The narrow, cobbled street of Whispers was drowning in twilight, although the clock on the town hall tower only struck six in the evening. The town was beginning to get ready for sleep, and the windows of the houses were brightening with a gentle light. For Maia, Staszek and Lena, however, this was only the beginning, not the end of the day. They had been passing this way every day for the past few weeks, pretending that nothing interested them. But how can you not pay attention to a watchmaker's shop in the middle of a holiday, when everything around you seems ordinary and predictable? The façade was mossy, the windows dusty and the old wooden sign with the words "Clocks and Time" swayed with every gust of evening wind. There was still a bell attached above the door, which always seemed to ring a little too late, as if the sound was coming from behind an invisible curtain. First up was Lena, who spotted it first. "I saw something move behind the glass. But it wasn't a person ... rather a shadow or a reflection," she then whispered with concern. Maja just shrugged her shoulders, but from then on all three of them began to look at the place more carefully. That evening, Lena had a plan. "Let's see what's going on there. Now. See, the light is on, even though I've never seen anyone inside there." Staszek, the biggest sceptic, spoke up first: "It's probably just an ordinary light bulb left on overnight. But if you're scared, Lena, we can come back tomorrow." But Lena was already approaching the window, and Maja, treading on her heels, was trying to spot something through the dusty glass. And then all three of them froze - for a moment a figure appeared in the lamplight, amidst the myriad clocks and mechanisms. A tall man in a dark, long coat, with his face partially hidden in shadow. It looked as if he was talking to a wall or to his own reflection, but his mouth was moving fast and his hands were making strange gestures. A moment later, something metallic buzzed, all the clocks in the shop began to strike different times at the same time, and a sound came from inside that none of them had ever heard before. Lena took a step back and Maja grabbed Staszek by the sleeve. Exactly then, as if the figure had heard them, the man turned abruptly towards the window. His gaze was penetrating, cold and strangely familiar. Before they had time to jump away, the shop door opened with a slam and someone's hand swung out into the street, holding what looked like a very old pocket watch....