The air in the city of Akoka didn’t smell like rain; it smelled like burning seconds. Here, currency wasn't held in wallets, but on digital displays embedded in every citizen's wrist.

A cup of coffee cost ten minutes. A degree cost four years. And a night of sleep? That was a luxury only the elite could afford. Most students were "Time-Beggars," their wrists glowing a frantic, bleeding red as they sprinted toward lecture halls, forever five minutes away from "Bankrupt."

Among them was Kobi, a 100-level student who felt like a ghost. He had nine courses, no hostel, and a bag that felt like it was filled with lead. His wrist display showed a terrifying 00:02:14:00. Two hours. That’s all he had left before his "Time-Account" hit zero.

In desperation, he sought out Elias.

Elias lived in a small, quiet house where the clocks seemed to tick slower. He was legendary—the man who was "Time-Wealthy." While others ran, Elias sat by the lagoon, watching the ripples.

"Elias!" Kobi gasped, collapsing at his feet. "Teach me. My clock is screaming. I’ve spent my day in queues, in traffic, and in lectures I barely understood. How do you stay so calm? Where do you get your years?"

Elias didn't look at his own wrist. He looked at Kobi’s. “You aren't poor because you lack hours, Kobi. You are poor because you are a victim of The Great Theft.”

Theft? Who is stealing from me?"

"You are," Elias said, pointing to the distractions surrounding them. "Every time you spend an hour scrolling through the digital noise of the town square, you are buying a 'Now' that doesn't matter and selling a 'Forever' that does. You give your Attention away for free, and then wonder why you are out of time."

Elias stood up. "I bought my 'Tomorrow' by being the stingiest man in Akoka today. I invested my focus into skills that grow. I stayed silent while others gossiped. I stayed disciplined while others drifted. I didn't find more time; I simply stopped letting the world rob me of the little I had."

Kobi looked at his wrist. The red glow slowed. He realized that leadership wasn't about running faster; it was about deciding what was worth his seconds.

If your life depended on your "Focus," how many hours would you have left today?

 Tag one "Time-Wealthy" person you know in the comments!

"Theft? Who is stealing from me?"