Once upon a time, a little boy named Russell lived in a small village. His grandfather, who liked the quiet of nature best, lived in a small house in the woods. One morning, the boy wanted to visit him and bring him some food, so his mother made him some bread and cheese. Russell put everything in his bag and dressed in his favorite coat before setting off. A red hooded coat. His mom warned him not to stop on the way because the forest was rumbling with wolves. What she didn't know, however, was that some wolves were smart. Among them was Valko, known as the Great Malevolent Wolf, and his son, Rezso.
As Russell walked slowly through the woods, Valko watched him, hidden in a bush. Although he had an urge to eat him, he just watched him. Valko wondered where this kid was going. He could have talked to him, but he knew he was scaring everyone. Well, except the other wolves and his son. Speaking of Rezso, he could very well talk to this kid. After all, he's so cute... His mother’s spitting image. Valko went to find him.
"Son, I have a mission for you."
"Cooooool! What should I do?"
"I want you to go talk to the kid in the red coat and ask him where he is going."
"Alright Dad!"
Rezso ran as fast as his paws could carry him. He quickly found the child who continued his way very slowly. Okay. I mustn't scare him off. On the count of 3, I come out of my hiding place. 1...2...3! Rezso came out of the thicket and the child, seeing him, gave a cry.
"No, no, don't yell, I'm not dangerous!"
"AHHHHH... Huh? A wolf... that talks... ? My mom never told me that wolves talk!"
"Your mom doesn't know everything and not ALL wolves talk!"
"Oh... OK. What's your name?"
"Rezso, but it's a stupid name. I hate it."
"So, can I call you Rez?"
"Rez? I'd like that but..."
"Then it will be Ru for me!"
"Ru?"
"For Russell."
"Okay, Ru! Uh... I was wondering... where are you going like this?"
"At my grandpa's house to bring him food. He lives in a little house."
Russell pointed Rezso specifically to where his grandfather's house was located.
"I see... and you're not afraid? I'm not the only wolf in these woods and they're not all nice like me."
"No. Anyway, it's broad daylight."
"I see. Well, I must go."
"Oh... Rez, are we going to see each other again?"
"Sure, Ru!"
The young wolf said goodbye and ran to find his father.
"Well?"
"He's going to see his grandpa."
"I see... and where does this old man live?"
"Dad, aren't you going to...?
"Answer me, son."
"In the clearing beyond the fountain to the east."
"Very good. Thanks for your help."
"But Dad! You're not going to eat Ru, are you?"
"Ru?"
"The child in the red coat."
Valko, without giving his son an answer, left and went to the grandfather's house. He easily killed the old man and ate him. His stomach was full and Valko was about to leave when he heard a knock on the door.
"Grandpa? Grandpa, are you there? It's me, Russell."
Damn! I could always run away through the window but... No. I'm not hungry anymore, but I'm going to eat this child anyway. He waited for the boy to open the door so he could pounce on him and devour him. Valko was cleaning his bloody paws when his son came along.
"Dad...? Where's Ru?"
His father doesn't answer him.
"DAD! WHERE. IS. RU.!!!"
"In my stomach."
"No... why did you do that? He was my friend!"
"Your friend? My son, you only talked to him... what?... for five minutes?"
"But..."
"We are WOLVES, predators! It is in our nature to devour flesh!"
"There are plenty of animals to eat in the forest! Why eat humans?"
"Because we are not ordinary wolves, we are intelligent and only human flesh can make us stronger!"
"NO! You're wrong!"
"You are just like your mother. She too wanted to be 'friends' with humans and do you remember what happened to her?"
"Dad."
"Do I have to remind you?"
"Daddy no!!!"
"She was killed by a man, a man who consumed her flesh! All humans are monsters and I will devour them until I die!"
"DAD! You don't understand... Eating men... it's... it's wrong, it's against nature! Ru... my friend... I will save him!"
Before his father could shout an insult at him, Rezso ran away and went to a cave. His mother had already told him a story about this cave. More than 100 years ago, a traveler had discovered a magic watch that allowed him to go back in time. He used it to try to repair his past, but his attempts were in vain. He then knew that the watch was cursed. It had been made by an evil entity. The watch collected the souls of its users if they failed to accomplish their goals. The traveler knew that his life was over. Wanting to prevent someone else from using it, he traveled to another world and hid it in a cave before his soul was collected. This other world would be Rezso's.
Rezso believed the story and, even though he knew the risks, he wanted to find and use the magic watch. Finding a skeleton, presumably the one of the traveler, Rezso began to dig around it, and he found an old pocket watch. The watch had a large chain and a gold cover with six colored dots. One red, one blue, one yellow, one orange, one green and one purple. Yeah, I found it! Now, how to use it?
Suddenly, inscriptions appeared on the ground: To use the watch, carry it and say: "O timepiece, reverse me". Be aware that its use will have consequences. "O timepiece, reverse me"? What strange words... but never mind! Picking up the chain with his paw, he managed to throw it in the air and drop it around his neck.
"Come on! O timepiece, REVERSE ME!"
The six colored dots lit up, one at a time, then faded away and everything around Rezso turned white. What's going on? Do I go back in time? Suddenly, the young wolf saw his look-alike appear before him.
