It was past midnight. The old clock on the wall kept ticking — tick, tock, tick, tock.
Fourteen-year-old Suvam lay wide awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Every second felt louder than the last.
He tried closing his eyes, but the sound only grew sharper — almost like the clock was whispering to him.
Then, suddenly, the ticking stopped.
The silence was heavy. Suvam sat up, confused.
Then, from the corner of his room, came a soft click — the clock's hands were moving backward.
Suvam's heart raced. He reached out and touched it.
The moment his fingers brushed the clock, the world around him froze — the air, the wind, even the moonlight.
He looked around and saw his reflection in the window… but it was smiling back at him.