Episode 1 ~ The Clockwork Heart

Written by StillnessandSilence

She awoke with a start, her heart pounding—or rather, ticking. A shadowy creature loomed in the room—a twisted semblance of a dog, but not quite. Calliope jumped out of bed, her silk pajamas clinging to her as she scrambled for a weapon. Her curls, wild and honey-brown, framed her face in a halo of disarray, and the red ribbon she had tied in her hair earlier now hung loose, dangling near her shoulder. Grabbing the nearest object, an old alarm clock, she swung at the creature with trembling hands.

Despite her delicate stature, Calliope fought fiercely. Her off-the-shoulder pajamas had once been elegant, soft teal with tiny heart patterns that matched her usual whimsical style. Now, they were disheveled, torn in places from the thrashing chaos. She slammed the clock into the creature’s face again and again, her gold hoop earrings glinting in the dim light as she moved. The creature snarled, recoiling but refusing to retreat.

Somehow, in the chaos, she stumbled out of her room and into another—a stranger's space littered with guns, knives, and cigarette butts.

"Fight!" the stranger barked, their tone sharp and commanding. They seemed unfazed by the chaos, as though this was a routine occurrence. Calliope had no idea what was happening, but the raw survival instinct burned through her hesitation. With trembling hands, she grabbed a knife from the cluttered desk and slashed at the shadowy fiends that pursued her.

One of them sank its jagged teeth into her arm, and she screamed, the sound raw and jagged as the hot gush of blood spilled down her delicate skin. Her strength waned, her movements slowed, and the edges of her vision darkened. She collapsed, her curls falling in a cascade over her face, the faint scent of jasmine lingering from the ribbon still knotted loosely in her hair.

When she woke again, she was in a sterile medical room, the faint beeping of machines the only sound. Her curls stuck to the pillow, damp and disheveled, and her body felt heavier than it had ever been. Voices murmured in the background, but she couldn’t focus on the words. Everything felt too much—her limbs weak, her chest hollow, her mind foggy. The rhythmic tick of a clock echoed faintly in her ears, counting down into oblivion.

She floated in the darkness, weightless, as though her soul was slipping away. Then, something stirred—a sudden pull, like a spark of life reigniting. Someone had opened her pocket watch, unleashing the magic sealed within it. The energy surged through her, flooding her body with an unnatural force.

Her heart no longer beat—it ticked, steady and mechanical. Slowly, she opened her brown eyes, the dim light of the room coming into focus. The shadows that lingered in her vision had receded, but her mind was far from clear.

She heard voices again, one calm yet formal, informing her that she was now at the Magus Inquisitorials, a place she faintly remembered visiting during her earlier hospitalization—a memory she had dismissed as nothing more than a medication-induced haze.

Her honey-brown curls, still damp, framed her face as she tried to process the words. Her heart had always been weak, but now it felt cold and mechanical, as though the ticking had dulled not just her body but her emotions. The lively confidence that once radiated from her seemed distant now, replaced by an unnerving detachment.

Her new companions surrounded her—strangers, people she wasn't sure she could trust. The warmth and vibrancy that once defined her felt foreign in this sterile, emotionless place. It would take time, she thought, as her fingers unconsciously brushed the red ribbon still clinging to her curls. Time, and something more, to bring her back to life.

For Episode 2 ~ Ticking Into the Unknown