In the quiet corner of town, an old clock shop stood unnoticed by most. Its windows were dusty, its sign faded, yet inside every clock ticked in perfect harmony.

One winter evening, Clara stepped inside to escape the cold. The clockmaker, a man with kind eyes and silver hair, handed her a small pocket watch. “This one isn’t for sale,” he said softly, “but it will find you when you need it most.”

Confused but charmed, she kept it. Days later, when she was about to miss the train that would take her to a life-changing interview, the watch stopped time for a single breath—just long enough for her to step aboard.

From then on, whenever she held the watch, life seemed to bend gently in her favor. But every gift has a cost, and the clockmaker’s words echoed in her mind: “One day, it will ask for its time back.”