Maddox Hatter stands amid the organized chaos of his workshop—a haven of whirring gears, flickering gaslight, and shelves brimming with intricate contraptions. The scent of oil and polished brass fills the air as he hunches over his workbench, intently focused on the time traveling pocket watch that has consumed his every thought. His fingers, deft and sure despite the delicate complexity of the task, adjust the minuscule gears and levers of the watch. Each tick and tock resonates like a heartbeat in the quiet hum of invention.

Muttering softly to himself, Maddox notes, “Just a few more calibrations… and then, perhaps, a leap beyond our present.” His voice, a blend of excitement and cautious wonder, echoes off the high, cluttered rafters. Charts and blueprints—scribbled with both whimsical doodles and precise calculations—are pinned haphazardly around the room, testament to countless hours of trial and error.