The Clockmaker’s Secret

At exactly midnight. an old clock in the village square chimed thirteen times. That was the moment the renowned decretive, Elara Finch, received a mysterious letter: “Find the timekeeper. The key to the disappearance lies beneath the gears. Tell no one. The secret must stay hidden.”

Intrigued, Elara visited the abandoned clockmaker’s shop, long forgotten since the owner vanished ten years ago. As the hands of the giant clock moved backward on their own, she discovered a hidden hatch beneath the floor.

Inside, the missing clockmaker sat frozen in time—alive, but unmoving. Elara inserted the golden key from the letter into the wall. The gears spun wildly, releasing him from the time loop.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “But now, you know the secret… and time will chase you too.”