face. Sharp eyes.
The room became quiet.
But Arin wasn't looking at her face.
He was looking above her head.
There was nothing there.
No red timer.
No numbers.
Just empty space.
She was the only one.
Arin stared at her in shock.
Why doesn't she have one?
The girl slowly scanned the class.
Then her eyes stopped on him.
Directly on him.
Like she knew.
Arin quickly looked away.
His palms felt sweaty.
"This is Lina," the teacher said. "She'll be studying with us from today."
Lina gave a small nod.
No smile. No wave.
Just silence.
"Go sit beside Arin. There's an empty seat," the teacher said.
Arin froze.
Beside me?
She walked toward him calmly and sat down.
He could feel a strange cold air around her.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Then Arin whispered,
"Why don't you have a timer?"
Lina slowly turned her head.
Her eyes were deep and calm.
Then she said quietly:
"You can see them too?"
Arin's heart skipped a beat.
"You… you know about them?" he whispered.
She looked forward again.
"Don't talk about it loudly," she said.
"Talk about what?" he asked nervously.
She didn't reply.
The teacher started the lesson.
But Arin couldn't focus.
His mind was full of questions.
During lunch break, everyone talked about Lina.
"She's pretty."
"She's weird."
"She didn't talk to anyone."
"She looks cold."
But Arin stayed silent.
He kept glancing at her.
She was eating alone, looking out the window.
No timer above her head.
Just normal air.
It made her feel… different.
Not human almost.
After school, Arin walked home slowly.
His head hurt from seeing too many timers.
He took the shortcut near the old playground.
The sky was turning orange.
Suddenly—
He heard footsteps behind him.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
He turned.
It was Lina.
"You forgot this," she said, holding his notebook.
Arin was surprised.
"Oh—thanks. You didn't have to come all the way."
She handed it to him.
Then she looked at the sky.
Her expression changed.
"You shouldn't walk here after sunset," she said.
"Why?" Arin asked.
She looked at him seriously.
"Because they can see you now."
A cold wave went through his body.
"Who can see me?" he asked.
Before she answered—
A loud metal crash sound came from the playground.
Like something heavy fell.
Arin turned his head for one second.
Just one.
When he looked back—
Lina was gone.
No footsteps.
No running sound.
Nothing.
Only empty road.
Arin's throat went dry.
"How…?"
He looked around.
No sign of her.
It was like she vanished into thin air.
That night, Arin couldn't sleep.
He kept thinking about timers.
About Lina.
About her words.
At exactly 12:07 AM, his phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
His hands trembled as he opened it.
"They know you can see the timers."
Arin's chest tightened.
Another message came.
"Stay away from people with low time."
His fingers shook.
He typed:
"Who are you?"
Three dots appeared.
Then the reply came:
"Look outside your window."
Arin slowly turned his head.
His heart was pounding.
He walked to the window and pulled the curtain slightly.
There, across the street…
Under the dim streetlight…
Lina was standing.
Looking straight at his window.
Her eyes glowing faint blue.
And for the first time—
Arin noticed something above the sky.
A giant red timer.
Ticking.
Counting.
And somehow…
He felt it was connected to him.
Chapter 2: The Boy with Two Days
Arin barely slept that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw red numbers counting down in the darkness.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The giant timer in the sky… Lina standing under the streetlight… the message on his phone…
It all felt too real to be a dream.
Morning came, but his mind was still heavy.
He dragged himself to school.
As soon as he entered the classroom, the timers appeared again.
Above every head.
Counting down silently.
He tried to act normal.
Tried not to stare.
Tried not to panic.
But then he saw something that made his body freeze.
Above his best friend Rafi's head:
02:11:08:21
Two days.
Arin swallowed hard.
"Two days until what?" he whispered.
The timer kept moving.
Seconds dropping.
Rafi waved at him.
"Hey! Why do you look like a ghost?"
Arin forced a smile.
"No reason."
But inside, fear was growing.
During class, Arin couldn't focus.
He kept looking at Rafi's timer.
It never stopped.
Never paused.
Just counting down.
At lunch, Rafi came excitedly.
"Bro! We're going on a bike trip day after tomorrow!" he said.
Arin's heart dropped.
"Bike trip?" Arin repeated.
"Yeah! Highway ride. Me and some seniors. It'll be awesome!"
Day after tomorrow.
Exactly when the timer hits zero.
A cold sweat formed on Arin's neck.
"Don't go," Arin said suddenly.
Rafi blinked.
"What?"
"Just don't go. I have a bad feeling."
Rafi laughed.
"Since when do you believe in bad feelings?"
"I'm serious!" Arin insisted.
Rafi shook his head.
"You worry too much."
That evening, Arin texted Lina.
"My friend has only 2 days on his timer. What does it mean?"
