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Chapter 4: The Clockmaker's City
The road to Chronaris was paved with silence—ancient, unsettling silence. Even the birds didn't sing here. The forest gave way to wide, wind-swept plains, and far ahead, like a wound in time, the city rose.
Chronaris was unlike any other place in Elarion. Its towers twisted like spirals of frozen lightning, caught mid-strike. Giant gears turned in the air above domes of glass and brass. Time was alive here, and it ticked loudly.
Kaelen stared in awe as they approached the outer gates.
"What is this place?" he whispered.
"Old magic," Aeris replied. "Older than the Rings. Before war, before gods. Eidros built this city himself—or so they say."
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Inside Chronaris
They entered through a turning archway that blinked with runes. The city's streets moved—not like normal roads, but literally moved. Stone platforms slid beneath their feet, shifting travelers through the maze-like city without walking. Every few minutes, chimes echoed from the spires, and time visibly slowed in the alleys.
"Stay close," Aeris warned. "The city will forget you if you wander."
Kaelen didn't ask what that meant.
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At the Hall of Pendulums
A thousand swinging pendulums formed the great hall, each ticking in a different rhythm. At the center stood Eidros—tall, silver-robed, with eyes like polished obsidian. The Time Ring circled above his hand, not worn but levitating, constantly spinning.
"You found the Fate Ring," he said without introduction.
Kaelen nodded, unsure if he was speaking or the ring was hearing for him.
Eidros approached. "That ring chooses rarely… and wisely. But it has no mercy."
"What do I do with it?"
The Time Ring froze mid-air. Everything around them stopped—wind, dust, even sound.
"You must find the others," Eidros said, "before they find you."
And just like that, the world resumed.
"But you must never wear more than three at once," he added, turning away.
"Why?" Kaelen asked.
"Because even gods break under the weight of ten."
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The bells of Chronaris rang again.
And far away, in the northern frostlands, another ring awakened.
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