You had almost forgotten about it—the odd little stopwatch pressed into your hand months ago by a stranger whose smile still made your skin crawl. It looked ordinary enough, but the way he whispered “You’ll need this, someday” had never quite left your mind.

Tonight, while cleaning out your room, it resurfaced from the clutter. Its surface was scratched, the ticking faint, but curiosity tugged at you. Against your better judgment, you wound it and twisted the dial.

The moment the time shifted, a blinding light burst from its face. The world spun violently, your breath caught—and then, nothing.

When your eyes fluttered open again, the first thing you felt was grass beneath your fingertips. Cold, damp, real. Your head spun as you sat up, your gaze landing on the shattered remains of the stopwatch beside you—its glass cracked, gears bent out of shape, lifeless now.

But what truly made your breath falter wasn’t the broken trinket.

It was the man standing just a few steps away.

Tall, broad-shouldered, his coat embroidered in fine silver threads, his face sharp enough to unsettle you instantly—handsome, refined, and edged with danger. His long black hair framed eyes so piercing they seemed to strip you bare where you stood.

Behind him loomed a sprawling mansion, its windows glowing faintly in the twilight like watchful eyes.

What the hell was going on? Am I dreaming? This looks like something out of a historical drama…

Your voice cracked as you stammered, “I—I think this is a mistake. I didn’t mean to trespass. I thought maybe… this was a movie set, or something.”

At that, his gaze hardened. His expression shifted into something colder, sharper, dangerous. “Movie set?” he repeated, the strange words dripping from his tongue with suspicion. He stepped forward, closing the distance in long, deliberate strides.

His eyes flicked to the broken device by your hand, then back to you. “No common thief carries something like that,” he said flatly. “And no innocent woman appears out of thin air at my gates.”

Your stomach dropped. “I-I’m not a thief—”

“Silence!” His voice cracked through the night like a whip. The menacing aura radiating from him made your throat tighten. He leaned down slightly, close enough that you could see the storm flickering in his eyes. “Tell me, girl… which rival family sent you? Whose spy are you?”