A gorgeous array of oranges and yellows streak across the morning sky. Dust particles dance in the sunlight trickling down into the stable. The smell of dew encases the wooden building. The dry hay seems to dazzle.

Amber eyes gently open to sunlight poking through a wad of golden straws. It's bright. He brushes off piles of hay from his curled body. He shifts himself upright, squinting his un-dilated pupils. The setting around him takes shape. The morning has never been so vibrant before.

He quietly props himself onto his feet and sweeps stray hay off his clothing. A deep yawn escapes his mouth, leaving his eyes watery. He makes his way over to the stable door; his eyes slip over to where Korlin lay the night before. Still there. The sleeping boy hugs the mammoth like a teddy bear.

-It wasn't a dream.

Exiting the stable, his eyes once again need adjusting. It's so bright.

The trading hub is quiet, only a few people wander the area. Another yawn slips out as he turns the corner. The man who lent them the stable is walking toward Sirius.

"Oh hey, was just coming to get you guys. How'd ya sleep?" The man is wrapped in something like a blanket, he seems to be in a good mood.

"Great, actually. What time is it?"

"Time? I'd say just a little after dayrise. The morning is still young."

Sirius nods, his head is still groggy. "Oh, did you have any breakthroughs with the hoodie?"

"I wouldn't say breakthroughs, but I think given some time I can start trying to replicate it. And hey, I hope you don't mind but I cut off a piece of it." From under his blanket, he unveils the hoodie with the bottom half of the right sleeve sliced off. He hands the amputated hoodie over to Sirius.

"Thanks... I guess."

"I assumed you wanted it back, so I thought I'd just keep a little part for myself to study." Sirius nods reluctantly. It was in fact, not a little part. "Just so you know, I was thinking. If I figure this whole wool thing out, and it gets big, I'll give you a little share of the cut."

Sirius' eyebrows raise. "Really? That's awfully kind of you. Are you sure you don't want to just keep it?"

"Ah don't worry about it, I drew a whole bunch of sketches last night. I got the whole thing laid out to sew." He pulls out from under his blanket which are basically schematics for a hoodie. The drawings are so detailed and precise that it's scary. Strange symbols and lines run across the papers; they are assumingly measurements.

"Dang, well I wish you good luck. If you ever need to borrow it again, I'll gladly let you." Sirius slips on the freshly washed hoodie. His right forearm sticks out, still feeling the crisp air. The two of them share a warm smile.

Sirius and the man trek back to the stable. The man swiftly yanks the door open. "Aww, would you look at that, Gary made himself a friend." Indeed, he did.

Korlin's body is completely submerged underneath the giant. Only one of his arms flails out from under Gary. A muffled voice assumingly yells for assistance. The man claps his hands together which wakes up the sleeping beauty. Gary rolls itself onto their feet and merrily trots over to the man. Gary's footsteps are very loud.

Korlin gasps for air, "Oh my gosh, I- I thought I was going to die." He wheezes until calming down to see two amused faces. "You guys suck...man, what happened to your hoodie?"

*****

"Thanks again for letting us crash here."

"Ah, don't mention it. Think of it as the start of wonderous business partners."

"Alright then, I look forward to seeing you replicate it." Sirius gives him a subtle smile.

"Before you head off, may I ask something of you both?"

"What is it?"

"If you find any material resembling "wool", would you mind letting me know? I'd go and search for it myself but... these old bones have their hindrances. Of course, I'll be doing my own research and digging, but if you find anything, please let me know."

A sound request, especially if a future business is at stake. With that reasoning, they both agree.

"We're on it, sir!" Korlin declares from atop the manfi.

"I appreciate it," he solemnly smiles. "In my lifetime, I've had countless business ventures fall flat. Despite my skills, I've never had a steady income. So, if this works out..." the man's voice croaks. "Maybe I can make my momma proud."

"We'll do what we can. I promise, your momma will be one happy lady!"

Korlin's remark erupts a burst of laughter from the man and a small chuckle from Sirius.

"By the way, I don't think I caught your name?" Sirius mentions.

The man leans against Gary who is now attached to a carriage filled with fruits. "Name's Gary."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Anyways, you ready?" Korlin leaps off Gary's (the animal's) back.

"Yep, let's roll." They say their final farewells and depart from Gary and Gary. "Where are we heading anyways?"

"I figured, let me know if you have another idea, we should wander around and learn some more about this world. Maybe find a map, a job, some money...maybe a dictionary. We also should learn some culture, so we know what not to say."

