Timelines and Tangled Hearts

Chapter 5: The Hourglass Collector

Once inside, the group slipped through the crowded ballroom, dodging waiters and nobility.

"This way," Isabella whispered, leading them down a hall lined with heavy red curtains. At the end of the corridor stood a tall oak door. She gave it a gentle push, and it swung open with a soft creak.

The room beyond was filled with ancient relics—artifacts from all over the world. But before anyone could marvel at the treasures, a raspy voice broke the silence.

"Well, well. Intruders, are we?"

They whirled around to find a wiry old man seated in a high-backed chair, watching them with amusement. His gray beard trailed down to his waist, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Sir Reginald Whitlock, at your service," the man said, tipping an imaginary hat. "Now, what brings four young rascals into my humble collection?"

"We need your help," Ava said quickly, holding up the hourglass. "Do you know what this is?"

Whitlock's eyes widened, and for a moment, the playful air around him vanished. "Where did you get that?" he asked quietly.

"It... kind of found us," William muttered. "And now we're trapped in your timeline."

Whitlock stared at the hourglass for a long moment, then gave a slow, knowing smile. "Ah, you've found yourselves in quite the pickle, haven't you?" He stood and motioned for them to follow. "Come along, my dears. There's much to explain."

Whitlock led them to a dusty, candlelit room filled with ancient maps and scrolls. He rummaged through a pile of books until he pulled out a leather-bound journal. Flipping through the pages, he stopped at an illustration of the hourglass.

"This," Whitlock began, "is no ordinary relic. It's part of a network—a key to unlocking time itself."

Ava and William exchanged glances. "Go on," Ava urged.

Whitlock pointed to the image. "There are four hourglasses scattered across different timelines. Each one controls a piece of the fabric that holds time together. If one gets activated, it creates a ripple—forcing other timelines to cross."

"So... what you're saying is," William interrupted, "we've broken time."

"More or less," Whitlock said cheerfully. "And you'll need to find the other hourglasses to fix it."

Ava groaned. "Of course we do."

"Where do we start?" Isabella asked, looking unexpectedly excited by the idea of a treasure hunt through time.

Whitlock leaned closer. "The second hourglass is in a... place you'll find most surprising."

William squinted at the journal. "Please don't say Ancient Rome."

Whitlock grinned. "Exactly right, my boy."