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The context, previously muddled, was now clear — a deal, a betrayal, and the offer of a bribe.
As the scene played, my attention wasn’t on the ghostly figures this time.
It was on the vintage turntable at the side.
This device, which we’d used to reverse the conversation, was the key.
I approached it, noting the arm, the needle, and the record beneath.
It was spinning, playing out the memory, but my earlier revelation made me see it in a different light.
The needle was two-thirds of the way through the record.
Not at the beginning.
Not at the end.
Toward the end.
Recalling the time from the previous defense, I asked: “Tix, how long do you think this scene has been playing?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, his gaze going from me to the turntable, then back again. “Five minutes? Maybe ten?” he hazarded.
I was certain. “This scene doesn’t run for five or ten minutes,” I said, a surge of excitement bubbling within me. “It runs for exactly eight minutes and thirty-two seconds.”
He frowned. “What does that have to do with anything—”
His eyes widened in realization.
That eternal timestamp of 8:32 from the previous room.
Could it be?
With newfound determination, I gently lifted the needle, moving it just a fraction forward, closing the gap of those missing moments.
As it touched the groove, the scene jumped ahead.
Uhah was now standing, a look of contemplation on his face, before he decisively shook hands with the two male creatures.
The weight of his decision was evident.
The scene held for a moment before freezing, the figures turning into statues of the past.
The record, having played its part, now reached its end, signifying the conclusion of the memory.
But, most importantly, the door at the back of the room, the one that had always remained resolutely shut, now slid open, revealing the path to the next defense.
The satisfaction of the moment was palpable.
Tix’s gaze met mine, his eyes shining with pride and amazement.
Before I knew it, he closed the distance between us, capturing my lips in a searing kiss.
It was a kiss of gratitude, of admiration, of the deep bond that we shared.
Pulling back slightly, he whispered:
“You are incredible.”
