This implies that the footprints we previously assumed were left by someone else could very well be mine, as I wear the same style of shoes, and the sizes are quite similar.

More critically, I materialized out of thin air directly beneath the statue, which explains the origin of that bizarre set of shoe prints.

But if that's the case, it means I've been following tracks I myself left behind all along.

This is a contradiction, because I have no memory of ever having been here before, meaning I couldn't have left any footprints.

Yet, if I didn't leave footprints, none of the events that followed those prints would have occurred.

This suggests that I arrived on the island first, and then subsequently created the footprints.

There are two possibilities here. The first is that I have been to the island before, but I’ve forgotten, and perhaps what I'm experiencing now is a dream, one where I’m recalling previous experiences, though this dream feels unnervingly real and perfectly ordered.

The second hypothesis is that I have inadvertently fallen into a time loop.

A time loop, in essence, is a form of spatio-temporal distortion. Einstein once proposed that within the universe we inhabit, numerous parallel spaces exist.

This means multiple worlds overlap, but because the sequence of time and space differs, each world operates under its own rules and laws, meaning an object adhering to one set of laws can only exist within that specific world.

To be more specific, in the exact spot where I stand now, other spaces are superimposed.

In this current space, I am standing alone. But in another space overlapping this very location, perhaps there is an outhouse, and someone is using the toilet right now.

This sounds peculiar, even difficult to grasp, but generally speaking, whether it’s a person, a tree, a house, a dog, or a car—though they appear substantial—everything in existence is merely an aggregation of energy.

Put plainly, all the cells and all the fluids within a human body can be converted into energy. The same applies to trees, cars, and dogs.

It’s just that energy capable of forming a fixed shape is more stable and doesn't suddenly disintegrate.

Viewed this way, the coexistence of energy in the same location, yet remaining invisible to one another, becomes understandable.

However, parallel worlds are not entirely invisible to each other. Einstein’s theories suggest that pathways between parallel worlds might appear anywhere, capable of opening provided certain conditions are met.

This is what we ordinary people refer to as 'crossing over' or 'traveling.' This phenomenon isn't fantasy; it’s genuinely achievable, though current technology hasn't yet reached that level.

I recall a small story from my physics textbook as a child, describing how a U.S. coin, one not yet in circulation at the time, was discovered lodged in a crack in the stone of an Egyptian pyramid thousands of years old.

Given the authority of the textbook, I never doubted the truth of the account.

But how did this unreleased coin get into the stone crack of the pyramid? The answer seems mysterious and absurd, but I have an explanation for it.

Sometime in the future, an American carrying this very coin accidentally drops it down a sewer drain.

It just so happens that a spatial conduit opens in the sewer, transporting the coin into a parallel world that overlaps our space but exists at a different point in time—that is, thousands of years in the past in Egypt.

The coin wasn't placed there by an ancient Egyptian; rather, the point where it materialized was precisely within a stone crevice. Perhaps a rat and a cockroach were also transported, but they weren't as fortunate as the coin.

Firstly, they would be crushed into flat patties by the narrow space of the crevice, and after thousands of years, they would decay into something less substantial than sand.

What was described above is travel in the ordinary sense, but a time loop is considerably more complex.

A time loop occurs when two stable spatial conduits appear in two different spaces, causing time to perpetually cycle along these two pathways.

Given my current predicament, I would be sent back in time by the conduit and leave behind some traces.

My future self would discover these traces and repeat the exact same actions, and upon completion, I would revert to the past, cycling endlessly.

Some might argue this sounds wonderful, especially if the loop occurs during the happiest period of one's life—one could remain happy forever.

However, I must state that if this were truly happening to me, it would be the greatest misfortune of my life. This is because although time reverses, the dissipation of energy continues in every iteration of that space.

This means I would still age, I would still die, but my entire existence would be confined to endlessly repeating the same few actions.

The most terrifying aspect is that I would not truly die; even suicide would result in being transported back to repeat the cycle again.

To age but never die—I cannot even imagine what kind of entity I would eventually become.

In fact, many scientists have analyzed the causes behind the formation of spatial conduits, with abnormal magnetic fields being the most frequently cited reason.

Magnetism is an incredibly mysterious force. It not only generates electricity, providing the energy necessary for our survival, but it can also record sound and images, and even cause mutations in the climate and biology of the Earth.

For instance, the very city I stand in now, the Royal City of Durban, exists due to magnetic anomalies that have birthed so many illusions. It is, without a doubt, a marvel.

But precisely because of this magnetic abnormality, the likelihood of spatial conduits appearing on this island is indeed much greater than elsewhere.

I suspect that the Ayakuru people who lived in the Durban Kingdom millennia ago—my ancestors—were already capable of fully utilizing magnetic anomalies and spatial conduits.

Otherwise, the temporal void phenomenon that occurred earlier would be impossible to explain.

With this thought, a chill crept over my entire body.

In ordinary tombs or relics, there are traps like poison darts or falling pits. While some of these are certainly lethal, they are dangers we can, at least, comprehend.

But in the ruins left by a civilization capable of manipulating magnetism and space, I truly dare not contemplate what dangers might be lurking.

For example, right now, I’ve been completely thrown into disarray.

This entire string of fragmented thoughts flashed through my mind in a matter of minutes.

My expression shifted constantly between uncertainty and gloom.

Consequently, the people around me were staring at me strangely. Liang Qian even squeezed my hand and asked, "Xiao Chuan, what's wrong?"

Hearing her voice, I suddenly snapped back to awareness. I forced a weak smile and said, "Oh, nothing... Let's go."