As Alex delved deeper into the world of the Timekeepers, he began to grasp the sheer scope of their endeavors. Master Clockmaker and his team had dedicated themselves to unraveling the mysteries of time itself.
But amidst the excitement, a sense of unease settled in the pit of Alex's stomach. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss – like a small crack in the fabric of time, waiting to be exploited...
Master Clockmaker's expression turned serious as he approached him.
"Alex, I think it's time we discussed the Anomaly Protocol," Master Clockmaker said, his voice low and measured.
Ember leaned against the wooden table, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Ah, yes – our protocols for dealing with anomalies like Alex."
Jasper nodded enthusiastically from across the room. "We've developed a framework to handle situations where time itself gets... messy."
Alex felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that he was an anomaly, and that the Timekeepers had protocols in place to deal with him.
"What kind of protocol?" Alex asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Master Clockmaker gestured for them to follow him. "Come, I'll show you."
As they led Alex through a series of narrow corridors, Jasper filled him in on the details.
"The Anomaly Protocol is a set of procedures we use to contain and study anomalies like yourself," Jasper explained. "We have protocols for stabilizing time streams, recalibrating temporal frequencies... and, if necessary, isolating anomalies from the rest of the timeline."
Alex's mind reeled as he struggled to keep up with the jargon.
"But what happens when an anomaly is too big to handle?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Master Clockmaker's expression turned grim. "In that case... we have the Containment Unit."
The air seemed to thicken around Alex as Master Clockmaker led him to a large door with a sign that read: "Containment Unit – Authorized Personnel Only".
"What is this?" Alex asked, his heart racing with anticipation.
Master Clockmaker's voice dropped to a whisper. "This is where we store anomalies that are too great for us to handle... or those that pose an unacceptable risk to the timeline."
Alex felt a cold dread creeping up his spine as he realized that he might be facing a fate far worse than being lost in time...