Alex turned his head and looked carefully.
The girl in front of him appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen, thin and lovely.
Her eyebrows were elegant.
Her nose bridge was dainty.
Her lips were tiny and pink.
Her looks were certainly one in a thousand—probably even one in ten thousand.
But presently, she was out of breath, obviously a bit gaunt.
Her breasts rose and fell with every breath, and with the way her clothing hugged her figure… The picture was breathtaking.
Even a professional model might've thought twice before posing beside her like this.
Just as Alex looked at Lucy.
Lucy was watching the young man standing before her too.
This fellow was odd, dressed in odd attire, but beyond doubt, handsome.
For the last few days, she had been running around the city in search of clean water for her father, but it was all in vain.
She was just about ready to give up, thinking there was no hope left…
She was shocked to spot Alex washing his face with water!
But before she could even shout out, he glanced up—and took off running.
What the hell?!
It had taken her ages to catch up with him!
The bloke was quick. Ridiculously quick.
She pursued him along over a dozen streets, gasping, legs shaking, her protesting stomach rumbling.
She'd not eaten for several hours, but she pushed all remaining energy into running him down.
"You are...?"
Alex's expression altered as he looked around in confusion; since no one else was present, the "Sir" the girl must mean could only be him.
Being called so formally made him feel queasy. Folks these days just said he was handsome. This sort of fusty honorific? It crawled under his skin.
Still, he couldn't deny it—this girl was something special.
To be able to catch up to him, even after a long sprint through the streets… that wasn't normal. Alex jogged every morning, took part in university athletics, and among his college peers, he was hailed as a top runner.
He was even dubbed the Little Cheetah of Mumbai by some.
"Yes!" the girl said, her eyes steady but her breathing erratic.
"I noticed that you were holding water just now. I was interested in purchasing that bottle from you.
"My father." she said, pausing to take a deep breath as though to regain her composure before disclosing something particularly private.
"He is quite sick. He requires pure water."
Alex blinked.
"So. merely to buy the half bottle of mineral water I was carrying, you chased me over 10 blocks?"
Even though she blushed and nodded, a bashful little gesture that resembled a little bird pecking at rice.
After giving her a long look, Alex silently gave her the thumbs up. You know, this was the epitome of filial piety!
For the sake of her father's health, she would chase someone through a hot, dry city only to get half a bottle of water?
He felt moved.
I nearly started crying.
How earnest, how sincere!
She continued with unflinching determination despite the difficulties.
A 500 ml bottle of mineral water only costs 10 rupees these days, which is completely negligible.
But it was worth as much as gold here, in a country that was suffering from drought.
There was no use in keeping anything in store.
It would be better to sell it to a sincere person, like this girl, who practically radiated loyalty and courage.
He gave her a thumbs-up.
"Sir, that salute—your thumb up—does it have some secret significance in your hometown slang?"
Lucy cocked her head to one side, curiosity playing in her eyes. "Also… your outfit appears unlike anyone I've ever seen. Are you… not from around here?"
Alex rubbed the back of his neck and smiled self-consciously. "Yeah. You might say that. I'm from… somewhere else."
"I thought so," she murmured, her voice carrying a trace of wonder.
Then he got straight to the point. "So, what are you offering in exchange for this bottle of water?"
From his pocket, he pulled out the half-empty mineral water and gave it a little shake.
"Are you serious, sir?" She gasped, her pretty face alight with disbelief, her voice rising a few notes in surprise. She hadn't imagined it would be that easy.
In a place like this, where drought had persisted for three brutal years, water had become more valuable than silver and certainly more guarded than food. For someone to willingly sell even a drop of it—wasn't that practically a miracle?
"I'm serious," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. Life in this world was tough—but it was moments like these that made it strangely beautiful.
"I don't have much on me," Lucy admitted, her voice softening. "But I brought a few small things. I hope they'll suffice."
She reached into her sleeve and gently unfolded a handkerchief. Inside were six or seven silver coins and a gold coin the size of a thumbnail, all glinting faintly in the sunlight—small, yet unmistakably real.
Alex's eyes widened.
