Kael did not move. His gaze remained fixed on the clock. The second hand had stopped moving. The silence in the room suddenly seemed heavier than before. Ethan stepped closer. — It stopped again. Kael did not answer. Lucian examined the mechanism. — It's probably too old. The movement must have started because of the vibrations, then— — No. The word left Kael's mouth before he could think about it. Lucian stopped. Kael continued staring at the clock. Something had just crossed his mind. An image. Very brief. An afternoon. He was small. Perhaps six years old. His father was sitting in this very room. Kael vaguely remembered the light coming through the windows. The dust floating in the air. And that clock. It had already been there. His father had told him not to touch it. Why? Kael frowned slightly. He tried to recover his father's words. They were too distant. Almost erased. Then a sentence returned to him. A simple sentence. His father had smiled before saying: “Some things only work when you know where to place your hand.” Kael's eyes widened slightly. He remembered. Not completely. But enough. He took a step toward the clock. — Kael? Ethan looked at him. — What's wrong? There was no answer. Kael was already moving. The clock rested on a small wooden table, slightly apart from the rest of the room. Kael crouched in front of it. He studied it carefully. The face was old. The numbers had faded slightly. The casing bore several small scratches. Nothing seemed unusual. He ran his fingers gently along the wood. Then his gaze moved toward the mechanism. He did not know exactly what he was looking for. Only that his father had shown him something. Something he had forgotten. — Kael, what are you doing? Ethan's voice reached him from somewhere far away. He did not answer. His fingers moved along the bottom edge of the clock. Nothing. He moved to the side. Still nothing. Then he felt a slight irregularity beneath his fingers. Kael stopped. He pressed. A small click sounded. The back of the clock opened slightly. Ethan straightened. — What? Lucian immediately stepped closer. — Wait. But Kael had already placed his hand on the mechanism. A strange sensation passed through his arm. Not painful. Simply familiar. He had another vision. His father standing behind him. His small hand resting in the same place. A calm voice. — Not like that. Young Kael remembered protesting. — But I'm already pressing! His father had laughed. Then placed his own hand over his son's. — Here. The image flickered. — You have to feel the mechanism before opening it. Back to the present. Kael slowly inhaled. His fingers found exactly the same spot. He placed his palm against the wood. Then pressed. Click. This time, the sound was different. Deeper. Something moved inside the wall. Ethan took a step back. — What the— A mechanical sound echoed behind them. Kael did not move. A thin line appeared on the wall, just behind the clock. Lucian stared at the wall. — That's impossible… The line widened. A small section of the wood shifted several inches, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a small metallic object. Not a chest. Not a letter. Not a magical stone. Just a simple circular piece, dark in color, engraved with an almost-faded pattern. Kael stared at it. He felt as though he had seen it before. But this time, his father had told him nothing. Or perhaps… he simply no longer remembered. — Kael! Ethan's voice was louder. Kael still did not react. He slowly reached toward the object. — Kael! Lucian called him as well. Still nothing. His attention was completely absorbed by the small piece. He took it. The moment his fingers closed around it, the clock began working again. Tick. One second. Tick. Two seconds. Then the hands moved together. An invisible mechanism clicked into place inside the wall. Kael slightly raised his head. In front of him, a second line appeared. This time, it did not come from the compartment. It descended vertically along part of the wall. Like a door. — Kael! He could hear Ethan. He knew Ethan was calling him. But his voice seemed distant. As if it were coming from another corridor. Another era. Kael placed a hand against the wall. He felt something vibrating beneath his palm. Another sentence came back to him. His father. That same memory. But this time, Kael remembered the final words. — If you ever find this piece… The memory broke off. Kael remained motionless. — Kael, move back! Lucian had raised his voice. The wall had begun to move. A low rumble passed through the room. Ethan approached and grabbed Kael's arm. — Kael! This time, he reacted. He slowly turned his head. — What? Ethan stared at him. — We've called you three times. Kael looked around. He seemed to suddenly return to reality. Lucian stood near the wall. Ethan was right beside him. The clock was still working. And Kael was still holding the small metallic piece. — I… He looked down. Then at the clock. — I remembered something. Lucian did not immediately ask what. He knew Kael well enough to understand that the memory was still fragile. Ethan, however, looked at the wall. — What is that thing? Kael opened his hand. The metallic piece rested in his palm. No name. No clear inscription. Only that almost-faded pattern. Lucian stepped closer. His expression became serious. — I've never seen it before. Kael raised his eyes. — Neither have I. He paused. — At least… I think I haven't. Silence passed between them. Then the clock struck once. Click. All three turned toward it. The hands had stopped. At exactly the same time. Kael stared at the face. Then at the small piece. Then at the wall. Finally, he remembered one last part of the memory. His father had leaned toward him. He had spoken very quietly. As if he did not want anyone else to hear. — And above all, Kael… if it ever starts working again, don't let anyone open the door in your place. The memory disappeared. Kael remained silent. This time, he had heard the words perfectly. And he understood something. His father had not simply hidden an object in this room. He had prepared something for the day Kael would be old enough to find it. He slowly looked at the wall. — Dad… Ethan placed a hand on his shoulder. — What did he tell you? Kael did not answer immediately. He tightened his fingers slightly around the metallic piece. Then he looked at the hidden door. — I think this piece wasn't meant to be found by anyone else. Lucian studied the door. — And now? Kael remained silent for a few seconds. His gaze hardened slightly. — Now… He placed his hand on the mechanism. — I'm going to find out what he wanted to show me.

The Stopped Clock