Chapter 7: The City of Shadows

The train to Paris was a sleek, modern machine, but Emma felt like she was traveling through time itself. Outside the window, the countryside flickered between seasons - one moment lush green, the next covered in snow. Jan sat across from her, his eyes never leaving the box on the seat between them.

"Tell me about my grandfather," Emma said, breaking the silence that had lasted since they left Prague.

Jan sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "Your grandfather was the best of us. He understood that time isn't something to be controlled, but respected. The Society... they wanted to use the box for their own gain."

As he spoke, Emma noticed something strange. The other passengers on the train seemed frozen, like mannequins. Even the conductor stood motionless in the aisle, his hand outstretched to check tickets.

"The box," Jan continued, "isn't just a key to time. It's a map to the missing hour. Each city, each clock tower, is a piece of the puzzle. But the Society wants to use it to create a new timeline - one where they control everything."

The train suddenly lurched, throwing Emma against the window. When she looked out, she saw not the French countryside, but a city made of shadows. Skyscrapers stretched endlessly into a starless sky, their windows dark and empty.

"What's happening?" Emma asked, her voice trembling.

Jan looked pale. "We're passing through the missing hour. Don't look too closely. Some things... some things aren't meant to be seen."

But Emma couldn't look away. In the shadow city, she saw glimpses of people - or what might have been people. They moved like smoke, their forms shifting and changing. One turned to look at her, and she saw her own face, but older, harder.

The train lurched again, and the shadow city was gone. The other passengers moved as if nothing had happened. The conductor finally checked their tickets, his face blank and unseeing.

When they arrived in Paris, the city was in chaos. The Eiffel Tower stood crooked, as if someone had tried to turn it like a giant clock hand. The Seine River flowed in both directions at once, and the sky was a patchwork of day and night.

Emma's watch showed 16 days left, but the numbers flickered uncertainly. The fish-shaped key in the box glowed brighter with each step they took toward the heart of the city.

They found the Parisian member of the Society in a small café near Notre-Dame. She was younger than Emma expected, with bright red hair and a nervous energy.

"I'm Sophie," she said, her French accent thick. "I've been waiting for you. The Society... they're not what you think."

Before Emma could respond, the café windows shattered. Time seemed to slow as shards of glass hung in the air like frozen rain. The Society members from Prague burst in, their eyes glowing with that same unnatural light.

"Run!" Jan shouted, grabbing Emma's arm.

They fled through the twisting streets of Paris, the Society members close behind. The city itself seemed to help them - doors opened just as they reached them, alleys appeared where none had been before.

Finally, they reached the Paris Observatory. The fish-shaped key burned in Emma's hand as they approached the ancient building.

Inside, they found a room filled with astronomical instruments. In the center was a giant orrery, its planets moving in strange, unpredictable patterns. The keyhole was at the center, where the sun should be.

As Emma inserted the key, the room began to change. The walls disappeared, replaced by a starry sky. The orrery grew until they stood on one of its planets, watching the universe unfold around them.

A figure appeared in the starlight. It was Emma's grandfather, but younger than she remembered.

"Emma," he said, his voice echoing through the cosmos. "You're closer than anyone has ever been. But you must understand - the box isn't just a key. It's a test."

Before he could explain further, the vision ended. They were back in the observatory, the orrery still and silent.

Outside, the city was quiet. The Eiffel Tower stood straight, the Seine flowed normally. But Emma knew it was only temporary.

The next key - shaped like a bird - pointed to London. But as they prepared to leave, Sophie stopped them.

"There's something you need to know," she said. "The seventh city... it's not on any map. It moves through time, appearing only when the stars are right."

Emma's watch showed 15 days left. The ticking was constant now, a reminder that time was running out.

As they boarded the train to London, Emma looked back at Paris. For a moment, she thought she saw the shadow city again, its dark towers reaching for a sky that didn't exist.

The box in her hands felt heavier than ever, but she knew she couldn't stop now. The answers she sought were closer than ever, but so were the dangers.