Chapter Text
Antiques are neat things. They are relics that bring interest to a look. They remind you of the past. They spice things up. They are just a decoration. Antiques do not throw you into a world of monster fighting and world-saving.
As Journal stepped into VintAge, a familiar bell rang to him. A sign that he was in the right place. Ever since he discovered the place a year ago near his college, he had been going and checking things out since then. It was a distraction, something his therapist said he needed once in a while, plus he was fascinated by old things. He wanted to understand where they came from and what they’ve been through, and luckily the employees let him.
“Welcome to VintAge, most items are 25% off today only,” said a dejected shopping assistant who looked like she'd seen hell. Journal felt that, a pain that still lingered almost two years since it happened. It remained with him, clinging by his side like a child to their mother, and although it had happened, he still couldn’t shake those thoughts out. He snapped back to reality and glanced back at the assistant. “Thank you, miss.” He then proceeded on his hunt for some stuff he could dive into. That was one of his passions- studying old and vintage things, diving into the mysteries of dimensions, understanding the brain, and taking long walks -and he enjoyed it. If finding out about some old mirror that was a dispute in a 1920s divorce trial was interesting, there was certainly more to discover. Journal ran his fingers along the tables holding items, looking through the display cases, and tapping random things. Just his usual routine with this place. And what do you know, there wasn’t really anything good to investigate. This sadly, was normal, as sometimes there were just blah things. Disappointed, he was about to leave when something caught his eye. It was a gold pocket watch with a small gold chain. Inside were beautifully crafted hands and marks, and on the exterior, there were four small gems surrounding it- red, teal, light blue, and pink- a beautiful display. There was something about it that made him want it. Was it the looks? Or how it perfectly fit into his palm? Or maybe even how it perfectly told time? Journal himself didn’t know, but it interested him. He went up to pay for it, and it caught the cashier's eye. “Oh, this came in recently. I think you’d have fun with this one.” She said, before handing back the watch in exchange for the cash. He left holding the watch in his palm, before sinking it into his pocket. There was something special about it. He knew.
The night shrouded the campus in darkness, creating a swirl of colors painting the sky. Journal stared at this dark night, closing his psychology binder after a daring night of homework. He stared at his reflection in the window. God, he hated his reflection. It reminded him of who he was, what he’s been through, everything and anything, and- he snapped out of it. It wouldn’t happen again, he promised himself as he sat on his bed. He pulled out the pocket watch from his spree this afternoon and fiddled with the chain a bit. He smiled at it, knowing that this was a good deal. He would investigate it tomorrow, it would take too long to do it tonight. He put the watch down on his nightstand and proceeded to try drifting off. This worked for a while until something noticeably strange began. He felt a warm glow nearby and saw a small light in the darkness. Confused, Journal awoke in a confused mess to see the pocket watch floating and giving off a soft golden glow. Its rust had tarnished, and it looked like it was just made by whoever made it. Amazed, he reached out to grab it, but when he did, the magic stopped. The watch stopped glowing and floating and landed flat in his palm. He just stared at the watch before hearing an odd voice.
“Hi, there!”
And then he passed out into the darkness.