Julián heredó un viejo reloj de bolsillo de su abuelo. Tenía un diseño dorado y elegante, pero lo más extraño era la inscripción en la tapa: "No lo detengas".
Al principio, lo guardó sin prestarle demasiada atención, hasta que, una noche, la curiosidad lo venció. Decidió darle cuerda en sentido contrario. De inmediato, sintió un mareo y, al abrir los ojos, estaba en su infancia, viendo a su abuelo leer el periódico en su vieja casa. Se frotó los ojos, incrédulo. ¿Era un sueño? Pero el olor a café y el sonido del reloj de pared le aseguraron que no.
Al comprender que el reloj podía llevarlo al pasado, decidió experimentar. Volvió a su juventud, corrigió errores, evitó malas decisiones, recuperó relaciones perdidas. Cada vez que giraba la corona, el tiempo retrocedía. Sin embargo, cada cambio tenía un costo: pequeños detalles de su presente comenzaban a desvanecerse. Su casa cambió de dirección, su familia no lo reconocía, incluso su propio rostro en el espejo parecía diferente.
Desesperado, intentó regresar a su tiempo original. Pero esta vez, el reloj se negó a moverse. Lo sacudió, intentó darle cuerda en ambas direcciones, pero no reaccionaba. Comprendió su error, pero ya era tarde.
Julián estaba atrapado en un tiempo que no le pertenecía. Corrió por las calles buscando algo familiar, pero todo le era extraño. Sin saber qué más hacer, volvió a la casa de su infancia, donde encontró a su abuelo.
—Te advertí que no lo detuvieras —dijo el anciano con tristeza, mostrando un reloj idéntico en su propia mano.
Julián quiso hablar, pero su cuerpo comenzó a desvanecerse. Y antes de que pudiera pedir ayuda, se convirtió en nada más que un recuerdo perdido en el tiempo.
English
Julián inherited an old pocket watch from his grandfather. It had an elegant golden design, but the strangest thing was the inscription on the lid: "Do not stop it."
At first, he stored it away without much thought. But one night, curiosity got the best of him. He decided to wind it backward. Immediately, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and when he opened his eyes, he was in his childhood, watching his grandfather read the newspaper in their old house. He rubbed his eyes, bewildered. Was this a dream? But the smell of coffee and the ticking of the wall clock assured him it was real.
Realizing the watch could take him to the past, he began experimenting. He returned to his youth, corrected mistakes, avoided bad decisions, and rekindled lost relationships. Every time he turned the crown, time reversed. However, each change had a cost: small details of his present started to disappear. His house changed locations, his family didn’t recognize him, even his own face in the mirror seemed different.
Desperate, he tried to return to his original time. But this time, the watch refused to move. He shook it, wound it in both directions, but it remained unresponsive. He understood his mistake, but it was too late.
Julián was trapped in a time that did not belong to him. He ran through the streets searching for something familiar, but everything was foreign. With no other choice, he returned to his childhood home, where he found his grandfather.
"I warned you not to stop it," the old man said with sadness, showing an identical watch in his own hand.
Julián wanted to speak, but his body began to fade. And before he could ask for help, he became nothing more than a lost memory in time.
