Chapter 4

The interior of the Veyra Clock Workshop smelled of brass polish, aged mahogany, and the faint, comforting scent of oil.

For Elara, this place was a sanctuary, but today, it felt like a battlefield.

She walked over to the massive, ancient clock standing in the corner.

It was a floor-to-ceiling grandfather clock, carved from dark walnut, its face adorned with intricate astronomical symbols that had remained frozen for over two decades.

Darien closed the heavy wooden door behind him, locking it with a solid click.

He walked over, his heavy boots thudding against the floorboards, and stared up at the…