Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks, Sam resisted the temptation to stop time, not wanting to age himself any further. It was difficult at first to ignore the thrilling power thrumming through his veins, but he stayed strong.

Slowly but surely, Sam noticed the aging effects began to reverse. His wrinkles faded, his gray hair darkened, and he lost the extra weight he had gained. Sam was starting to look like a teenager again.

Emily checked in on him regularly, providing encouragement. “You’re looking more like your handsome self,” she said with a flirty smile. Sam blushed. He had started developing feelings for Emily. 

One day after school, Sam worked up the courage to ask Emily to go see a movie. To his delight, she agreed happily. As they watched the movie together, Sam struggled with the urge to freeze time and steal a kiss. But he couldn’t risk aging again now.

Emily noticed Sam’s internal debate. “You want to use your powers, don’t you?” Sam nodded, embarrassed that she could read him so well. “It’s okay, I understand. But you don’t need them to have a nice normal date,” she said kindly, squeezing his hand.

Reassured, Sam relaxed and tried to just enjoy the moment. But later that night, he gave in to temptation once more. He froze time for just a minute, stealing flowers from a shop to give to Emily the next day.

When Sam saw his reflection the next morning, his heart sank. The wrinkles and age spots had returned. He punched the mirror in frustration, cracking the glass. How could he be so stupid?

Sam knew he had to remove this temptation completely. With new resolve, he vowed never to use his powers again, no matter what. He just prayed he could fully regain his true age before it was too late.