The golden ink on the map guided Kian forward. He walked down a long, winding staircase made of floating glass steps. Each step showed a fleeting glimpse of a different era. He saw a medieval battle, a Victorian market, and a child playing in a futuristic garden. The air grew colder with every step.

At the bottom of the stairs lay a strange chamber. Hundreds of mirrors of all shapes and sizes lined the walls. None of them reflected Kian. Instead, they showed the exact same room, but completely empty.

“Where the sun meets the sea,” Kian muttered, remembering the riddle.

He searched the mirrors frantically. Finally, he found one framed in rusted iron. It showed a brilliant sunset over a dark, stormy ocean. But this ocean was different. The sea was made of millions of ticking clock gears.

Kian approached the glass. He pressed his hand against it. His reflection finally appeared, but it wasn’t him. It was a tall silhouette made of pure, smoky shadow. The shadow smiled, showing a jagged line of white light across its face. In its dark hand, it held a pulsing, ruby red crystal. It beat like a human heart. It was the First Dragon’s Heart-Stone.

“You are too late, little librarian,” the shadow hissed from inside the glass. “The loop is closing. Soon, all of time will belong to the dark.”

The shadow raised a heavy brass key, the dead man’s key. It moved to smash the mirror from the inside. Breaking it would shatter the timeline forever. Kian had only seconds to solve the final piece of the mystery.