"Also learn magic."

"That too, if possible."

"Alright!" Enthusiasm takes over him once more. "Let's do this. Should we take notes?"

"Are you going to use a shit feather again?" Korlin stares straight-faced at him, his look the very embodiment of shut up. "It is a good idea though. I don't think they use pencils or anything, the lady at the clinic was using a claw to write with."

"That's so cool," his spirits have reawakened. "Guess we just add that to the list of things to get. Should we split up?"

"Sure, let's meet up around here...actually we can't tell time. Our watches only show an engraving of some flowers." He pulls out the peculiar pocket watch and examines it again. A flower in its bud, the hour hand is only slightly past it. Next in the rotation would be the fully grown flower. Then the decaying flower, then the dead roots in the ground. "I don't know, let's just meet up around here when the sun is at its peak. At noon basically."

"Roger that," Korlin gives Sirius a salute and scurries off for information. Sirius sighs and looks around. Where to go...

Sirius decides to make paper his first priority. It would be best to be able to write all his learnings down. Maybe even start deciphering the language of this world. Though the thought of there only being one language is strange, there is likely much more throughout the entire world. How big is this world?

He wanders aimlessly around the capital's endless streets. Along his travels, he does as any man would do... admire the architecture. The buildings feel like the walls of a fortress. The stonework is marvelous. Flawlessly sculpted stairs, pillars, and statues everywhere you turn. While everything is crafted out of a varying shade of gray, the inhabitants of the capital make it more than enough colorful. Plant life, trees, and murals are dotted around adding even more diversity and color to the city.

-Paper...paper...

He spots a small building with a large wooden sculpture of a book above the entrance. A bookstore perhaps? He strolls inside the cozy shop, and the scent of paper rushes into his nostrils. Definitely a bookstore.

Behind a desk to his left sits a mature-looking woman with coffee hair and glasses. How do prescriptions work here? Sirius inches over making sure his footsteps are quiet.

"Hi, do you have anything that could be used to write in? Like an empty journal or something?" His question makes her glance up from her book. She smiles politely.

"Of course, there should be some journals near the back."

"Thank you," Sirius gives her a quick smile before heading towards the back. The lady returns to her book.

Rows of tall bookshelves line the small store. Despite the rocky exterior, the interior is almost entirely comprised of maple-colored wood. A shallow mossy-colored carpet spans across most of the store.

Turning into an aisle, a girl with deep purple hair looks at the shelves. If her shoulder-length hair were a shade darker it'd be considered black.

Given the size of the shop, the aisle is narrow. Sirius almost turns around but is stopped by the girl's hopping. She bounces up and down trying to reach a book barely out of reach. Her outstretched hand continuously taps the book she's after but to no avail.

Sirius decides to embrace his inner romance protagonist.

He walks over to the bouncing girl. Noticing his presence, she halts her hopping. She isn't much shorter than Sirius, seemingly the same age too. Sirius gets on the tips of his toes and manages to slide the book out of its socket. He plants back on his feet and offers her a smile and the maroon book. He can't read its title.

She wears a light gray knitted sweater, the sleeves drape over her slender arms. Her violet eyes glisten like amethyst. She's very pretty. To Sirius, her beauty is only rivaled by that of Aureole. Not that he cares about looks. She looks down at the book over her button nose.

In all other cases, this would be a wholesome moment. It is, except for the fact she looks absolutely revolted at the sight of what he's done.

She slowly grasps the book and pulls it away from Sirius. Her face loosens only slightly as she nods to herself. She squeezes past Sirius in the aisle and doesn't look back. She disappears behind the bookshelf.

-Was it really that awkward? Damn.

Shaking the sense of embarrassment off, he makes his way to the back of the shop. He finds a bin leaning next to the wall, housing a pile of empty journals. He rummages through the bin, eventually picking out a compact leather book. The journal has a tiny strap to keep it closed and even a little built-in placeholder ribbon.

He picks out another one for Korlin, this one a rough-textured light blue. It is taller but has fewer pages. A tiny tag sticks out from both journals, they have strange symbols he assumes to be the price.

He heads back to the front of the shop and walks up to the lady. "Do you have anything I can write with?"

She sets down her book and scours underneath her desk. "Yes, there should be an ink-claw or two around here." Sirius waits patiently. "Aha!" She bangs her head under the desk. "Here you are," she offers Sirius two fist-sized claws. The claws are an off-white tinted yellow, the tips of the claws are a jet black. "Will those journals be all for you today?"

