Later, over tea at a small table in the back of the shop, the clockmaker explained everything.
"The Celestial Watch is no ordinary timepiece," he said softly. "It allows its bearer to manipulate time—pause it, rewind it, even glimpse into possible futures. But such power comes at a cost."
Ellie frowned. "What kind of cost?"
"The more you use it," he explained slowly, his eyes reflecting a hint of sorrow, "the more you risk losing your connection to time itself. You could become trapped between moments—neither here nor there." He paused, and for a moment, the weight of his words seemed to fill the room with a palpable gravity.
Ellie's mind raced with possibilities. She could fix mistakes, undo painful errors, or even prevent misfortunes before they began! Yet with every promising thought, a twinge of fear crept in as she considered the ramifications of altering time.
The clockmaker carefully handed her the Celestial Watch. "It has chosen you for a reason. Use it wisely," he said, his voice carrying both hope and a quiet warning that echoed in the silence between them.