Aria looked at Elias.
"You said I'm the key."
Elias walked past her slowly.
His fingers brushed the ticking clocks on the wall.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
"Time is a system," he said.
"A balance."
Kael leaned against the table.
"You're stalling."
Elias looked at him.
"You broke the loop."
"Yes."
"And now the Keepers will erase everything."
Aria crossed her arms.
"Can someone explain without sounding like a prophecy?"
Elias stopped in front of her.
"You were supposed to die."
"Yes, I heard that part."
"But when Kael broke the loop," Elias continued,
"you became something else."
Aria frowned.
"What?"
Elias's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A variable."
The door of the shop suddenly shook.
A loud knock.
Kael froze.
"They found us."
Another knock.
Harder.
The clocks on the wall began ticking faster.
Aria whispered,
"…are those the Keepers?"
Elias shook his head slowly.
"No."
Kael's voice dropped.
"…that's worse."
The door burst open.
A tall woman stepped inside.
Red coat.
Black hair.
Sharp eyes.
She smiled slightly.
"Well."
Her gaze landed on Kael.
"You finally broke the rules."
Kael sighed.
"Hello, Mira."
Aria looked between them.
"Friend?"
Kael answered quietly.
"Not exactly."
Mira stepped closer.
Her eyes moved to Aria.
"So this is the girl."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, hello, I'm the apparently-not-dead girl."
Mira laughed softly.
"Interesting."
Then she looked at Kael again.
"You know what happens now."
Kael nodded.
"They'll send hunters."
Mira leaned against the table.
"They already did."
Silence.
Aria swallowed.
"How many?"
Mira smiled.
"All of them."
The clocks suddenly stopped.
Every single one.
Elias whispered,
"They're here."
The shop lights flickered.
And the back wall
moved.