The rain drummed on the windows above the attic, where Maks was finishing analysing old maps of the world for his credit paper. Among the dusty old books on a bookcase in his great-grandfather's library, an intricately decorated clock caught his eye. The kind you read about in travellers' letters from centuries ago - with bronze numerals, meteorite inlays and a small winding key hidden in the double bottom. Maks carefully lifted the lid of the clock. His fingers felt the convex characters - something like Braille, but arranged in constellations resembling constellations he had only seen on astronomical maps. One of the symbols flashed when he accidentally pressed it with his fingernail. At the same instant, the clock's mechanism moved violently and a quiet, growing noise came from within, like the breath of a storm. The room swirled. When Maks opened his eyes, he was standing in the middle of a cobbled market square, where people dressed in historical costumes he had previously only seen in illustrations were clambering between stalls. The strange thing was that he recognised the language, although it did not remind him of any modern speech. He still clutched the clock in his hand - it now pulsed warmly with every beat of his heart. Wandering among the unfamiliar sounds, he reached the monumental town hall. Students in long coats crowded in front of the entrance, exchanging messages written on parchments. Maks tried to find someone to help him find out where and when he was, but soon noticed that several people were watching him with interest - or perhaps even distrust. Trying not to draw attention to himself, he suddenly heard a familiar noise - the same as just before the time jump. He glanced at the clock: the hands had begun to turn the other way, and the light emanating from within illuminated even the darkest corners of the market. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm. Maks turned abruptly, ready to flee, when he saw a young woman with a penetrating gaze and a bizarrely modern watch on her wrist. She leaned towards him and whispered directly into his ear: "You are not alone here. Keep an eye on the clock, because someone already knows you've arrived. I will help you, but you must trust me before you open another mechanism. If you don't make it..." At that moment, the clock beeped and the dark shadows cast by the town hall tower lengthened uneasily towards him.