Chapter 3: The Venice Connection

The train to Venice was crowded, but Emma found an empty seat by the window. She kept the box on her lap, wrapped in an old sweater. The map from the Amsterdam clock showed a route to a place called "Torre dell'Orologio" - the Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square.

As the train moved through the Alps, Emma studied her grandfather's watch. 21 days left. The ticking was softer now, but constant. She opened the box and touched the second key - this one shaped like a bear. It felt colder than the first key.

Night fell as the train entered Italy. Emma dozed off, dreaming of frozen canals and ticking clocks. She woke to find a note on her seat:

"Your grandfather was right about one thing - time is broken. But he was wrong about how to fix it. - A Friend"

Emma's hands shook. The man from Amsterdam was following her. She looked around the train car, but everyone seemed normal.

Venice was different from Amsterdam. The water here was saltier, the air warmer. The Clock Tower stood tall in St. Mark's Square, its face showing the phases of the moon and the zodiac signs.

As Emma approached, she noticed something strange. The tower's shadow didn't match its shape. It looked more like... a keyhole.

Using the map as a guide, Emma found a hidden door at the tower's base. The bear-shaped key fit perfectly. When she turned it, the ground shook slightly.

Inside was a room full of gears and pendulums. In the center was a large clock face, but instead of numbers, it showed cities: Amsterdam, Venice, Prague, Paris, London, and... a sixth city that was blurred.

As Emma watched, the hand moved from Amsterdam to Venice. A section of the wall slid open, revealing a tunnel filled with water. A small boat waited, its lantern already lit.

Before she could decide what to do, she heard footsteps on the stairs. The man from Amsterdam appeared, his coat dripping water.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said. "But you're not ready for what's down there."

Emma's heart raced. She had two choices: face the man or enter the tunnel. The watch in her pocket ticked louder.

She chose the tunnel.

As the boat moved through the dark water, Emma saw paintings on the walls - scenes of Venice through the centuries. But something was wrong. In each painting, the water level was higher.

The tunnel ended at a large chamber. In the center was a clock unlike any Emma had seen. Its hands moved backward, and instead of ticking, it made a sound like waves crashing.

The second keyhole was there, waiting. But as Emma reached for the bear-shaped key, she noticed something that made her blood run cold.

The water in the chamber was rising.