Darin and Mira stood on a hill as the sky swirled with colors—blue, gold, and silver. In Mira's hands, the seven Time Shards had formed a glowing key. It pulsed like a heartbeat.
"This is it," Mira said. "The Clockmaker's Door will appear when the key is complete."
Suddenly, the air cracked with light.
A giant door made of golden gears and shining glass appeared in the sky. It slowly lowered to the ground. The symbols on it moved, like the door was alive.
"Whoa," Darin whispered. "It's real."
They walked toward the door. As they got closer, the wind grew stronger, and the ground hummed. The key floated from Mira's hands and slid into the door by itself.
Click.
The door opened.
Inside was a staircase made of light, leading up into the sky.
Darin looked at Mira. "Ready?"
"Let's go," she said.
They climbed the stairs. At the top was a round room with walls that showed every place in the world—cities, mountains, oceans, deserts—all moving through time.
In the middle of the room stood a tall figure in a silver coat. He had bright eyes and a kind face.
"Welcome," the man said. "I am the Clockmaker."
Darin's eyes widened. "You're real?"
The Clockmaker nodded. "I built the flow of time long ago. But when I disappeared, time began to crack. That's why you were called."
"We found all the shards," Mira said. "Can we fix time now?"
The Clockmaker smiled. "You can. But you must choose how."
Suddenly, three glowing paths appeared in the air.
"One path returns time to the way it was," he said. "One path changes time for a better future. And one path... lets you reshape time completely—but it comes with great risk."
Darin stared at the paths. His mind was spinning.
"This is... big," he said.
The Clockmaker stepped back. "Only you can decide. What will the world become?"
Darin looked at Mira. She gave a small nod.
He stepped forward.
"I know my choice," he said.
And with one step, everything began to change.