Chapter 1: The Frozen Moment

Emma loved her job cleaning Amsterdam's canals. Every day brought new discoveries - old coins, lost jewelry, even a wedding ring once. But nothing prepared her for what she found that Tuesday morning.

Her shovel hit metal. At first, she thought it was just another bike. But when she pulled it out, the mud-covered object was too small. Rubbing it clean, she saw a six-sided box, its surface covered in strange carvings.

The box felt warm, even through her gloves. In its center was a blue stone that pulsed like a heartbeat. Around the stone were six keyholes, each shaped differently. One looked like a chair, another like a bear.

As Emma turned the box in her hands, something strange happened. The world went quiet. Too quiet.

Looking up, she saw a swan frozen mid-movement, its wings spread but not moving. On the street above, a bike rider was stuck in mid-fall, his coffee cup suspended in air. Even the wind had stopped - leaves hung motionless in mid-air.

Only three things moved: Emma, the box, and her pocket watch. The watch, a gift from her late grandfather, started ticking loudly.