Part 12: Lyn Facing the Guardians of the Clocktower

The blue light beyond the door pulsed in slow waves, bathing Lyn in a sterile glow as she stepped into the narrow hallway. Her every footstep echoed unnaturally, as if time itself was reluctant to absorb the sound. The ticking of her pocket watch was muffled now, like it feared what lay ahead.

She entered a circular chamber unlike any other in the tower — smooth walls of brushed silver, embedded with floating rings of brass and onyx that rotated with silent precision. In the center stood three humanoid figures, their bodies formed from a lattice of gears and glowing cores, faces hidden beneath expressionless masks of clock glass.

The Guardians of the Clocktower.

The moment Lyn crossed the threshold, the doors behind her sealed shut with a hiss.

One of the guardians turned its head, emitting a sound like a clock hand snapping into place.

“You are not the Clockmaker.” Its voice echoed in mechanical harmony, as if spoken by three mouths at once.

“I know,” Lyn answered, standing tall despite the tightening grip of fear in her chest. “But I have his watch. And I have a right to know the truth.”

Another guardian stepped forward, extending a skeletal arm. Its fingers fanned out, revealing an ancient sigil etched onto its palm — the same symbol Lyn had seen on the back of the forbidden journals in Du Hao’s secret study.

“You carry the burden of time, child of rhythm,” the second guardian spoke. “To proceed, you must be judged.”

“Judged?” she echoed, unsure what they meant.

“Your intent. Your memories. Your loyalty,” the third guardian clarified. “The tower must determine whether you are a thread of restoration, or a fray in the weave of eternity.”

Suddenly, the floor beneath Lyn shimmered, turning transparent. Beneath her feet, scenes from her life flickered to life like reflections on water — her childhood amidst the chaos of fractured time, the moment she met Du Hao, her escape from the collapsing ruins of Old Phaeron, the first time she heard the watch skip a beat.

She tried to look away, but the Guardians raised their hands, holding her in place with invisible force. “You seek the truth,” they intoned, “but are you prepared to unmake everything you know?”

The room darkened. A new vision formed below her — one she had never seen before.

Du Hao, tied to a chair. His face pale, but calm. Speaking to a hooded figure that wore the same pocket watch Lyn now carried.

“The tower must reset,” Du Hao whispered. “She is the only one who can do it — if she finds the core.”

The image blinked out.

Lyn’s heart pounded.

“He knew,” she said. “He left all this for me to find.”

The Guardians stepped aside, their bodies splitting slightly at the chest to reveal glowing heart-gears spinning in reverse. “You have passed,” they said. “But know this: to reach the Core of Time, you must face not only the truth — but the consequence of changing it.”

A section of the far wall spiraled open, revealing a stairway made of pure light. As Lyn stepped toward it, one of the Guardians placed a metal hand on her shoulder.

“If you falter, this tower will become your tomb.”

Lyn nodded, eyes burning with resolve.

“Then I better not falter.”

To be continued...