Sirius is unsure where to put the claws, his pockets are full of nem and the watch. "Yes please." He slides the claws into his remaining hoodie sleeve.

"Alright that'll be twenty-two nem please," she smiles kindly while rubbing where she hit her head.

-I hope I'm right about this nem thing.

Sirius sets the journals down and grabs two red and two green gems from his pocket. He hands them over to the lady and she accepts them. It worked. Sirius feels a brief sense of pride.

"Oh, what about the claws?"

"Oh, you can keep those for free," she is tidying up behind her desk. "Got loads of them." She settles down and opens up her book.

"Thank you," Sirius grabs the journals and heads out the store.

With some free pocket space, he shoves a claw in, holding the other one in his hand along with the books. Treading over into a desolate alleyway, he plops onto the ground. He sets down his journal and opens it to the first cream-colored page. He positions a claw into his hand as he would a pencil.

-How do I even write with this thing?

He presses the blackened tip of the claw onto the paper. Lifting it off the paper, a tiny dot of ink rests on the page. It works.

Is it infinite ink? No, that wouldn't make sense. He has never been so impressed by a pen in his life. He jots down his understanding of nem and latches the book shut.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

-Now to find more stuff to write down.

Meandering through the bustling streets, he happens to spot a group of merchants. Figuring they'll know what is for purchase around here, he approaches them. Sirius puts on his clueless face and greets the merchants.

"H-hey, I'm not from around here. You're merchants, right? Do you guys know what's for sale around here? Or anything else about the market here?" Though it technically isn't a lie, he feels like he's deceiving them.

Surprisingly enough, the merchants seem like they've waited their whole lives for this moment. They eagerly explain the economy of Auretta. Remembering what he can, he jots it all in his journal.

[Auretta, the capital of Lunalir, is the largest trading hub in the world. People come far and wide just to sell their products here, so the goods here are very diverse. The country of Lunalir is teeming with farmland. Most of the locals sell their vegetation and cattle which makes up the majority of the market. Other products come from as far as Aeonice, which I assume to be the name of a country. Apparently, their ice is quite popular. Though, I can't help but feel they were joking when they said that.

The capital also houses lots of underground markets, but the merchants I asked wouldn't give me many details. All they said was that "A young fella like yourself shouldn't worry about all that." Apart from the trading hub, the merchants started talking about the capital itself. Supposedly, Lunalir isn't on the best of terms with its trading partner to the south, Alsi. When asked about Alsi, they replied "Those squallers can piss off with their snow and herbs." Not quite sure what that means, but that was all I could gather for now.

Side note: The merchants of Auretta are weird.]

Sirius continues asking around for any tidbits of information he can gather. He asks about the watch, only to get looks of either confusion or concern. Rephrasing the questions, he manages to scramble up some answers. Though none about the countdown on the back.

[Clocks do not exist, at least not in the traditional sense. Things like sundials exist but watches like mine appear to be a rarity. Hours, minutes, and seconds are not important when it comes to telling time. Unless it is along the lines of "Meet back here in a few minutes" or "Go play for an hour." Even then the terms are used loosely, there is no specified length of an hour or minute. The concept of one o'clock, twelve o'clock, etc. is instead just broken down into four sections of night and day.

Day is from the moment the sun rises (I heard this referred to as daybreak, day-rise, day-start, and sunrise, though the latter is less common) to when it sets (referred to as day-end, day-stop, day-gone, day-set, sometimes nightfall and sunset/sundown, though again, less common). The concepts of morning/dawn and dusk remain. This day period is split into two sections divided by day-peak, which is the equivalent of midday or noon, though the terms 'noon' and 'afternoon' don't seem to exist. The section from sunrise to day-peak is referred to as Budding Time/Period. The section from day-peak to sundown is called Blooming Time/Period.

Night works similarly as it is split into two by the night-peak. From sundown or when the moon rises, it is regarded as night-rise, night-start, and sometimes moonrise. The period from moonrise to night-peak is called Wilting Time/Period. When the moon sets and the sun is about to rise, this time is called moon-fall, night-end, night-set, night-gone, night-stop, and even day-fall. Night-peak to night-end is called the Rooting Time/Period.

Basically, time is split into four sections. No real telling time, just use the sun and moon. Midnight does not count as the start of a new day, sunrise does. The names of the sections explain the floral imagery on the watch. I'm sure there is more I don't know and forgot. My wrist hurts.]

