Time
Every decision tilts the Cycle into a new and unique Cycle.
Time is a precious thread in the fabric of our universe, and the same is true of the universe the CaD inhabits. However, the structure of time is a topic that often comes up in the Archives, but is rarely discussed completely.
Simply put, the CaD universe is constructed of an infinite number of timelines - or "Cycles" - formed into one universe; known as a "Hypersphere", or "Sphere", for short. Every choice made within a cycle makes it into a new, unique cycle, a process constantly taking place in every cycle simultaneously. Cycles are constantly being created and destroyed, but it is rare for a Sphere to be destroyed. To do so would require the end of every Cycle in the Sphere to be destroyed at once. Such an event has only truly occurred when the Devil has been released from his imprisonment. Similarly, the creation of a new Sphere is only possible through the use of God's Pocketwatch. That being said, there have been 15 Spheres prior to the current, 16th Sphere. Interestingly, new Spheres always begin on a Thursday. August the 4th, 1988, to be exact for the 16th Sphere. Everything that occurred before then is simply a copy of the events of the first, original Sphere. Theoretically speaking, other Spheres that do not include the events of the CaD do exist, but they are not within the purview of this story.
Nearly all mortals are affected by time in the same way. Generally speaking, they experience time as a linear progression of cause to effect, though some have the ability to "travel" through it. When a Cycle or a Sphere ends, the inhabitants of that Sphere end with it; when a new Sphere is created, the same people have no memory of the previous Sphere - they are "fresh copies", so to speak. That being said, not all mortals are affected by the hyperspherical nature of time. Most notably, Belphegor and her children exist on the outside of time, much like elders do, granting them a unique perspective. As well as this, the House of Solomon is able to avoid the changing of a Sphere, as it always appears on a Wednesday and returns to the Phantom Lane before the Sphere begins anew. As such, any mortal within the House when the Sphere ends will be able to move from one Sphere to the next, and will retain any knowledge they had of the previous Sphere. While no known mortal has been confirmed to have used the House in this way, some possibilities are Dr./Al Crow, the former owner of the House, and Shaka of Zulu, though whether his half-elder nature grants him the power to exist on the outside of time is unclear.
As previously mentioned, travelling through time is somewhat possible. It is apparently easy to travel forwards in time, though no documented evidence exists. More common is inter-cyclical travel; that is, travelling from one Cycle to another. Despite all beginning at the same point, different Cycles spin faster or slower than others, so many Cycles seem centuries ahead of the CaD's. Travelling between such Cycles would give the illusion of travelling backwards or forwards through time, but it is more akin to travelling sideways. Travelling across time is also possible, as that is simply travelling from the Flipside to the Otherside. Both of these phenomena are well-documented and have been performed by multiple Cafes and Employees. There are various methods to travel between Cycles: the Society of Nom de Plume seems to have a number of books that allow it. Miss. Slon also had powers that allowed her to travel between Cycles, provided she had a fetish or object attached to it.
That merely leaves, then, backwards time travel. By all accounts, backwards time travel is a nearly impossible endeavour that would require incredible power to achieve. As such, it has only been done once; Belphegor sent her child, "Daichi", backwards in time to set the stage for Eden's destruction, though doing so apparently incurred a Debt.
Known Cycles
Since its opening in 1992, the Cafe and Diner has encountered a number of cycles outside of their own. Here you may find a list of them.
- CaD Prime: The Cycle in which the vast majority of the story takes place. Its universe is synchronous with our own time, but the events are, of course, very different.
- Dive Prime: Also known as the Tuskkin Cycle, it was mainly explored by the Third Cafe in Dive Fall, though it seems to be a world of superheroes and villains. It appears to be roughly 94 years ahead of CaD Prime.
- Indigo Prime: The home Cycle of "John Doe". Though little is known of this Cycle, it is apparently not a pleasant place. This Cycle was heavily involved in the Indigo Wars, and is roughly 40 years ahead of CaD Prime.
- Wandsun Prime: The Cycle Julia Wandsun was sent to in December 2019, and where she gained her own unique Mantle. This is a Cycle in which the Gates of Hell were nearly torn apart, and an odd collection of people have gathered to close them. While the time difference between the two Cycles hasn't been stated, it is possible that it is behind CaD Prime, as both Lucifer and Satan appear younger. However, this may simply be due to the nature of the Princes.