The Watchmaker of the Street of Mists

Lena had long since stopped being surprised that unusual things could happen in the old parts of the city. However, that evening, while returning from the library, she came across something she had not found in any book. At the end of Street of Fogs, in the narrowest alley, a shop suddenly opened up that hadn't been here before that morning.There were rows of clocks in the shop window - pocket clocks, standing clocks, even ones that looked like they were made of flowers and bird feathers. Outside the window there were clouds of steam, and a sign hung above the door: "Clockmaker of Forgotten Times. For Attentive Eyes Only. "Lena felt as if something was drawing her there. She pushed through the door with a quiet creak and stepped inside. The interior seemed larger than the old household could accommodate from the outside. On the shelves, instead of dust, were sparks of light. Clocks ticked to different rhythms, some going backwards, others singing quietly.Behind the counter stood the Clockmaker - an elderly gentleman with eyes as sparkling as the mechanisms hidden in watches. He smiled at Lena as if he was waiting for her.Hello, Lena. Time passes differently here," he said and pointed to one of the pocket watches.Before Lena could ask how he knew her name, she noticed that the hands of the watch began to turn at a dizzying pace. The clock lit up and a bell chimed quietly.Suddenly, everything around her swirled - the walls of the shop dissolved in a golden glow, and Lena felt herself begin to shrink.... The watchmaker merely nodded and whispered: "It's time for an adventure, Lena. Courage!"The girl found herself in a completely different place. Above her head, clocks floated like balloons, and at her feet, a small mechanical fox stopped and blinked at her, as if it wanted to communicate something to her... At that moment, a bell sounded - was this a sign for her to follow the fox? Or should she head back to the shop? Lena held her breath, trying to decide what her first step into this unusual land of time would be.