*****

Korlin trots amidst the sea of people. He hunts for any trace of magic he can find. He pokes his head into buildings to see if any magical items are for sale. To his own unfortune, he finds nothing.

-I wonder if there is an adventurers' guild around here...that'd be sick.

Eager to find out, he starts searching for someone who would know. He happens upon a trio of people with animal heads. One has the head of a duck, one of a bull, and another a frog. Thin capes snake around their necks. Sheathed blades rest on their hips.

-These guys look cool and mysterious. They got to be adventurers.

He prances over to the three men. "Do you guys know if there is an adventurers' guild around here?"

They stop their conversation and turn their attention to the vigorous boy.

"A what?" the one with the duck face asks.

"An adventurers' guild, like where you can accept tasks for money and all that."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I guess those don't exist... dang." He ponders what else to ask beast people. "Are you guys like demi-humans?"

The one with the bull face speaks up. "What did you call us?" His complexion matches his stern tone.

"You know, like half animal, half human?"

The three of them grimace in a way animal's faces shouldn't look.

"I'm not sure who you think you are," Bull Face gets in Korlin's face. "But don't you even think of roping us in with those bastard witches' children."

Korlin hadn't anticipated this to be their reaction. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it! I'm not from around here, I've never seen anyone look like... you guys."

-WHAT AM I SAYING?!

"You making fun of us?" The frog is speaking, their voice is hardly deep enough to take seriously. The frog's hand is placed on its sheathed weapon.

Korlin's head stiffly shakes no, his hands waving side to side.

"Of course not! I was just curious," he gives them a forceful smile. The group march forward, clearly, they don't buy his remarks. "Sorry!" All he can think to do is run. So that's what he does. He darts off away from the beast-face people.

"Hey! Get back here!" The three make chase to the slightly skinny, scampering boy. Korlin races through Auretta's streets. He pushes past people and apologizes immediately after, not stopping his sprint. The pursuers start to lose their distance. Korlin can't help but carry an animated smile.

-This is awesome!

Korlin escapes into a narrow alley, the buildings' shadows absorb the slim space. Sprinting through, he whips his head behind him. No one is there.

Thud

Korlin's body collides with someone, toppling the boy to the ground. Fearing it to be one of the beast heads, he anxiously raises his head. Thankfully, it isn't one of them.

It's an older gentleman. The man dons an ornate black suit with blue buttons and silver cufflinks. Black leather dress shoes and perfectly tailored pants tower over the fallen boy.

The well-dressed man adjusts his bowtie and clears his throat.

"Are you alright, sir?" He extends a lengthy arm and offers it to the boy.

"Yeah, thank you," Korlin grabs the man's ring-bearing hand. He lifts the boy eye level and gives him a gentle smile. The man looks great for his age. His thick white hair is thrown into a bun; his eyelashes are fairly long. Hardly any wrinkles appear on his aged face. Kind hazel eyes stare into the boy's. "Sorry for running into you I was just-"

"There you are!" The bull-faced man stands in the light outside the alley. He signals his hands to someone and enters the passage. His broad shoulders barely fit in the thin alley. The duck and frog step into view. "Hey old guy, do us a favor and pin him down, will ya?" They snicker amongst themselves.

"Unfortunately," the man steps in front of Korlin, holding his arm out in front of the boy. "I am not obligated to accept your request." The man's words are firm and without hesitation.

"That kid called us part human. I don't know about you, but I personally don't take kindly to being associated with the witch." The old man's eyes glance at the boy.

"I didn't mean anything bad by it," Korlin mutters, meeting the man's gaze. The old man studies the boy's face. He turns to the group of beast faces; the duck and frog hold thick blades in their palms.

"I ask you sheathe your metal. I wouldn't want to harm any of you."

Bull Face looks impatient. He snaps his fingers. The duck's arm launches a curved blade from over the bull's right shoulder. The blade zips through the air, rapidly rotating like a circular saw.

Korlin covers his head with his arms and ducks to the ground. The old man doesn't move in the slightest. The weapon whizzes past the unphased man's head. As if a boomerang, the blade arches its path back towards the boy.

Korlin braces for the blade's impact. The sound of the blade tearing the air comes to a cease. The boy slowly opens his eyes. The blade's tip stares at his face, unmoving. The woven grip of the weapon is grasped in the old man's palm. He caught the blade.

