Adhuni
In a shop of a hundred ticking clocks, time is running out.
Deep within the salt-crusted stone of The Anchor & Key, Cora Murray restores the lost and the broken. But in the historic town of South Queensferry, some things are better left forgotten.
In this world, every second has a price.
Tucked away in the shadows is the Midnight Library Deal-a forbidden bargain for those desperate enough to try and rewrite what has already been done.
They say that for the right price, the hands of time can be turned back. But in the real world, changing the past always costs something.
Now, the question remains: is changing the past worth the price, or is it a gamble that will cost the future?
Entry for Open Novella Contest 2026
Promt no. 74
#onc2026