"You say you don't have much on you?" Alex blinked, his eyes fixed on the neatly bundled little fortune in her hands.
He wasn't a gold expert, but even by today's standards, that tiny ingot had to be worth tens of thousands of rupees. That could buy a hundred crates of water.
"I also have this bracelet!" Lucy added quickly, noticing his silence. She started to unclasp it from her wrist, clearly misreading his hesitation as reluctance.
Alex raised both hands in a hurry. "No, no! That's plenty!"
If he didn't stop her now, she might just toss in her shoes, her hairpin, and who knows what else.
He thrust the half-empty bottle of mineral water into her hand with exaggerated urgency.
"Here. Take it."
Lucy's eyes widened, and her face lit up with joy. She cradled the bottle as if it were made of crystal. "Thank you, sir. Thank you! You're truly a gentleman."
To her, this wasn't just a drink—it was a lifeline.
This young man had willingly given up precious water for practically nothing. To her, it felt like delivering coal in a snowstorm—a kindness she would always remember.
"This isn't charity," Alex replied, smiling modestly. "You asked sincerely, and I gave. That's all there is to it."
Inside, though, he was celebrating like a man who had just struck gold. Half a bottle of lukewarm water for a few silver coins? Total win!
"Sir…" Lucy hesitated, glancing down at the strange plastic object in her hands. "I… I don't really know how to open this."
A blush crept onto her cheeks as she shyly looked at him, puzzled and embarrassed.
Alex nearly laughed—but caught himself. Of course. If someone had never seen a plastic bottle before, they wouldn't know how to twist the cap. In fact, in his world, a bottle cap that couldn't twist open was probably a fake.
But seeing Lucy—who had chased him like a warrior across ten blocks—now stuck on something so simple was both amusing and endearing.
That was surprisingly cute.
"Okay, pay attention," he said.
He lifted the bottle and showed her, carefully twisting the cap until it popped open with a gentle click.
"Wow!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. "So that's how it works!"
She gave the bottle a gentle shake, amazed that not a single drop came out. "It seals water so perfectly… No wonder it's so valuable."
Lucy held the bottle in her hands, her eyes sparkling with excitement. But then, a flicker of doubt crossed her face.
"By the way…" she murmured, "I'm not even sure if this water is clean."
She hesitated, gazing at the mysterious liquid as if it might suddenly take flight. But after a moment, her determination kicked in. Carefully, she brought the bottle to her lips and took a tentative sip.
As soon as it touched her tongue, her eyes widened in surprise.
So sweet!
It had been years since she tasted anything like it. Not just clean—it was crisp, cool, and oddly comforting. It felt like hope in a bottle.
After three long years of drought, her tongue had nearly forgotten what real water was like.
"This…" she whispered. "This water is incredible!"
Alex smiled faintly, his hands tucked into his pockets. "If you want more, I've got plenty."
He glanced up at the sky, gauging the time. "Same place, same time tomorrow. Bring something to trade."
Lucy's face lit up like a lantern. "Deal! I'll be right here, sir!"
She clutched the bottle like it was a treasure. "The doctor said the cleaner the water, the faster my father will get better. Thank you, truly."
Alex nodded slightly. "Happy to help."
He turned, already scanning the streets for a quiet spot to disappear. He could feel it—less than a minute before the time-travel spell would pull him back.
He needed to vanish somewhere out of sight. The last thing he wanted was to scare a village girl into thinking she'd seen a ghost.
"I have to go for now," he called over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow."
Lucy stepped forward, urgency in her voice. "Wait!"
She quickly removed her bracelet and pressed it into his palm.
"This is a deposit," she said firmly. "You have to come back tomorrow. My father needs that water."
Alex looked at the bracelet, then back at her determined expression, and smiled.
"Alright. I'll be back."
With that, he turned and walked away, slipping into the shadows.
The moment he was certain no one was around, he took a quick look down at the bracelet.
I can bring modern things here... but what if I could do the opposite?
If I could take this back... that would be something else entirely.
Just then, the digital countdown flashed before his eyes.
[Return Countdown: 3...]
[2...]
[1...]
With a silent flash, Alex disappeared from the ancient world—leaving only his footprints behind.