With a deep grunt, Frog Face rockets a small knife towards the old man's head. In an instant, the man drops the curved weapon and deflects the miniature blade with nothing but his fingers. The blade veers off and releases sparks across the walls.

Within less than a second, the man raises his other hand to the fiends and furrows his brows. From his firm palms, a brilliant blue glow emits. Instantly, the blue light solidifies into a thick orb of water. As if firing a gun, the orb morphs into a stream of boiling water. The stream splits off into three separate paths and jets into each of the fiend's faces.

Their cries of agony echo through the alleyway. Steam floats above each of their hand-covered faces. They throw their bodies into the walls, unable to keep themselves upright. They each trip over themselves, desperately trying to flee the alley. Blood drips from where the streams hit, they had even pierced skin.

Eventually, the beast faces stumble out of the alley with their pride in shambles.

Korlin barely managed to get a glimpse of the attack, but what he did see thrills him to no end. His mouth is agape, he's almost forgotten he was almost killed.

"Are you alright, sir?" The man once again offers Korlin his hand.

"That was amazing!" Korlin grabs his hand and shoots himself upward. "That was magic, right!? How did you do that!?"

The old man relaxes his image.

"Have you not seen a blessing in action before?"

"A blessing..." Korlin enters a state of wonder. "No, what is a blessing?" The old man scratches the back of his neck, he is unsure how to answer the boy's question.

"To put it simply, blessings are temporary abilities granted to an individual."

"Temporary? How do you get blessings?"

"Well... one can either bless themselves with an incantation or have someone else apply them. Some objects can be used to grant blessings, though they are less common. They are temporary in the sense that depending on your self, the blessing's effect will last longer or shorter. It can also depend on the incantation on how long the blessing will last. Does that answer your question?"

Korlin's face has never beamed brighter. He looks like he could faint at any second. "Yes. Yes, it does." The old man gives him another warm smile.

"Well then, I should be off."

"Wait- thank you for saving me! Also, how do I get an incantation!?"

"Boy," the man speaks firmly. "Please, do not go around calling people Witch Spawn. Some take grave offense to the claim, while others wouldn't pay it mind. Do be careful."

"What is a Witch Spawn anyway?"

"You don't even know what they are and yet you call someone one?" The man is strained with disappointment.

"No, I asked if they were part human! Are humans called Witch Spawns?"

"You... really don't know... do you?" The man studies Korlin's face; he can't detect a lie. "In brief, while some may consider it a folktale, it is fact that there are three witches. The other two witches are praised and loved by the world, while the one relating to Witch Spawns is despised." The man looks down at his ring. "The Witch of Death... said to be the end-bringer of all life. It is said she kills as she pleases, taking the lives of loved ones without reason. Though if such a being truly does exist... we can only pray for its mercy."

The boy is washed with intrigue and an inkling of fear. "What does that have to do with humans?"

"Humans, or Witch Spawns, are said to be made of the witch. Some say she uses the lives of those she cuts short to make her own life. That, of course, is but a rumor. Still, over time people have come to discriminate against their kind. Even though most don't even know what a Witch Spawn looks like. To me, it feels more like an excuse to blame someone other than nature for death. Mindless hatred."

"Do you... hate Witch Spawns?"

"I hold no grudge against them. There is no proof they are taken souls. Even if they are, they wouldn't know it. Their birth is no more a crime than any other creature."

"You're so cool," it slips out of his mouth. He shakes it off, "Sorry, about the-"

"Apologies, I must be going. I need return to my lord's candidate. It has been well chatting with you, Witch Spawn." The well-dressed man walks towards the light of town.

-So, he knew...

"Wait! I didn't even catch your name!" The man's advance does not waver. "Or how to get magic..." Defeated, he sinks his head.

-That guy was so cool and mysterious.

He lifts his head and sets off to gain more information. Walking back into the streets, the sun hides behind gray clouds.

-How am I supposed to know when noon is now? I got to tell Sirius about the witch.

He decides to head back to the area where the two of them departed. There is only one slight problem.

He's lost.

*****

Sirius waits where the two departed, scribbling sketches of items he had seen in the market. He jots down the prices of each object beneath their images.

He sits on the edge of a wall carved out by a tall stairwell; his feet dangle over the people walking underneath. His back rests on a stocky bush, small white flowers poking out into the world. The flowers here are strange, intricate, yet still clearly a flower. They also smell nice.

The noise of feet shuffling across stone.

"I found you," a voice moans.

