The cold steel of the dagger pressed deeper into Julian's neck, drawing a single drop of warm blood.He did not care about the blade. His mind was entirely stuck on the image of his sister on the glowing screen. Maya sitting on a throne of iron and bone. Maya smiling while a man begged for his life. Five years of sweat, torn clothes, and bruised ribs flashed through his head. Every time he came home bleeding from the train tunnels, she had handed him a clean towel with a sweet, sad smile. She had looked so weak, so small, so close to death.It was all an act.Marrow, Julian said, his voice hard and flat. You work for her?Old Man Marrow let out a dry laugh right against Julian's ear. Work for her? Boy, nobody works for Maya. We just do what she pays us to do, or she tears us apart. And right now, she wants you out of the picture.Commander Eleanor Vance did not move. She stood by the broken window, watching the scene with her arms crossed over her grey coat. She did not look surprised

The sound of ticking filled Julian's ears until it felt like his head would split open.He fell through the sky of spinning golden gears, tumbling past massive clock hands that cut through the air like swords. The bright white fire blinded him, but he kept his eyes open, searching for Maya. He could not let her slip away this time. He finally knew the truth. He was not just a tired boy running errands in the rain; he was Malakor, an ancient king trapped in a prison of endless time by his own family.And Maya was the one holding the keys to the cell.With a hard thud, Julian hit the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of his chest, but he forced himself back up onto his feet instantly.He was not in the sky anymore. He stood in a wide, high-ceilinged stone hallway lit by flickering wall torches. The air smelled of old dust and cold rain. Heavy iron doors lined both sides of the corridor, each one marked with a different number carved into the rock.Julian looked down at his hands.

The giant golden door in the sky creaked open, spilling blinding white light across the empty dark void.Julian fell fast through the air, tumbling past spinning gears and floating clocks. Beside him, Commander Eleanor Vance and Old Man Marrow dropped like stones, shouting as the rushing wind pulled at their clothes. None of them could use their magic here. This was the raw core of the time prison, the place where reality ended and the rules of the world broke down completely.Up ahead, Maya hovered right in front of the massive open doorway.She did not look like a sweet, sick girl anymore. Her black leather jacket whipped around her shoulders in the fierce wind, and her dark hair streamed behind her. A wide, triumphant smile lit up her face as she reached out and touched the glowing frame of the golden door.Julian pushed his arms out, forcing his body to cut through the heavy wind. He had to stop her before she opened the gateway all the way. If the ancient prison broke open, the o

The blue fire exploded across the glass floor, filling the dark hall with blinding light and a sharp, crackling roar.Lord Vane threw his arm up to block the glare, his pale face twisting in sudden anger. The white blade of light in his hand flickered and died as thick blue smoke rolled across the ground, blocking him from view.Maya did not hesitate. She grabbed Julian by the arm and pulled him hard toward the dark shadows near the massive iron throne.Move! Maya said, her voice sharp and urgent.Julian scrambled to his feet, running beside her as the blue fire began to clear. Behind them, Lord Vane let out a cold, angry shout that shook the floating clocks in the sky.You cannot run from me, child, Lord Vane called out through the smoke. The prison belongs to the Vance family. Every stone, every gear, every second of time obeys my command!"Commander Eleanor Vance and Old Man Marrow scrambled after them, dodging falling pieces of black glass as the floor began to crack open under th

Gunfire lit up the dark alley as bullets smashed against the brick walls, sending red sparks flying into the rain.Julian pulled Maya down behind a rusted metal dumpster just as a heavy round punched through the container with a loud screech. Beside them, Old Man Marrow and Commander Eleanor Vance scrambled through the open steel door, sliding down the dark concrete steps into the hidden escape tunnel beneath New Oxford.Get inside! Maya shouted over the roar of the tactical rifles.She did not wait for Julian. She shoved him through the doorway first, then slipped inside herself, pulling a thick iron lever on the wall. With a heavy, grinding thud, the steel door slammed shut, cutting off the line of fire and plunging the underground space into total shadow.For a few seconds, nobody spoke. The only sound was the heavy breathing of four people standing in the dark, listening to the muffled shouts of the Vance family enforcers beating on the steel door upstairs.Are you okay? Julian as