"I am the past’s you." Said his double. "To continue, you must eliminate me."
"What? NO!"
"You have no choice or you will have failed your goal and the watch will steal your soul."
"I...! "
"It's always difficult the first time. After that, you get used to it."
Rezso remains silent. His former self continues to speak.
"The traveler got used to it, like all the magic watch’s former users. Come on, Rezso, kill me. Bite me in the neck, hard, and choke me."
Rezso complied. As soon as his former one fell, he found himself again in the forest. His father came to speak to him.
"My son, I have a mission for you."
Rezso didn’t answer him.
"Son?"
"Sorry, dad. You were saying?"
Valko had not noticed the watch around his son's neck.
"I have a mission for you. I want you to go and talk to the child in the red coat and ask him where he is going."
"Why?"
"Because I'm asking you to."
If I don't do anything, he won't know where Ru's grandpa lives and Ru will be safe!
"I'm sorry, Dad, but I don't feel like doing it."
"...As you wish."
Valko left and Rezso claimed victory. He had succeeded. His friend was safe and sound. Rezso was walking through the woods, all happy, when he heard a scream. It was Ru. NO! He ran towards the direction of the scream and found his father, his paws bloodied.
"NOOOOOOOO! DAD, YOU ATE RU!"
Rezso let out a howl of sadness.
"I'm going to have to do it again! O timepiece, REVERSE ME!"
The six colored dots on the watch lit up, one at a time, and then went out. Everything went white again. Rezso faced the past Rezso again.
"This is not your first time. You know what to do."
Rezso killed him and he found himself in the forest once again. His father came to talk to him.
"My son, I have a mission for you."
"...Yes?"
"I want you to go talk to the kid in the red coat and ask him where he is going."
I have no choice.
"Alright dad!"
Rezso ran as fast as his paws could carry him. He quickly found Russell who was continuing his way very slowly. Okay. Just like last time. On the count of 3, I come out of my hiding place. 1...2...3! Rezso came out of the thicket and the Russell, seeing him, gave a cry.
"No, no, don't yell, I'm not dangerous!"
"AHHHH... Huh? A wolf... that talks... ? My mom never told me that wolves talk!"
"Your mom doesn't know everything and not ALL wolves talk!"
"Oh... OK. What's your name?"
"Rezso, but you can call me Rez."
"Rez? Then Ru for me!"
"Ru?"
"For Russell."
"All right, Ru! Tell me, are you planning to go to your grandpa's?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"I'm good at guessing things and I also know you're in danger."
"Danger, how so?"
"That's my daddy. He's mean. If you go to your grandpa's house, he'll eat you alive!"
"Oh then I have to tell grandpa and fast!"
Without Rezso being able to stop him, Russell ran to his grandfather's house. Rather than follow him, he went back to his father.
"Well?"
I must lie.
"The child in the red coat? He's going home. I scared him."
"I see... Thanks anyway, son."
Valko walked away and Rezso could only wait for the next step. Later, his father came back to see him and told him that he had eaten an old man and his son.
"You lied to me. The child was with his grandfather! That old man almost killed me with his shotgun! Why did you lie to me?"
"Because he is my friend! I must save him! O timepiece, REVERSE ME!!!"
The six colored dots on the watch lit up, one at a time, and then went out. Everything went white and Rezso faced the past Rezso for the third time.
"...Kill me, Rezso."
Rezso killed him and he found himself in the forest, again. His father came to talk to him.
"Son, I have a mission for you."
"Yes, you want me to go talk to the child in the red coat."
"How do you know...?
"I'm going, Dad."
Instead of going to talk to Russell, he went to his grandfather's house and knocked on the door. Before the old man could answer by opening the door, Rezso told him to be ready.
"A wolf is coming to eat you. He can talk so be careful."
Rezso then returned to his father and told him that the child in the red coat was going to visit his grandfather. He also told him where his house was. Valko set off and Rezso returned to Russell. While remaining hidden, he followed the child.
When Russell arrived at his grandfather's house, he found him armed with his shotgun. A dead wolf was on the ground. Valko. No... This is not what I had planned! He thought that the grandfather would have only wounded "the wolf" so his father would have given up trying to eat him and everyone would be alive. Once again.
"O timepiece, REVERSE MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"
The six colored dots on the watch lit up, one at a time, and then went out. Everything went white and Rezso faced the past Rezso for the fourth time. Rezso killed him.
The young wolf went through the time loop again and again and again, but there was nothing he could do. Either Ru would be eaten by Valko, or he would die with his grandfather in the clutches of the Great Malevolent Wolf, or Valko would be killed by the old man. Although he did not share his values, Rezso didn't want his father to die. He had to face the facts. His goal could not be achieved. The young wolf was condemned to offer his soul to the cursed watch.
After talking with his father, who asked him, for the thirteenth time, to go and talk to the child in the red coat, Rezso returned to the cave. He placed the watch on the ground, near the traveler’s skeleton, and buried it. As soon as he had finished, his heart stopped beating. Rezso fall to the ground.
Meanwhile, Russell naively continued on his way to his grandfather's house. The Great Malevolent Wolf, not suspecting that his son was dead, decided to keep a close eye on the boy in red...