It was midnight when Julia, David and Lena climbed the creaking steps of the abandoned manor house Under the Oak. Their torches cast long streaks of light on old portraits and cobwebbed chandeliers. Everything around looked as if time had stopped here years ago. Many of the townspeople avoided the manor house by a wide margin, especially since rumours of strange sounds heard at night spread. But Julia and her friends were sure they would find something unusual. After an hour of searching, they came across a trapdoor hidden under an old carpet. They opened it with difficulty and descended the damp-smelling stairs into the twilight-drenched underground. There, amidst the rubble and old trunks, a huge brass clock awaited them, all covered with carvings in the shape of swirling leaves and unseen animals. Its hands rotated unhurriedly, although the dial had no numerals. Lena reached out and touched the clock. At the same moment, they felt a cool gust and heard a dragging sound, as if the echo of ancient voices came from deep within the walls. The floor beneath their feet trembled and the light from the torches began to dim. The clock came to life, the hands sped up and colourful streaks of light swirled around their friends. When they opened their eyes, they were no longer standing in a cellar, but on a bustling, cobbled street - ladies in long dresses and gentlemen in cylinders strolled around them. One of them nodded to them, clearly recognising them. For a moment, all three could not get a word out. - I think... - Julia didn't finish because David tugged on her arm. Someone strangely familiar appeared on the street corner. Someone who should never have been here. The clock they held in their hands began to vibrate, as if warning of something elusive.... The friends didn't know what would happen if they took another step - but they had no turning back.