Part 13 – The Grandfather Clock

As they left the university, their minds buzzed with the weight of their discovery. They had a locked wooden box—but no key.

Aditya, ever the practical one, was the first to break the silence. "Before we go any further, let's eat."

Maya frowned. "Seriously? We just found a hidden box, and you're thinking about food?"

"Thinking requires energy."

Arjun grinned. "For once, I agree with him. A hero's journey is best traveled on a full stomach."

Maya rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Truthfully, her head was spinning from everything that had happened, and she barely had the strength to process it all.

They stopped at a small roadside eatery, the kind that smelled of warm spices and sizzling butter. The place was busy but comforting, filled with soft chatter and the clinking of plates.

They settled into a corner booth, and just as Maya was about to take a bite of her food—the world around her shifted.

A strange sensation pulled at her mind, like falling into a deep sleep in the blink of an eye.

A bright hallway. A child's laughter.

Maya saw herself—a little girl, running down a sunlit corridor.

Then—a door. Heavy. Locked.

A voice echoed in her mind. "You must never open it."

She gasped, snapping back into the present. The scent of food. The warmth of Arjun's hand on her shoulder.

He had caught her just as she swayed.

"Maya! What happened?" His voice was sharp with concern.

She pressed a hand to her temple. "A vision. Another memory."

Aditya leaned in. "What did you see?"

Maya swallowed. "A house. A locked door. Someone telling me not to open it."

She slowly pulled the rusted key from her pocket. Could this be the key to that door?

Arjun's brow furrowed. "A locked door… just like the wooden box."

Aditya tapped the table. "Which means we're on the right track. And if we're looking for a key—"

Maya's eyes widened. "The grandfather clock."

Aditya nodded. "Let's go."

By the time they reached Aditya's house, the night air was cool and unsettlingly quiet.

Inside, the grandfather clock loomed in the dimly lit living room, its steady ticking filling the silence.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Maya ran her fingers along the edges, heart pounding. This was it.

Arjun crouched down and knocked against the wood. "Hollow. There's something inside."

Aditya helped shift the clock forward, revealing the hidden compartment behind it. Dust billowed into the air as Maya pulled open the wooden panel.

Inside, resting in the darkness, was a small key tied to a folded piece of paper.

Aditya unfolded the note and read it aloud:

"Time is running out. If you've found this, you're already too close."

A chill ran down Maya's spine.

Arjun exhaled. "Great. More ominous warnings."

Maya held up the key. Was this the one they had been searching for? Would it finally unlock the wooden box?

They had no choice but to find out.

And with only six days left, they were running out of time.