C24 The thirteenth founder

The screech of the central clockwork gear echoed through the damp alleyway, vibrating through the soles of Vespera’s boots. Violet light pulsed with blinding intensity from the clockmaker’s shop doorway, casting long, fractured shadows across the cobblestones.

“We can’t go back into the shop!” Corin shouted, coughing as a cloud of bitter, ozone-laced smoke billowed from the threshold