The Clockwork Crown

Eldran was a wild kingdom where magic and tech mixed like oil and water, but somehow it worked. Picture steam-powered machines chugging alongside wizards tossing fireballs, and you've got the vibe. At the center of all this chaos was the Clockwork Crown, a fancy piece of gear that controlled time itself.

But here's the kicker—the crown didn't just go to the king or queen by default. Nope. It picked its wearer, testing them in some weird, magical dimension called Chronos.

Enter Kael, a street rat with zero ambitions beyond surviving another day in Ironspire. This guy wasn't looking to become a king or anything. He was just trying to dodge guards after swiping a rare time-crystal from some fatcat noble. The plan? Sell it, eat for a month, and maybe not freeze to death.

But fate, being the jerk it is, decided to mess with him.

Kael's mad dash through the city somehow landed him in the royal palace. Don't ask how—he wasn't even sure himself. One second he was sprinting through back alleys, and the next, he was staring at this massive, glowing crown in a hidden room. It looked like something out of a legend, all gears and runes, practically humming with power.

And, of course, like the idiot he was, Kael touched it.

The second his fingers brushed the thing, the world tilted sideways. Suddenly, he was floating in this endless golden void, and a voice—deep, booming, and not remotely human—spoke.

"Kael," it said, like it already knew him. Creepy. "Why do you seek the power of time?"

Kael blinked, still clutching the crown. "Uh, I don't?" he said. "Pretty sure I just tripped and landed here."

"Intent doesn't matter," the voice boomed again. "If you could change time, what would you fix?"

Kael froze. Memories hit him like a punch to the gut. His sister, Lila, coughing her last breath because they couldn't afford a healer. The times he'd screwed up, the people he couldn't save. His fists clenched.

"I'd fix everything," he muttered, voice shaking. "Every damn thing."

The voice paused, like it was considering him. Then, the void around him shifted, warping into scenes from his past. Moments where he failed, where he hesitated, where he ran instead of fought.

"You will face your failures," the voice said, "and prove if you are worthy."

Kael gulped. "Great. No pressure or anything."

And just like that, the real test began.