She replied after a minute:
"It means his death is near."
Arin's hands trembled.
"Can I stop it?"
Another pause.
"Sometimes."
"How??"
"Find the cause."
That was all she sent.
Next day, Arin stayed close to Rafi.
Watching.
Thinking.
Searching.
He noticed Rafi talking about the bike trip again and again.
Laughing about speed.
About racing trucks.
A bad feeling grew in Arin's chest.
The final day came.
Rafi's timer showed:
00:05:12:10
Five hours left.
Arin panicked.
He skipped class and followed Rafi after school.
Rafi met the seniors near the highway.
Bikes ready.
Engines loud.
Arin ran to him.
"Please don't go!" Arin shouted.
Rafi looked annoyed.
"What's wrong with you today?"
"Please! Just today! Go tomorrow!"
The seniors laughed.
"Your friend is scared."
Rafi smirked.
"Relax. I'll be fine."
The timer dropped to:
00:04:59:59
Arin's chest felt tight.
He grabbed Rafi's bike key.
"Hey!" Rafi snapped.
"Don't go!" Arin begged.
For a moment, Rafi hesitated.
Then he sighed.
"Fine. I'll skip today. Happy?"
Arin felt relief.
The timer kept moving though.
It didn't stop.
Arin felt confused.
Why isn't it disappearing?
Rafi decided to go home instead.
Arin walked behind him, still worried.
They crossed a busy road.
A huge truck was coming fast.
Too fast.
Rafi stepped forward without looking.
Arin saw the timer:
00:00:10
9
8…
"RAFI!!" Arin screamed.
He pushed Rafi back with all his strength.
The truck roared past.
Wind hit their faces.
Rafi fell on the ground, shocked.
The timer hit:
00:00:00
And then—
It vanished.
Gone.
Like it never existed.
Arin's legs became weak.
He collapsed on his knees.
Rafi stared at him.
"You saved me… I didn't even see the truck."
Arin tried to smile.
"I told you to be careful."
But suddenly—
His head started spinning.
His nose began bleeding.
Drop by drop.
Rafi panicked.
"Bro! Are you okay?!"
Arin felt the world blur.
Then a familiar voice spoke beside him.
"You changed fate."
He looked up.
Lina was standing there.
Calm as always.
"But every change has a cost," she said softly.
Arin tried to speak.
But darkness covered his vision.
When he opened his eyes again—
He was lying on a bench.
Lina sitting beside him.
"You used your life force," she said.
"My… what?" Arin whispered.
She looked at him seriously.
"The timers you see are death schedules. They are not meant to be touched."
Arin's heart pounded.
"So I can't save people?"
"You can," she said quietly.
"But the more you save… the shorter your own time becomes."
Arin froze.
Before he could ask more—
He saw something strange.
Above Lina's head…
A timer appeared.
But it wasn't red.
It was black.
And it was counting down fast.
09:59
09:58
09:57…
"Lina…" Arin whispered.
"What is that?"
For the first time—
Lina looked scared.
"They found me," she said.
"Who found you?"
She looked at the dark sky.
And whispered—
"Time Breakers. "
Chapter 3: The Girl Without Time
Next morning, Arin went straight to Lina.
"You know about the timers, don't you?" he asked.
Lina looked calm.
"Yes."
"Then tell me what they are!"
She stayed silent for a moment, then said,
"They show when a person will die."
Arin's chest tightened.
"So Rafi almost—"
"Yes," Lina nodded.
"You changed his fate."
Arin asked the question that scared him most:
"Why don't you have one?"
Lina looked into his eyes.
"Because I don't belong to your time."
Before he could ask more, she walked away.
Chapter 4: The First Save
During class, Arin noticed his teacher's timer:
00:03:10:05
Only three hours.
Fear filled his heart.
After school, he secretly followed the teacher.
Near the staff room, he saw a broken electric wire hanging loose.
The timer dropped:
00:01:22
Arin ran and pulled the teacher away.
A spark exploded from the wire.
Students screamed.
But the teacher was safe.
Arin looked up.
The timer disappeared.
Relief filled him.
But suddenly his head hurt badly.
His nose started bleeding.
Lina appeared beside him.
"Saving lives costs energy," she said quietly.
Chapter 5: A Warning
Lina took Arin to the rooftop.
"You must stop interfering," she said.
"I can't just watch people die!" Arin replied.
Lina looked serious.
"If you keep changing fate, your own life will shorten."
Arin froze.
"My life?"
She nodded.
At that moment, a strange cold wind blew.
Arin looked up—
For a second, he saw a timer above Lina.
But it wasn't red.
It was black.
And it was counting fast.
"Lina… what is that?" he asked.
She looked scared for the first time.
"They are coming," she whispered.
"Who?"
She answered softly—
"Time Breakers."