"I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it's past noon."

Korlin drags his feet and collapes next to Sirius. "Yeah yeah, I got lost. Anyways, what's all that?"

"Journals, I picked them up at a bookstore. Here, I got you one too," Sirius hands Korlin his light blue book. He gladly accepts it and starts flipping through.

"What about that thing? Is that like a bear claw or something?"

"It basically acts like a pen," Sirius showcases the claw by drawing a line.

"Woah! That's awesome!"

"It's pretty cool, much better than your feather with shi-"

"Yeah, you don't have to keep bringing that up." They share a chuckle together. "Man, I've never had this much fun learning before."

-He's right. I think I'm... having fun. For the first time in a long time, life isn't so dull.

"Same," Sirius smiles faintly.

"If school was like this, I would've actually gone." Korlin looks up towards the gray sky.

"You didn't go to school?"

"Huh? Oh... I just didn't see the point in it anymore... So, I stopped going."

"What about your parents?" A hint of envy laces the words.

"My parents... they stopped caring about me a long time ago." While still retaining a smile, his face saddens. "I could do whatever I wanted...and yet..."

...

"You alright?"

Korlin shakes his head as if waking from a trance. His enthusiasm reawakens as he claps his hands together.

"Ah, I'll tell you another time, it's nothing interesting really."

Sirius decides to play along. "Alright... did you see any magic?"

The flickering candle lights ablaze.

"Yes! I saw magic. Like even more real magic!" Korlin waves his hands around trying to act out the story. "There was this old guy, and I almost died, but he was all like woosh and bam water splashed all over the duck."

"...Right, so maybe a language I can understand this time... All I got from that was you almost died and there was a duck."

Korlin laughs and then tells Sirius his story.

"The Witch of Death... do you think the man who gave us the watches knows anything?"

"Oh, the Timekeeper? Probably, if we see him let's make sure to ask him."

"Timekeeper?"

"Had to call him something, I think it fits well."

"Yeah... Anyways I doubt we could find him even if we tried, this town is massive-"

"There he is!"

-No way.

Following the tip of Korlin's finger, Sirius spots the slightly hunched man in the distance. He is shuffling around the other side of the trading hub. Korlin swings his legs over the edge and leaps off the wall. Sirius packs away his journal and mimics the boy's movements. They jog past a herd of manfis that look identical to Gary. The animal Gary, that is.

"Hey there, old-timer!" Korlin slaps his hand down onto the man's shoulder.

"Ow..." the senior hunches over slightly more. Korlin instantly withdraws his hand.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"No that's quite alright, I won't break that easily." The Timekeeper gives them a hearty smile. "You two seem to be doing well, how are you handling everything?"

"I think we're getting the hang of it," Sirius replies. "Just kind of exploring the town and learning some things. What are you up to?"

"I was just on my way home. But originally, I was searching for the two of you."

"For us? Why's that?"

He looks at Sirius' tilted and smiling face. "Hmm, perhaps it's best not to tell you yet..." the man mutters to himself.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing, I must be going soon. I can't be out past dusk." His words give off an ominous aura.

"Wait, Timekeeper," Korlin blurts out.

"Timekeeper?" The old man almost seems offended by the title.

"Sorry, that's just what I figured to call you. What should I call you?"

The Timekeeper lets out a deep chuckle and grins. "Timekeeper is just fine."

Korlin smiles proudly. "Anyways, we wanted to ask you something. Do you know anything about the Witch? You called us Witch Spawns when we first woke up, so you have to know something."

Timekeeper nods his head; he's been expecting this.

"All I can tell you is that she is the one who brought you to this world. I merely found you."

"You know, for a cool and mysterious old guy, you're not very wise." Korlin seems genuinely disappointed.

"How did you know where we would wake up?" Sirius questions. "When I found you last, you were already waiting for him to wake up."

"I've been doing this a long time, boy. That witch loves to place humans in areas with lots of people. And I'm not sure why, but she seems to have a thing for dirt."

"You know, that was a really vague answer."

"Apologies, I really don't know much about the witch." He lowers his head and mutters to himself, "I could never reach her..."

"Then tell us this," Sirius locks eyes with the man. "What does this count down towards?"

Sirius shows the man his ticking watch.

Timekeeper looks hesitant. His eyes close and he takes a deep breath.

The man straightens his posture with newfound resolve.

The Timekeeper's eyes meet the anxious boys.

The world seems to stop as he utters the words.

"Your memories."