The Heart of Time

In a forgotten village, old Elena lived alone in an ancient house filled with strange and old objects. People whispered that Elena kept a dark secret. One stormy night, Luca, a curious young man, dared to step inside.

Elena welcomed him with a strange smile and offered him tea. As he sipped, Luca noticed a crystal globe on the table that seemed to pulse.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's the heart of time," Elena said. "And every watchmaker must feed it."

Luca laughed, but as he tried to stand, his legs gave way. Looking down, he saw his body beginning to disintegrate, like sand.

Elena looked at him sadly.

"You wanted to know the secret, didn’t you?"

At dawn, the globe pulsed louder, and Elena began counting the seconds once again.