Darin held the strange watch tightly in his hand. It felt warm, like it was alive. The gears inside ticked softly, but one gear in the center spun in the wrong direction—backwards.
"What... are you?" he whispered.
Suddenly, the world around him shifted. The alley faded, replaced by swirling lights and the sound of ticking all around. When the light cleared, Darin stood in a strange city made of bronze towers and giant floating gears.
"Welcome to Gearhold," said a voice.
Darin jumped and turned. A tall girl with copper eyes stood there. Her clothes looked like they were made from clock parts. She had a tiny owl on her shoulder—made completely of metal.
"My name is Mira. You've entered the Clockwork Realm," she said.
Darin opened his mouth to speak, but Mira held up a hand.
"You have the Clockmaker's Key. That watch doesn't just tell time—it controls it. But right now, it's broken."
Darin blinked. "Wait... I'm supposed to fix time?"
"Not alone," Mira said. "You'll need help. And first, you'll have to survive."
Suddenly, a siren wailed. The sky darkened. Giant shadow creatures—half smoke, half metal—appeared at the edges of the city.
"Time Wraiths!" Mira shouted. "Run!"
Darin's watch glowed. One of the gears clicked into place, and he felt time slow around him. The world moved like thick syrup, and he ran faster than ever before.
They dashed into a workshop full of glowing clocks.
"Your journey starts here," Mira said. "If you fail, time itself could stop."