Chapter 2: The Gift of Lost Minutes
Elias froze. He was only thirty-four. "I think you have the wrong person," he stammered. The old man finally looked up, sliding a small, ticking glass vial across the counter. Inside, a shimmering liquid pulsed like a heartbeat.
"This is the hour you lost when you were two years old," the watchmaker said. "The hour your sister disappeared in the park. Drink it, and you will remember where she went." Elias knew it was impossible, yet his hand reached for the vial. As the liquid hit his tongue, the shop dissolved into a swirl of colors.